14 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[July 1, 1894. 
dog he thought I could hire. The next morning found me 
hright and early in the farmer's dooryard. 
"Good morning," I said, as he appeared, "I was told I 
could get a rahfait hound of you for a little while. "M" Yes," 
he replied. "There's old Snyder over thar, you kin have the 
use of , for a dollar," .pointing to a large dog pulling on a 
chain, who seemed to he a cross hetween a foxhound and a 
collie, and appeared to be deeply grieved that he could not 
get away and chew somebody. "You jest show him a gun 
and he'll follow you all day, but look a-here," continued the 
owner, "if he kills eny sheep while you have him, you've got 
to settle for 'em." 
I agreed to this condition, paid my dollar, and departed 
with Snyder, who, notwithstanding his fierce appearance, 
was soon my fast friend. 
He was a dog after my own heart, who would drive rabbits 
all day for you, and all night if not called off. He had not a 
lazy bone about him, aod soon ran himself so footsore that I 
had to leave him home every other day, where he howled so 
that people complained of him. He had but one fault; he 
would run a fox if he came to a warm trail. Twice I had to 
go to his owner's house in the morning and wait for him to 
come home after an all-night run 
I had my fill of rabbit shooting over him for two weeks, 
aud offered the farmer half my pile to let me take him home. 
"Yer couldn't buy old Snyder if yer made him a blanket out 
er dollar bills," was his last answer. 
I brought my beagle bitch back to Boston and solemnly 
averred I had the best rabbit dog that ever followed a trail, 
and showed the rabbits I brought home as proof. I took a 
good deal of pains with her and got her over being gunshy, 
but to get her to hunt in a satisfactory way alone, I could 
not. A team ran over her the next summer and I did not 
cry a great deal. 
I soon got another dog, an old foxhound with a tinge of 
beagle in him. Turk is a slow, pottering sort of an old chap, 
but hunts his ground over carefully and thoroughly, and if 
he once starts a rabbit does not lose him. I have got quite a 
number of cottontails in front of him, and there are a good 
many worse dogs than he is. 
I had him out one day early last fall, and sent him into a 
piece of swampy ground that I thought he would make a 
start in. He soon gave tongue and I quickly placed myself 
in front of some holes in a side hill that I thought the rabbit 
would make for. It was soon evident another dog was 
driving that rabbit as well as mine. 
"Bun" soon came out where I was looking for him and 
turned a neat somersault as my gun went off. I quickly 
found out who the stranger was as he came out of the bush 
first. He was a black and tan dog standing about 15in. high, 
of which his legs represented nine, one ear was not all there 
and his sides nearly touched together. I could not make 
friends with him and soon both dogs went to hunting for 
more game. They went up on to a side hill and I had a good 
chance to watch the little one work. He was fast but sure, 
and soon had another rabbit going which came round the 
hill right toward me. The little dog gave his rat tail a 
couple of wags, as much as to say "Well done," as this one 
was added to the other, and immediately went back to where 
Turk was at work on another trail. 
At lunch time when Turk and I were emptying the lunch 
box, the stranger sat off from us about 20yds. and no amount 
of coaxing or grub offered could get him nearer. I tossed 
a couple of biscuit, for which he seemed grateful, and we 
went after more rabbits. In all I got three rabbits that day, 
not counting two that the dogs holed before I could get a 
shot. 
Thinking these enough for a mess, and wishing to get an- 
other day's sport from the same ground, I called the dogs 
and started for the depot. "If the tan hound follows me I 
don't suppose I can help it," I thought, as he did not have on 
any collar. He followed readily enough till I got to the 
road, where I took down my gun and put it in the case; he 
then looked at me as much as to say. "Aren't you going to 
do any more hunting?" and started off across the fields, the 
only effect my whistle having on him was to quicken his 
speed. 
I trailed him with some help from my old dog, who did not 
understand this last move, down to a farmhouse. Leaving 
my rabbits outside and carrying a partridge that was fright- 
ened to death by my coming on to her suddenly in the 
woods, I walked in to where an old man was watering his 
cows. 
"Can I get a drink of milk?" I asked. 
"Yes, if you want to wait till it's milked," was the reply. 
While the farmer milked, I engaged him in conversation, 
in the midst of which in walked my late companion. 
"Hello," I said, "what kind of abound is that?" 
"Huh! Not much of a hound. It's a dog some one gave 
my little girl downtown, and a meauer thing never walked. 
He's no good after a fox nor he won't tackle a woodchuck. I 
did see him once catch a rabbit, and my neighbor's boy some- 
times gets him to go rabbit hunting with, but what good is 
a dog of that kind?" 
"Well," said I as I drank my milk, "some people like 
them; I know a fellow that is looking for one, if you want 
to part with him for $5. I think I know where I can dispose 
of him." 
"Show us your money," was the reply, and the exchange 
was quickly made, and I boarded the train hugging myself 
and my new possession at the same' time. 
I now have two dogs who will give a man all the sport he 
can ask for in the line of rabbit shooting. The old dog works 
faster with Ranger, as I call him, and while they work to- 
gether, they do not cover their ground as only one dog, as I 
have seen other pairs do. 
Ranger is made the butt of all the jokes of my friends, but 
when I go out for rabbits I do not lack company. 
Dog men who have seen him call him half beagle and half 
foxhound, but just how he is bred will probably remain a 
mystery. 
A good many fellows own rabbit dogs hereabouts, and we 
have quite a few field trials on a small scale. Ranger has 
been hunted with beagles of Forest, Bannerman and Valen- 
tine stock and some other well bred dogs, and the opinion of 
all, even the owners of the other dogs, is that he has yet to be 
beaten in trailing or speed, and while his voice is perhaps too 
guttural to be called bell -toned, it answers all purposes to let 
you know which way the game is going Some of his com- 
petitors have taken prizes in the Boston bench shows; how is 
this for a five dollar dog? 
A point I wish to bring out is that these highly bred, high- 
priced, small-sized beagles are not what a man wants who 
has but little time to devote to gunning; for instance, how 
much use is al2in. dog in a foot of light snow? 
I attended a field trial for beagles this fall and a large per 
cent, of the heats came off as follows: A rabbit was started 
by one of the spectators, handlers or judges, the brace that 
was down were called up, each handler grabs his dog by the 
back of the neck (if allowed to do so) and put him on the 
trail, the rabbit runs a few hundred yards and goes into a 
hole or wall, the dog that gets there first is awarded the 
heat. 
Is this a true test? When I go out for rabbits I put my 
dogs into a piece of ground, take my stand in a favorable 
position for a shot and let my dogs do the starting; if they 
do not give tongue it is because there are no rabbits moving 
and we try another place. Half my pleasure is watching 
them work a cold trail; how many high bred cracks do this 
in a quick snappy manner? 
A friend of mine who recently purchased a pair of Krueger 
bred beagles, has tried all the fall and winter to break them 
to hunt to his satisfaction. He has had them out frequently 
with my pair, but they do not profit by a good example. 
When first set down, they start oft making noise enough for 
a full-sized pack, running on the first scent they come to, be 
it either fox, rabbit, squirrel or even the common house cat. 
We are never sure they are after the right game till we hear 
the voice of one of the old dogs. After they have worked off 
the wire edge they will do good work for perhaps a couple of 
hours, at the end of that time they come in to heel and rarely 
leave us for the rest of the day. Lately, when my friend goes 
out, he borrows one of my dogs and usfis him alone; also there 
is a fine looking pair of beagles for sale in Boston. 
I wish that in case this attempt at literature should meet 
the eye of a lover of rabbit shooting, he would reply with 
some of his own experiences, as I believe that reading of this 
sort is as entertaining to a great many as accounts of quail 
shoots, foxhound runs, etc., that now have a monopoly of 
the columns of our sporting papers. V. H. Ellis. 
Boston, Mass. 
• • • • 
Show Beagles as Practical Field Dogs. 
Rabbit hunters, and in fact any one who takes a pleasure 
in venatical sports, will.we are sure, read Mr. Ellis's account 
of his search for a rabbit dog with keen interest. There is 
also something more serious that the beagle breeder, who 
reads between the lines, must gravely think over both for 
his own sake and that of the lovely little houuds he is seek- 
ing to popularize and improve. While Mr. Ellis's experi- 
ences should not be taken as an indication that all our 
strains of purely bred and "high-toned" beagles are merely 
ornaments of the chase, it sounds a note of warning to their 
breeders. Those who admire the beagle would not like to 
see them descend to mere prize card winners and allow fancy 
to usurp the honors of utility, as we find is the case with 
cockers and field spaniels of the present day. That a few 
cross-bred dogs can and have beaten the beagle at its own 
game does not prove the rule that the beagles we are breed- 
ing for good show points are useless in the field. We are 
well aware of the fact that beagle field trials may tend to 
the production of a "flashy hunter," still is it not immeasur- 
ably better to have such field trials in order to draw greater 
attention to field work than have our breeders give their 
undivided attention to producing stock which can only do 
good work in a sawdusted show ring? The very fact that 
these show dogs are hunted and trained, and this the field 
trials have proved, will preserve their hunting instincts. 
That a "lurcher" can catch a hare is no reason why we 
should give up breeding good harriers and beagles, or that 
a "dropper" is often a good field dog is no reason that we 
should not strive to make good field dogs of our purebred 
pointers and setters. Mr. Ellis's picture of a field trial is 
rather overdrawn. If he would, as we have done, follow 
some of the beagles which have run, and run well, too, at 
bur field trials, he would find many pure bred beagles that 
can nose out a cold trail and work it to a find, and not a 
note will he hear until the careful work leads to a warm 
"form" or the real fun commences. Such dogs are Lee II., 
Forest Hunter, Snow, Clyde, June Rose, Millard, Base and 
Gypsey A., and many others one could mention. Dogs are 
tried for gunshyness at the trials and very few, if any, have 
been turned down on that account. Beagles are not naturally 
gun dogs, this being a condition they have found since their 
introduction to this country, and is simply a matter of 
education and use. 
faceting. 
FIXTURES. 
3. Sea. Cor., Race, Oyster Bay to 14- 
Larchruont. 
3. Southern, Cruise. 14 
4. Pine Lake,Club,Pine Lake, Wis. 
4. Squantum, Cham., Squantutn, 16 
Mass. 16 
4. Larchmont, Ann., L. I. Sound, 
4. City of Boston, Open, Boston 16- 
Harbor. 
4. Beverly, Club Cham., Monu- 19. 
ment Beach. 19. 
4. Cleveland, Ladies' Day, L. Erie. 19. 
4. Plymouth, Club, Plym, Harbor 
4. Fox Lake. Club, Fox Lake, 111. 30. 
4. Columbia. Ladies'Day.Ohicago, 
Lake Michigan. 20. 
4. Plymouth, Club, Plym'th, Mass 
4. Piscataqua,An.,Portsnio'th,Me 21. 
4-7. Lake Y. R. A„ Race Meet, 
Sodus Bay. 81. 
6-20 Philadelphia, Annual Cruise. 
7. Dorchester Bay Clubs, Union 21. 
Race, Dorchester Bay. 
7. St. Lawrence, A, 30, 25, 21ft: 21. 
Classes, fourth series. 21. 
7. Riverside. Ann., L. T, Sound. 21. 
7. Cape Cod, Club, Nobscussett 21. 
Pier, 
7. Douglaston, Open, L. L Sound. 21, 
7. Lynn, Expert Cup, Lynn, Mass. 21 . 
7. Manchester, Open, Mass. Bay. 21. 
7. Eastern, An., Marblehead. 21. 
12. Schoodic, 1st Cup Race, Club. 
12. Rochester, Squad. Sail and Re- S6. 
view, Charlotte, Lake Ontario. 
14. St. Lawrence, A, 30. 25, 21ft. 26 
Classes, fifth series. 
14. Cor. Mus. Fleet, 21ft. and 28, 
cabin cats. New Rochelle. 
14. Knickerbocker, Club, L. I. S d. 28, 
14. N. Y. Bay, Club, N. Y. Harbor. 28 
14. New Bedford, Club Sail, Buz. B. 88, 
14. Pbila., Squad. Sail, Del. River. 
14. Sea. Cor., 25ft. Class, Bullock 28. 
Cup, Oyster Bay. 28. 
14. Cor. Pbila., Evans Cup, Dela- 
ware River. 28. 
14-15. San Francisco Cor., Cruise, 28 
Galinas Creek. 
30 
Long 
21. Larchmont, Cruise, 
Island Sound. 
-30. Columbia, Cruise, Chicago 
to Green Bay, Wis. 
Riverside, Cruise, L. I. Sound. 
Rhode Island, Aun. Cup, Nar- 
'ragansett Bay. 
19. Hempstead Bay, Cruise, G't 
South Bay. 
Miramichij.Race, Chatham. 
Fall River, Ladies' Day. 
Rochester, Ladies' Day, Char- 
lotte, Lake Ontario. 
Hempstead Bay, Club, Hemp- 
' stead Bay. 
Phila., Club' Race, all Classes, 
Delaware River. 
Squantum, Cham. Squantum 
Mass. 
American, Seaver Cup, New- 
buryport. 
Beverly, Sweeps, West Fal- 
mouth. 
Fox Lake, Club, Fox Lake, 111 
Plymouth, Club, Plym. Harbor 
Lynn, Expert Cup, Lynn, Mass. 
ManchesterjMinot's Ledge Cup 
Massachusetts Bay. 
Plymouth, Club, Plym'th, Mass 
Douglaston, Open, L. I. Sound, 
Douglastcn, Open, L. I. Scund. 
Indian Harbor, open cats and 
21-footers, L. I. Sound. 
Rochester, Club, Charlotte, 
Lake Ontario. 
29. Indian Harbor, Cruise, L. I. 
Sound. 
Cor. Phila., Jeanes Prize, Del- 
aware River. 
Hull, Open, Boston Harbor. 
Great South Bay, An., Islip, 
Larchmoni, Flint Cup, cabin 
cats, Long Mand Sound. 
N. Y. Bay, Club, N. Y. Harbor. 
South Boston, Club Cruise, 
Massachusetts Bay. 
Squantum, Squantum. Mass. 
29. San Francisco Cor., Cruise, 
Goat Island. 
Schoodic, 2d Cup Race, Club. 
From all appearances, the proposed grand steam yacht regatta of 
the American Y. C, set for June 16, has shared the fate of similar 
events in previous years. It is very evident that the owners of the 
larger class of steam yachts are quite as much averse to public and 
authenticated tests of their speed as are the owners of the alleged 
high-speed launches. 
WuBTHEa because they do not understand square root, or for some 
other reason that is not apparent, the yachtsmen of Yale and Har- 
vard have gone in with a vengeance for a "plain and simple rul % with 
no plus in it;" the measurement for the intercollegiate regatta last 
week being waterline alone, and that not measured, but "taken from 
'Manning s List,' or that of any reputable yacht club." In spite of 
the care with which Manning's List is Compiled, the measurements in 
it, mainly furnished by owners, and not intended for purposes of 
allowance, are in no way accurate enough for such a purpose; and 
the figures in the club books are even more unreliable. A still simpler 
and quite as accurate a plan would be to ask the cook how long he 
thought the yacht to be. This would avoid all such trouble to the 
owner as was complained of by the owner of Dacotah lately. If the 
two colleges propose to build up successful clubs with a regular race 
each year, the first thing to do is to adopt some fixed system, based on 
such accurate measurements as have been found indispensable in the 
older yacht clubs. 
The racing of the new 21ft. class has been disappointing thus far, up 
to July 4, but one, two or three boats having turned up in moat races; 
and it is quite likely that, like the Cup defenders of last year, the sea- 
son will be well over before the class is regularly racing as a whole. 
The reason is that the boats were ordered late and are not yet ready? 
or if in commission, many of them require alteration or tuning up" 
Under the circumstances attending the origin of the class, this delay 
is largely excusable; but it shows again the necessity for certain per. 
manent racing classes in which building will begin in December or 
January rather than in April. There is always a natural reluctance on 
the part of owners to place their orders until the last moment, when 
they can know what others are doing, and can obtain the benefit of 
the latest ideas. . This benefit is largely imaginary, and is more than 
offset by the inevitable delay on the part of designer, builder, sail- 
maker and all others concerned; and this delay is always less in the 
case of an established class, certain to go on from year to year, than 
when a class dies at the end of a season, and yachtsmen are in doubt 
until late in the winter as to what is to be the particular class which is 
to succeed it. 
The assumed success of the 21-footers has brought forth from 
some anonymous yachtsman, in a letter to the New York Sun, a sug- 
gestion for the formation of a similar restricted class of 30-footers^ 
similar to the Herreshoff Handsel, of about 9ft. beam and draft, and 
l,2008q. ft. of sail, the idea being to obtain a class of closely-matched 
racing boats of moderate cost and also fitted for cruising. Such a 
class no doubt would be a very good one, more generally useful than 
the 21-footers, which are too small for anything but local racing. The 
real end in view, however, would be only partly reached and the life 
of the class would be but one or two seasons. What would be much 
more to the purpose would be the concerted action of the principal 
clubs toward the definite and final settlement of several important 
questions, so as to give more permanency to racing and building. 
In spite of the uncertainty as to what may come next in yacht 
designing, and of other obstacles, we believe that the time has come 
when further action is called for on the part of the clubs. The first step 
is obviously to decide what yachtsmen want, or in other words, what 
special qualities the measurement rule is to encourage —speed alone 
or an average of speed and accommodation within a reasonable limit of 
cost? This question is becoming more pressing each year and cer- 
tainly some decision must be possible. The answer to it will in a 
measure decide the next question, whether to bar the finkeels entirely, 
to penalize them in favor of vessels of more conventional yacht form, 
or to leave the racing fleet perfectly free from all restrictions, as now, 
but to establish another class in which the displacement shall not go 
below such a limit as will give good accommodation and a strong 
construction. This latter class would meet the requirements! of a 
great many yachtsmen, tending to produce a type similar to the first 
40-footers, of good form, ample accommodation, and a construction 
that is durable and not over expensive, as yacht building goes. It 
would do more than anything else to recreate the 30 and 40ft. , both 
good classes, and perhaps to encourage the establishment of one 
larger class, such as 61 or 70ft. 
.After the trial races last fall a great many yachtsmen settled down 
to the, satisfactory conclusion that the fin-keel was a failure, and that 
nothing more would be heard from it save in the smaller classes. 
There never was a greater mistake, the fin-keel possesses the same 
elements of speed in the largest class as in the smallest, and for speed 
alone it is just as practicable. The causes which produced it not only 
exist, but are becoming more potent each year, and there is no ques- 
tion that as matters are the type must supersede the usual yacht 
forms wherever there is any keen racing and building. If yachtsmen 
are willing to accept the fin type as satisfactory, there is no need of 
any change of existing rules; but if the contrary is the case, and the 
fin is not desired, some positive legislation is necessary, as it is plain 
that the evil will not correct itself. 
With no building and little racing, so very little that "vested inter- 
ests 1 ' need hardly be considered at all, the present time is most favor- 
able for a thorough overhauling of all rules, and the way to it is 
through the concerted action of the larger clubs in appointing repre- 
sentatives and holding a conference as early as possible in the fall for 
the thorough discussion of all questions connected with building and 
racing with a view to the material improvement of the present rules. 
Thk Boston Herald, the special champion of the unlimited 21ft. 
class of 1892, disapproves of the new Larchmont class, and in particu" 
lar of the requirement that amateurs must steer. Commenting on this 
latter point, it writes as follows: 
The question of handling will play an important part in all the 
coming races, and any good amateur [from Boston?— Ed. F. and S.J 
should win as against the field of helmsmen who are now racing these 
boats in New York. Waterhouse and Chesberough would have a 
good chance to win if Fred Brown and his crew were in the boat. 
The public, knowing the conditions which govern both design and 
helmsman, will not of course take the same interest in the racing of 
the New York boats that it did in those raced in these waters, and the 
New Yorkers are to lilame f or it. Dog in the manger rules succeed 
less in yachting than anywhere else. The Dyer boat later on may do 
better, but she can hardly beat the others it they are well handled. 
Considering that the Dyer boat is in the hands of Mr. A. B. Alley, 
who is now workiug her up to salt-water form, the above is very 
funny. If the Boston Herald will take the trouble to interview some 
of the crack sailors of City Point and Hull, it can easily find out 
whether the man who tooK the Cruiser to Boston in 1884 and won 8 
out of 9 races from the Eastern fleet is a boatsailor or a duffer. 
Dacotah, the Herreshoff fin-keel, has thus far won 7 first prizes for 
as many starts on the Clyde. 
Greenville Y. C. Annual Regatta. 
GREENVILLE — NEW YORK BAY. 
Saturday, June SO. 
The annual open regatta of the Greenville Y. C. was sailed on June 
30, over a triangular course on New York Bay, the wind being light 
and fluky. The times were: 
CLASS A— CABIN CATBOATS. 
Start. Finish. Elapsed. Corrected. 
Oatka 3 20 20 8 07 30 4 47 10 4 47 10 
Lottie M 3 22 00 8 09 33 4 47 33 4 46 42 
Hit or Miss 3 21 25 8 06 35 4 45 10 4 41 13 
Alice 3 19 45 Did not finish. 
CLASS B — OPEN CATBOATS, 20 to 24ft. 
Rip 3 18 15 7 56 15 4 38 00 4 88 00 
CLASS C— OPEN CATBOATS, 18BT. AND UNDER 20BT. 
Frank 3 Si 45 7 22 50 4 01 05 4 01 05 
Maria 3 19 00 7 25 59 4 06 50 4 03 41 
Dora D 3 20 00 Did not Finish. 
CLASS D— OPEN CATBOATS, UNDER 18PT. 
Cinch 3 22 18 7 48 05 4 27 32 4 24 28 
Millie 3 22 10 Did not finish. 
Doctor 3 21 31 7 40 40 4 19 09 4 19 09 
Hit or Miss, the winner in class A, is a Crosby boat with a long bow, 
built last year, and is owned by A. C. Longyear, Newark Bay Boat 
Club. Maria protested Frank for fouling a buoy, but finally withdrew 
the protest and Frank takes the prize in Class C. 
New York Bay Y. C. Bouker Cup. 
GREENVILLE— NEW YORK BAY. 
Saturday, June SO. 
The third race of the New York Y. C, for the cup presented by 
Com. Bouker was sailed on Saturday, over a course of ten miles in a 
variable wind, very light at the start but freshening later. The times 
were: 
Start. Finish. Elapsed. Corrected 
Diana 3 45 35 7 00 35 3 15 00 8 14 05 
Tempest 3 44 60 6 59 55 8 15 05 8 15 06 
Alida 3 56 67 Did not finish. 
