386 
Forest and stream. 
|Noy. 3, 1894. 
NEW ENGLAND BEAGLE CLUB'S TRIALS. 
Oct. 23 to 26. 
Once more has a beagle club demonstrated that it is 
entirely feasible to conduct a field trial for beagles. Not 
only this, but when experienced judges are officiating they 
are enabled to gauge to a degree the ability and accomplish- 
ments of the little hounds. This New England Club held 
its second annual trials at Oxford, Mass, the same venue as 
in 1893; and the club members must feel proud of the fact 
that their meeting passed off without the slightest friction. 
The utmost good will prevailed, and even the disappointed 
ones were only so because their dogs failed to do better and 
not on account of any unjust decision. The club had the 
services of two practical hunters in Messrs. C. W. Guyn and 
and G. B. Appleby, and they seemed to arrive at their de- 
cisions unanimously and without much delay, a condition 
of affairs that we believe was not entirely the case in this 
club's trials last year. Both judges held to the line with all 
the vigor of youth and experience of veterans, and the cover 
must have been very thick and impenetrable when one or 
the other failed to see the work done. 
. The Federal Hill, where the trials were held, affords 
pretty nearly every kind of going except swamp. The 
grounds are dry, perhaps in this instance a little too dry, as 
but little rain had fallen for some time previous to the 
meeting. Most of the hunting was in cover or rough bush- 
covered pasture, that in some parts was very rocky. The 
only drawback to the grounds is the stone walls, which are 
so numerous that the dogs no sooner get well started on a 
hot drive than the game at once seeks refuge in tht«n. Hares 
were plentiful, and it was the exception when we had to 
tramp far without striking a warm trail. 
The weather during the first two days could not have 
been better for hunting, cloudy, little wind and just enough 
dampness in the air to make sceut hold good. The head- 
quarters of the club were at Bacon's Hotel, and landlord 
Bacon did all in his power to make us comfortable; he fed 
us well and the hot lunches brought to the field were very 
good indeed; what more could one ask for, unless some fas- 
tidious mortal took exception to the resiliency of his bed 
springs. But hare-hunters are out for sport and not hair 
mattresses. 
Among the best known beagle men present during the 
week were O. F. Joslin of' Oxford, who owns the noted fox- 
hound Bock, his nephew, H. S. Joslin, the president of the 
club, who surely should be content with the honors the 
week brought him; F. W. Chapman, Orland, Me.; Geo. F. 
Reed (Canada Gray), Barton, Vt.; B. S. Turpin, Boston, 
Mass.; W. S. Clark, Linden, Mass., the able and courteous 
secretary; Thos. Shellcrosss, Howard Almy and F. W. Ciel- 
fleld of Providence, R. I.: A. D. Fiske, Worcester, Mass.; A. 
H. Morse, Quinnebaug, Conn.; E. O. Cornforth, Slatersville, 
R. 1.; H. Hanson, Fall River, Mass.; H.W. Lacy, New York; 
R. Leslie, Linden, Mass.; W. E. Hapgood of the Worcester 
Spy, who taught the boys a wrinkle in beagle hunting that 
was simply "out of sight." 
But for the stormy weather on Thursday the trials would 
have been run off in three days: as it was there was plenty 
of time for the members who had beagles entered in the 
National trials at Hempstead, to rest both themselves and 
their dogs before the heavy work of this week. 
The quality of the work done by the dogs was, on the 
whole, good, though the ability shown by Jean Val Jean, 
Buckshot, Blanche, Piper and Zeno and Nell R. was of a 
high order, especially that of the two first named. In Jean 
Val Jean, Mr. Joslin owns a beagle of whom he may well be 
proud, a tireless hunter, very careful in hunting out the 
likely places, but so quick in his movements while doing so 
that it was a difficult matter to follow him. Buckshot is a 
fast worker, too, aDd especially good ou a warm drive; his 
casting is wide and rapid, but he scarcely shows the patience 
of the other in seeking out to a find in cover. This is proba- 
bly owing to his style of hunting in his Vermont home, where 
he is hunted mostly on the swamp hare and those little "toy 
rabbits" as "Canada Gray" calls them, do not give him half 
a chance. He will probably be seen to better advantage in 
the open country around Hempstead. _ Blanche has made 
wonderful strides in her work since being under Mr. Reed's 
care, and is sure to give a good account of herself in the 
Hempstead trials. Miss Kreuder is the first lady to enter a 
dog at any field trials in America, and that her beagle won 
third in such hot competition must be no little satisfaction 
to her. 
The specials were awarded as follow: 
Best voice — Quaboag Belle. 
Style — Lewis. 
Speed — Jean Val Jean. 
Best All- Age entry bred by owner— Piper. 
Best Derby entry bred by owner — Zeno. 
Best trailing — Zeno. 
Best starter— Nell R. 
The annual meeting of the club was held on Monday even- 
ing, President F. W. Chapman in the chair. After routine 
business was cleared off, the election of officers took place 
and resulted in a few changes as follows. Pres., H. S. Jos- 
lin, Oxford, Mass.; Vice-Pres., A. D. Fiske, Worcester, 
Mass.; Sec 1 y-Treas., W. S. Clark, Linden, Mass. Executive 
Committee: H. Hanson, Fall River, Mass., and Thomas 
Shellcross, with the above named officers. A telegram hav- 
ing been received from Mr. F. C. Bedell saying he was too 
sick to officiate as one of the judges — in fact he was in bed 
with an attack of fever, having caught cold when hunting 
in Vermont a week or two since, Mr. Geo. B. Appleby, a local 
Nimrod and mighty fox-hunter and well posted on rabbit 
hunting with beagles, was elected to fill Mr. Bedell's place. 
The meeting then adjourned. The field trial committee was 
then called to order and the filling of entries for Class C, the 
15in. Derby, was the first and only business of importance. 
It was found that H. A. P. Smith's Pealer and Slip would 
not be able to fill. Slip was in season and Pealer lif tei the 
15in. standard. The drawing resulted as follows: 
Class C— The Derby— 13 to 1 5in. 
Awashonk Kennels' black, white and tan dog Bingo (Dea- 
con Tidd — Daisy), handler, Thos. Shalleross (ow'ner), with 
Geo. F. Reed's tan and ticked bitch Nell R. (Ned— Haida), 
handler, owner. 
Awashonk Kennels' black, white and tan dog Diamond 
(Frank Forest, Jr. — Diamond Krueger), handler, T. Shall- 
eross, with F. W. Chapman's black, white and tan dog Um- 
slapogus (Fitzhugh Lse — Parthenia), handler, owner. 
Awashonk Kennels' black, white and tan dog Zeno (Dea- 
con Tidd— Daisy), handler, T. Shalleross, with A. D. Fiske's 
black and tan bitch Blossom (Fitzhugh Lee— Lady Novice), 
handler, A. H. Morse. 
The meeting adjourned at a late hour and with prayers for 
a fine day on the morrow, the anxious owners sought their 
couches. 
TUESDAY. 
The morning opened cloudy and it looked like rain, but 
happily the weather cleared toward afternoon and the sun 
came out in fugitive patches. Itwasanideal hunting morn, 
with just enough dampness to hold the scent and afford the 
untried Derby dogs an opportunity to do their best. Hares 
were plentiful enough, and with this important factor 
assured, the meeting promised to be a success, even if the 
numbpr of entries did not come up to expectations. The 
barge left the hotel about 8 A. M. for the Jefferson farm, two 
miles from town, situated on rising ground and clear of 
swamps. The going was mixed, but none of it so dense as 
to hinder a view of the dogs most of the time. 
The Derby— First Series. 
Bingo— Nell R. — This brace was put down near the farm- 
house in rough pasture well covered with low bushes. At 
first Nell, with the perversity of her sex, was inclined to be 
headstrong, and Bingo showed better control. Both got 
down to business with a vim, and hunting independently 
became widely separated. Nell made the wider casts, and in 
doing so started the first hare of the meeting and had it holed 
before Bingo could hark to her. A spectator kindly put up 
another bunny, and Nell considered this her property, too, 
and ran it to a fling, which resulted in a check; neither 
hound could hit it off, so they were drawn to another field, 
where Bingo trailed prettily to a start, but was compelled to 
relinquish the lead to his speedier rival, who carried the trail 
along in a sharp run through thick cover, and making intel- 
ligent use of her nose at the turns, she showed herself de- 
cisively superior to the other both in speed and general 
smartness. Drawn off at 9:15. 
DIAMOND— UmslapoGUS.— Down at 9:35 on hillside. Mr. 
Shellcross again looked after his own, and the namesake of 
Rider Haggard's mighty hunter was helped over the fences 
by F. W. Chapman. Umsly, as we will call him for short, 
though he took after his dusky namesake in size, appeared 
rather diffident, and did not enter into the sport with any 
degree of enthusiasm. He was either very shy or was not on 
speaking terms with his owner, for he paid lit tie heed when 
he told him to go in and win. Diamond was thus enabled 
to show himself off to advantage, though with a smarter 
dog along he would have been termed a potterer at times. 
Judge Appleby started the fun, or rather a hare, and Dia- 
mond hit off the trail, which shortly led to a hole in the wall 
fence. In cover a reporter started another lepus and dogs 
were worked back to the warm trail, but neither could lift it, 
working off to one side. Diamond thought he was doing a 
lot of hunting, but he didn't get on very fast. Out of the 
cover across the road Diamond struck and nosing out the 
trail inch by inch carried us into cover again, lost, then 
found, and after a few checks carried the trail out of woods 
to a wall; a lot of desultory whimpering came from him, but 
nothing of any moment was done. Umsly got excited about 
this time, and had lots of fun, running about till he felt quite 
tired. He was too fat and slow for this game. There was 
no need to keep them down so long, as Diamond did all the 
work and Umsly had not a ghost of a show. Up at 10:45. 
Tried for gunshyness, the concussion turned Umsly round 
with his head toward home. Diamond stood the test, but it 
was some time before Umsly joined us again, his owner hav- 
ing walked off and left him to his fate. 
Zeno — Blossom. — Crossing over to another part of grounds 
these two were cast off at 10:55. Both were in charge of 
their respective owners. This couple were much of a type 
on the long and lean order, but were smart, industrious 
workers. After hunting out a lot of mixed ground without 
a whimper that denoted business, outside of some cover 
the crowd startled a hare, and the hounds were faced — nose 
on. Zeno opened first and Blossom harked to, and between 
them they made the hare hustle through the woods over the 
rocky brush land into thick cover where the fur proved too 
clever; but Blossom hit the trail eventually and carried it 
along at quarter speed, leaving Zeno to follow the music. 
Near edge of woods they missed the turn, and after ten 
minutes casting they failed to strike and were called off to 
the trail of another hare that had been sighted, but the dogs 
could make nothing of it, and passing through woods they 
ran another hare about 10yds. to a wall, and being quickly 
routed out of his hiding place bunny was carried to a rocky- 
pasture field and given law. The hounds being thrown at 
the trail, after some casting Zeno struck the proper chord 
and carried us at a merry pace, with one check, to the woods 
and then on to a wall side where he lost again, but quickly 
routed the hare out at close quarters and indulged in a sight 
chase that set us all going after him pell mell up and down 
the field side. He flecked the hare once or twice but could 
not get a fair grip. Puss turned and got a good lead and 
Zeno was ca.ught up. Time 12:22, and as the clam soup was 
getting cold we all strolled over to the farmhouse barn, 
where an appetizing lunch and a welcome rest awaited us, 
At 1:05 we started again with the same brace in the rough 
bush patch, where a hare was soon started by the crowd. 
Dogs being put on Zeno was again the first to get hold of the 
trail properly, but it led but a short distance to a wall, 
Blossom marking the hole. Failing to get the game out 
they were soon on to another hare which led Zeno, closely 
backed by Blossom, to a stone heap, and they were caught 
up at 1:20. Both hounds worked well, but Zeno proved him- 
self superior in his wider and more intelligent casting, and 
always had the speed and nose of the other. It should be 
said, however, that Blossom being in season, could not be 
expected to do herself justice. Mr. Shallcross's courtesy in 
allowing her to compete with his dog was sportsmanlike 
and commendable. Zeno was not affected by the situation 
and attended strictly to his duty. 
Second Series. 
Zeno— Nell R.— We expected a hustling hunt, for our 
Vermont friend was bent on owning this Derby, and we 
knew we had the winners in this brace, so took another reef 
in our belts and prepared for the race. Working through 
rocky brush land Judge Appleby stumbled on the fur, and 
hounds being put on we were led a merry scramble, half 
the fellows swallowing their chewing gum in the excite- 
ment, till bunny went to earth and Zeno tried to follow it. 
Getting our wind again, Nell then struck a trail outside of 
woods and carried it sharply to a wall, where she was joined 
from lower down by Zeno. The hare was seen to pass the 
end of the wall, and dogs being lifted on Zeno took it up, 
closely pressed by Nell, to a fling, and the dogs were taken 
up at 1:55 to be put down later. 
Class G— Bassets and Dachshunds. 
To give the others a rest this class was called up, but Mr. E, 
A. Manice's liver and white and tan bitch Princetta, known 
at home as Molly Pitcher (Jay — Princess), was the only 
entry. Of course every one felt compelled to smile at her 
Highness, as properly "constituted beagle men would be ex- 
pected to do, but Princetta did not mind, and it takes a 
good deal to phase Mr. Chapman, who handled her. Down 
at edge of cover at 2:02. Worming, this is the correct term, 
into cover, Mr. Joslin obligingly jumped a hare, but Prin- 
cetta didn't care about it much, so we trotted on down in 
the pines to where Mr. Chapman had a hare on the move, 
but no hound could be expected to pick up a trail on the dry 
pine needles at this time of day. But Princetta tried her best 
and getting down into a hollow among the brush she hunted 
assiduously and a series of sharp yelps told she was making 
game. She worked along at fair speed back to pine needles, 
where she lost her hold. Then she trailed quite a piece in 
rough undergrowth on to a bit of swamp, where she lost and 
took the back track, then hunted backward and forward and 
was called up at 2:55. Every one had changed their opinions 
on dachshunds in general and Princetta in particular, for 
she hunted diligently, if not intelligently, and her snaky 
action carried her along through some very rough close 
brush at a speed that was very deceiving. She is only about 
a year old, and under good training will make a likely 
hunter. As Mr. Manice pays $8 for entry and the prize was 
only 40 per cent, it will be seen that he had to pay for the 
distinction of winning with the first dachshund at an Amer- 
ican field trial. But the glory of itl 
The Derby — Continued. 
Harking back to the beagles, Nell R. was put down at 3:05 
to hunt alone — a very good idea. In open, after working out 
some ground, she tongued and raced to a check across a road; 
then in rough brush patch she hit off another trail to a check; 
nosed it out once more by the wall fence where puss had 
holed, and she was taken up. 
Zeno was then put down at 3:27 in the same rough pasture. 
On into woods where he trailed to a start and ran the game 
prettily to a stone heap, where the hare holed. He showed 
good work in this, and it probably proved a lucky bit for 
him, as with this fresh in their minds the judges consulted 
and soon announced Zeno winner of first, Nell R. second, 
Blossom third, and Diamond reserve. There is little between 
the two winners, and on the whole of the series Nell had ju^t 
as good a claim to first honors. The decision was well re- 
ceived. This closed the running for the day, and it was a 
pretty tired crowd that drove home in the gathering twi- 
light. 
WEDNESDAY. 
Good hunting weather again. The morning proved cloudy 
and raw, but little wind was stirring until afternoon, when 
a northeaster came up and did not improve the hunting con- 
ditions, while to make matters worse it commenced to rain 
about 4 P. M. The rendezvous was at the Jefferson farm 
again, and the hunting, as yesterday, on Federal Hill. Most 
of the spectators were members of the club and interested in 
the dogs. The dogs had been drawn for the All- Age Stake — 
13 to 15in. — last evening, and filled as follows: 
All-Age Stake— 13 tp 1 5in. 
F. W. Chapman's white, black and tan bitch Marguerite 
(Fitzhugh Lee — Dido), handler, owner, loith Mark Lewis's 
white, black and tan bitch Mollie L. (Don— Mollie), handler, 
W. S. Clarke, 
A. D. Fiske's white, black and tan dog Piper (Fitzhugh 
Lee— Lady Novice), handler, A. H. Morse, with Miss E. C. 
Kreuder's black, white and tan bitch Blanche (champion 
Frank Forest— Ida), handler, George F. Reed. 
Pottinger Dorsey's black, white and tan bitch Dorsey's 
Mollie (Jack— Beauty), handler, W. S. Clark, with George 
F. Reed's black, white and tan ticked dog Buckshot (Dave — 
Daisy), handler, owner. 
Howard Almy's white, and tan dog Lewis (Bannerman— 
Parthenia), handler, owner, with H. S. Joslin's black, white 
and tan dog Jean Val Jean (Chubb— Mystic n.), handler, E. 
Barnes. 
Awashonk Kennels' black, white and tan bitch Quaboag 
Belle (Larry— Louie), handler, T. Shalleross, with G. A. 
Buckstaff's black, white and tan, ticked dog Royal Rover 
(Rover— Singer G.), handler, W. S Clarke. 
Awashonk Kennels' black, white and tan dog Zeno (Deacon 
Tidd — Daisy), a bye, handler, T. Shalleross. 
Forest Beagle Kennels' Forest Hunter and Vick R and H 
A. P. Smith's Louie Fitzhugh did not fill. 
First Series. 
Marguerite— Mollie L.— No time was wasted, and the 
first brace was put down at edge of woods near the farm at 
8:35 A. M. Both hounds went to work in a business-like 
manner and soon were tongueing on some old trails that ran 
to a wall. Mollie's keen nose worked out a circling trail, 
which drew her to a diminutive leveret, and she ran it for 
some distance. Mr. Appleby thought this no fun, so kindly 
started a full-grown Zepits,the trail of which Marguerite was 
first to hit, but dropped it shortly, and Mollie harking to, 
found, and bustled the game to a wall hole. This was a 
smart drive, and both bitches meant business. Dogs were 
then drawn to where Mr. Reed claimed to have seen game in 
thick cover, but neither beagle could verify his statement, and 
after trying a lot of ground, they were called up at 9:45. Both 
hunted assiduously, but did not show very keen nose. Their 
work was even on drives, but Mollie took the wider casts. 
Both under fair control. 
Piper— Blanche.— A move was made to another part of 
the grounds. Down at 10:10 in rough bush pasture; said to 
be the ground for sure finds. Blanche soon began tongueing, 
but lost directly; picked up the trail again and the next 
check let Piper in, but he did not seem to interest himself 
much but followed Blanche to another check; then both 
lifting the trail they hunted puss out of the cover and across 
the open at a hot pace, and packing well gave us the pret- 
tiest hunt so far; a wall checked the race, and it was wel- 
comed, as it was bellows to mend for some of us. Off again 
over fern patch where they lost the rabbit going toward the 
woods. Another hare had been seen and the dogs were held 
to the trail, but Piper did not care for that style of hunting 
and allowed Blanche to do the honors, but Piper soon 
showed he could run, too, and between them carryied us 
across the woods at a merry clip to a hole in some rocks. 
Blanche did good work here, hitting off smartly to three 
flings. Up at 10:55. Blanche seemed to have the keenest 
nose but lacked the i-ange of the other, and Piper had the 
foot of her whenever it came to a drive on equal terms. 
Blanche is a vastly improved bitch on her Derby form, and 
showed that she had been well hunted. 
Dorsey's Mollie— Buckshot.— These were put down in 
the bushy patch at eleven o'clock. Molly, who seemed in 
whelp was in charge of W. S. Clark, but did not care to 
acknowledge it at times, as he wa*s a stranger to her; Buckshot 
had therefore an advantage in knowing his master Mr. Reed. 
On a rabbit that was viewed, Mollie did some pretty trailing 
on the back track, but getting the line lower down the hill 
started well but soon lost to Buckshot who had been casting 
to one side and the dog carried us pell mell across the woods; 
and open. The pace was a corker and there was little breath 
left in those who managed to follow. Mollie picked up a-, 
turn or two but Buck always had the speed to take the lead, 
and did most of the driving. As the gentleman from Ver- 
mont expressed a desire for water, a request entirely without, 
precedent at these trials, a recess Was taken to accommo- 
date him. In a quarter of an hour the dogs were cast off' 
again and going through woods Judge Appleby spied a hare' 
squatting; she kindly stayed so until the dogs were brought, 
up but instead of giving her law, they were thrown almost, 
on to her and a "spy" run was had for a few yards when 
puss dodged and squatted again, fooling the dogs. Mollie 
called the turn but Buck would not be denied and led us a 
cracking burst of five minutes across tnick woods to the 
boundary wall at the roadside, where the hare holed; he 
could be felt but not seen and we left him for another day. 
It was then 12 o'cloek and we walked a mile to the farm- 
house for lunch. These two dogs gave us the most brilliant 
work of the meeting and had Mollie not been so heavy in 
whelp, and more acquainted with her handler, she would 
have done even better; as it was, Buck did the most brilliant 
work. He is a corker on ahotdrive, being used to the swamp 
hares and free going, but Mollie is more careful in her trail- 
ing and is no doubt a good one under different conditions. 
Quaboag Belle— Royal Rover.— These were down at 
1:20, edge of woods, in pasture. W. S. Clark looked after 
another stranger in Royal Rover. It is rather a thankless 
task handling a strange dog and must try' one's patience, as 
one's voice and motions are not familiar to the dog, but Mr. 
Clark knows his business and was soon on terms with those 
he handled. A hare was viewed and dogs trailing prettily 
to it ran to woods, where they lost. This was a pretty run, 
the couple packing nicely, and their sweet music was 
brought back to us by the rising wind. Soon after Rover 
led off in some very tick cover and a "scratching" run ensued 
which was hard to follow. Dogs lost, and after desultory 
casts arounk the hare was started by handlers and dogs 
drawn on. Rover, working lower ' down, hit off first, the 
rabbit squatted but Rover was not to be fooled, got him up 
and struck the trail several times for some sharp bursts 
along the edge of woods and then deeper in the woods, the 
dog leading all the time, Belle, when she could catch up, 
oontent to give her encouraging babble when the other waa 
silent. After driving the hare to a wall across the woods, 
the hounds were called off at 2:20 with the most credit being 
in favor of Rover, who gets out and hunts and has a pretty 
