474 
FOREST 'AND « STREAM. 
[DEC. r l,'18»4. 
DOG CHAT. 
A number of letters and other matter are leftover till next 
week. 
The friends of Mrs. Smythe and those who know of her as 
the proprietor of the Swiss Mountain Kennels, of G-erman- 
town, Pa., will he shocked to hear of the sad accident which 
has befallen her. On Tuesday afternoon, Noy. 20, Mrs. 
Smythe was out driving, accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. John 
Meacham, of Brooklyn, the parents-in-law of Mrs. Meacham, 
so well known in spaniel circles. In crossing the railway 
below her house a train ran into them, instantly killing Mr. 
Meacham, and Mrs. Meacham received such injuries that she 
died a few hours after. The flagman, who had run to stop 
the horses, was also instantly killed. Mrs. Smythe was for- 
tunately thrown on the cowcatcher, but was carried several 
hundred feet before the train could be stopped. It was found 
that one arm was broken and her hips smashed. The horses 
were crushed to a jelly and the carriage smashed to atoms. 
Mrs. Smythe now lies in the hospital, and unless she has sus- 
tained internal injuries it is expected that she will recover. 
Dr.^Stahl has brought from Europe three fine bloodhound 
bitches and one bloodhound dog. These are for Dr. Lougest 
and are prize winners at the English shows. Di*. Lougest 
has received through Spratts Patent the mastiff bitches we 
mentioned his having purchased. 
IP Mr. Pierre Lorillard has bought the pointer Wild Damon 
of the Charlottesville Field Trial Kennels for the sum of 
$250. 
Mr. W. H. Bean of Passaic N. J., writes us as follows: 
"On Nov. 6, my white English setter dog strayed from 
home at Passaic N. J. and has not yet returned. A despic- 
able neighbor had scattered poisoned meat in the vicinity of 
his house and several valuable dogs had been poisoned. To 
prevent my dog from getting any of it I put on him a wire 
muzzle; this with perhaps some poison which he may have 
eaten caused him to lose his sense of location and although 
seen some days afterwards as I now learn, (although every 
effort was made to trace him at the time) he has not been 
seen since Nov. 10. He was registered in the A. K. C. S. B. 
No. 27327. He is a white English setter dog named Davy 
Crockett, orange ears and ticks on nose and forelegs, dry 
nose, black eves, three and one half years old, not broken on 
game and quite thin. He was a household pet and highly 
thought of. I bought him from L. A. Goodwin Jr. , New- 
buryport Mass., through an advertisement in your paper, 3 
years ago. If any of your readers get trace of him I shall be 
obliged if notified and will pay suitable reward for trouble." 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
ITiere is no charge for answering questions under this head. All 
questions relating to ailments of dogs will be answered by Dr. T. Q. 
Sherwood, a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. 
Communications referring to other matters connected with Kennel 
Management and dogs will also receive careful attention. 
A W. b., Philadelphia, Pa.— Dell, A.K.C S B. 12,057, by Dash out of 
Daisy, by Spottie out of Sarah, by Rattler out of Fan; Spottie, by Lee 
out of Maud; Dash, by Darcey out of Beauty, by Spot out of Beauty; 
Darcey, by Gladstone out of Minnie. 
W. H. W., Chicago Lawn, 111.— Bess III. (A.K.R. 6,983), black and 
tan bitch, whelped July, 1885. Breeder, Mr. David Simpson, 96 Green- 
wich avenue, New York. Owner, Dr. J. E. M. Yardly, 280 West 
Thirty-eighth street, New York. By Dan out of Nellie. Dan out of 
an imported bitch owned by Robert Bonner. 
"Forest and Stream" Fan Pedigree Blank. 
For some time past breeders of dogs have demanded a pedigree 
form that would afford spaces for a more extended pedigree than 
those hitherto published. The difficulty has been in arranging a form 
that, while admitting the required extension, would be compact and 
not too large for mailing. This difficulty has been solved in the 
"Forest and Stream Fan Pedigree Blank" which is so arranged that 
a dog's pedigree can be recorded for eight generations, and the spaces 
radiating from a center, the reader is enabled to trace at a glance the 
different strains which lead from sire and dam. Spaces are also pro- 
vided for reeordins the name of dog, its breed, color, sex, breeder and 
address, dates of birth and purchase, from whom purchased, E K. C. 
and A. K. C. Stud Book numbers and certification. These blanks are 
for sale at $2 per hundred, 30 cents per dozen, by the Forest and 
Stream Pub. Co., 318 Broadway, New York. 
National Fox Hunters' Association Meetings. 
A MEETING of this association was held in the hotel on 
Monday evening, Vice-President Roger Williams presiding 
in the absence of Admiral Jouett. Mr. Williams stated that 
the object of the meeting was to ratify and revise the rules 
drawn up by the appointed committee. The rules were read 
by Mr. Hagans and were discussed separately. Rules I. , II. 
and III. were left unchanged. Rule IV. the word "exhib- 
itor" was changed to "subscriber." Rule. V. changedto read 
"a castrated dog or spayed bitch." Rule VI. unchanged. 
Rule VII. — "In connection with dogs, dog shows or dog 
Trials" was altered to "in connection with foxhound trials," 
Rules VIII. to XXII. unchanged, Rule XXDH. the words 
"or kept" were stricken out and the words "ground hunted" 
were altered to "meet." Rule XXIV. unchanged. Rule 
XXV. was altered in some important respects. "Divided 
into packs containing not over eight each" was revised 
to read "divided according to the committee's dis- 
cretion." Also the following sentence was stricken out: 
"Judges have the privilege at anytime dnring the trials to 
order any hounds (except those that have been barred) 'in' 
again, but if said hounds have not been hunted, so often and 
as long as those with which they are to compete, they shall 
run a 'bye' sufficient in the minds of the judges to equalize 
t heir work with their competitors" and instead the following 
inserted: "The judges in their discretion may permit any 
hound which has not had a fair trial in which it was 
drawn and started in the first series, to run again in the 
next succeeding division. But only such hounds as have 
qualified themselves by actual work in the field shall be ad- 
mitted to a subsequent series." The last sentence but one 
of this rule was amended to read: "find, cry, trail and 
catch." The addition of the following rule was ordered: 
"Rule xxvi. — At the conclusion of the running of any series 
or round the judges shall inform the master, who shall pnb- 
lically announce the same, which hounds they desire to run 
in the next series." 
The meeting then adjourned. 
Thursday's Meeting. 
This meeting was called to order by Dr. Wash Miller at 
4:30 in the hotel. The secretary having returned home Mr. 
B. Hayman was elected temporary secretary and filled the 
position most creditably. Dr. Miller addressed the meeting 
on the question of continuing or abandoning the trials 
and called for the sense of the meeting on this 
point. Mr. Hagans expressed his disappointment at 
the grounds and scarcity of foxes, stating that the 
grounds were entirely unfit for the purposes of a 
trial. He said further that the preliminary arrangements 
had not been carried out in a proper manner. The committee 
was in the dark as to who would attend and the number of 
hounds that would be entered, and the committee had been 
deceived as to the nature of the grounds. But they were not 
discouraged, for he believed that foxhound field trials can be 
made successful, and cited the Brunswick Fur Club as an 
instance. He would, however, guarantee that suitable 
grounds with plenty of foxes could be found for trials either 
m the spring or any other time, and did not believe the aban 
donment of this meet, which he believed to be the best 
course, would give the association a black eye. 
Mr. Kinney spoke on the results achieved in the way of 
making friendships and getting acquainted with other fox- 
hunters, and the laying of a good foundation for the future 
of the association. The initial trials of the B. P. C. turned 
out much the same way and had to be given up for want of 
foxes. He then traced the course of the B. F. 0,'s annual 
improvement until the present year. When going fox- 
hunting, he remarked, one cannot expect everything as one 
would wish, and urged the members to be satisfied with the 
results of the meeting in spite of non success of trials. He 
concurred in the motion to abandon the. trials and fully 
believed in the association's future success. 
Mr. W. S. Walker indorsed what had been said, and re- 
marked tha,t another year the committee would take more 
time in their arrangements and not do things in such a 
hurry. Mr. Ware did not regard the meet as a failure by 
any means, for socially it had been a grand success. The 
chair called upon Mr. Kinney for some information as to 
the workings of the B. F. C, which was given. It was 
then formally voted that the meet be declared off for cause. 
Mr. Ware moved that an executive committee of eleven be 
appointed to investigate grounds and make all arrangements 
for the next field trials, and Messrs. W. S. Walker, W. N. 
Ramsey, C. M. Corbin, A. B. F. Kinney, Walter Rice, A. 
Ware, Roger Williams and F. J. Hagans were appointed. 
Mi". Hayman proposed the holding of trials before spring, and 
the question was generally discussed, but nothing definite 
resulted. 
A committee of three was appointed to draw up the con- 
stitution and by-laws and report the same for ratification at 
the next annual meeting. Messrs. R. Williams, W. S. 
Walker and W. W. Huffstetter were appointed. The meet- 
ing then adjourned until Friday morning at 9 A. M. 
Friday's Meeting. 
The adjourned meeting was called to order at the appointed 
time and again ad journed until evening. At 7:30 the meet- 
ing was called to order in the rooms of the Strodes Valley 
Hunt Club by Vice-President Dr. W. Miller; Mr. B. Hayman 
again acting as secretary, and fourteen members were pres- 
ent, beside others interested in the proceedings. 
The question of electing officers for the ensuing year was 
brought up and discussed. Mr. W. N. Ramsey moved that 
the present officers be re-elected; seconded by Capt. Hatha- 
way and carried. The vote was a very light one and the 
chair said it would have been better if members had discussed 
the matter fully 
Mr. A. B. F, Kinney spoke on the advisability of a change 
and the advantage of electing as officers members who took 
an active interest in the Association's affairs, and moved 
that Mr. Ramsey's motion be reconsidered. Seconded by 
Mr. W. S. Walker, who spoke on the propriety of electing 
officers at this meeting. The motion to reconsider was 
carried unanimously. It was then voted that the Chair ap- 
point members to act with Dr. Miller as a committee to draw 
up a slate of officers. They reported as follows: "It is our 
opinion that it would be well to re-elect all officers at pres- 
ent in office, and to add to the board of directors the follow- 
ing gentlemen: Mr. A. Ware of Washington Court House, 
O., A. B. F. Kinney of Worcester, Mass., and A. W. Hamil- 
ton of Mount Sterling, Ky. The report was adopted. 
Mr. W. S. Walker called attention to the action of one of 
its members, namely Judge Perry, who had got up an inde- 
pendent hunt on Wednesday night and run over the grounds 
which it was intended the Association should use the next 
morning. After a few words from Mr. Winn, it was moved 
by Captain Hathaway, seconded by Mr. Huffstetter, that the 
Chair appoint a committee of three to investigate the 
charges made against Mr. Perry and report on same at the 
next annual meeting. Before the motion was put, Mr. 
Hayman entered a strong protest against waiting a year for 
a report, urging that immediate action be taken. 
After a few words from Mr. Huffstetter and Mr. Kinney 
the. motion was withdrawn and it was voted that the Chair 
appoint a committee of three to investigate the charges 
against Mr. Perry at once and report to this meeting for 
action to be taken thereon. The Chair appointed Messrs. 
W. Huffstetter, E. H. Walker and A. M. Bedford. Several 
gentlemen were called to give testimony before the commit- 
tee and at the end of half .an hour the committee returned 
with the following: 
"We the committee appointed to investigate the charges 
preferred against Judge J. W. Perry would respectfully 
report to the Association that after hearing all the evidence 
offered we find that Judge Perry has been guilty of miscon- 
duct in getting up an independent hunt, and hunting over 
the grounds selected for the fieid trials of this association 
all of the night before the field trial and after it had been 
announced that said field trial would be held on said grounds 
on the following day. The committee therefore recommend 
that he be severely censured for his action in so doing." 
The report was adopted unanimously, and the secretary 
was instructed to incorporate the report in the minutes of the 
meeting and to forward a copy to Mr. Perry. 
A vote of thanks was tendered to the judges for their ser- 
vices during the week. 
A vote of thanks to the president, Admiral Jouett, was 
given for his generous donation of $25 (to be added to first 
money in the Champion Stakes), and the secretary was in- 
structed to return the president his donation, in view of the 
fact that the running was not brought to a conclusion. 
A vote of thanks to the ladies was carried amid applause. 
Moved by Mr, Hayman; seconded by Mr. B. H. .Walker, 
that the secretary-treasurer be instructed to make, at his 
earliest convenience, two reports — one for each office — to the 
president. 
Mr. Ware asked, as a member of the executive committee, 
for instruction as to when the Association would like to have 
the committee's report concerning next meeting, and the 
committee was instructed to render its report by August 1, 
1895. 
Capt. Hathaway then spoke of the pleasure it had affordet 
the Kentuckians to see so many visitors attending the trials, 
and Mr. Kinney responded in appropropriate terms. A vote 
of thanks to the sporting press was responded to by the 
representatives of Forest and Stream and American Field. 
A vote of thanks was then tendered to the owners of land 
over which the hunting had taken place, and Judge Ewing 
responded. Capt. Hathaway proposed the health of the non- 
sporting press to which Messrs. Fox and Klepper responded 
cleverly. The Strodes Valley Hunt Club were thanked for 
their courtesies during the meet and Mr. Winn responded 
gracefully. 
The meeting then took on a social phase and the aspect of 
a good time generally, with lots of back patting, good 
speeches, and with a jolly good whoop-la — gone away I finish, 
the first trials of the Association were brought to a close. 
"Dan vis Folks." 
Editor Forest and Stream; 
A perusal of "Danvis Folks" in book form (I had read the most of 
it as published serially in your valuable paper) confirms ine in the 
belief that as a delineator of plain, every day New England life of 
twenty-five years ago Mr, Robinson stands unequalled. Long may he 
live and largely write, J. Chjeeveb Goodwin. 
National Fox Hunters' Association Meet. 
"The dusky night rides down the sky 
And ushers in the morn. 
The hounds all join in glorious cry, 
The huntsman winds his horn. 
And a-hunting we will go." 
"Ye jovial hunters in ttie morn 
Prepare then for the chase; 
Rise at the sounding of the horn 
And health with sport embrace 
When a-hunting we do go." 
It was just this spirit that attracted the visitors to Olym- 
pian Springs, Kentucky, last week on the occasion of the 
inaugural meet of the National Fox Hunters' Association 
But "the best laid plans o' men and mice aft gang aglee," 
and the poet must have had a prophetic vision of this meet 
for alas! its application here is very appropriate. 
In fox hunting man may propose, but sly reynard holds 
the situation, or as John Chinaman would put it, "no foxee 
no huntee." The weather clerk also contributed to our 
undoing aud the trials had to be declared off before any 
stake was decided. We have become so accustomed to ex- 
pect a successful issue in all our field trials, whether they 
be on quail, hares or foxes, that it was never expected for a 
moment but that such a trial as was proposed could be 
properly carried out here. But affairs like these require 
system and organization and these two material qualities 
were not forthcoming. There seemed to be a happy-go- 
lucky_ air throughout the meet— as if we had all assembled 
in this out of - the way nook of the world for a good time 
rather than to systematically test the merits of the hounds 
in the different packs. 
We do not know who chose the country over which we 
were expected to hunt, but the choice must have been made 
from hearsay rather than personal observation, as a glance 
at the wooded hills and dales which surround the hotel 
would have convinced any one, with a knowledge of field 
trial requirements, of its entire unfitness. A judge cannot 
very well honestly say that such and such a hound is supe- 
rior to others in a pack unless he has an opportunity to see 
the hounds work. And it was totally impossible to do so 
here. 
Of course the social side of the gathering was a gratifying 
success, it could not be otherwise in "Old Kentuck;" but the 
serious— the business— part of the programme was a failure, 
dire and complete, and the reasons for this untoward out^ 
come may be briefly explained. The Kentuckians seemed to 
view the affair from a pleasurable standpoint, and so long as 
they were mounted and the hounds were in cover they cared 
not for field trial regulations or the rules the members of the 
club had been at such pains to formulate. Helter skelter, 
crash and a sauve qui pent seemed to be the order of the day 
not only with those behind the hounds, but with each little 
company of horsemen that rallied tothemusicof the hounds 
from every point of the compass. It would have required a 
detachment of cavalry to keep that crowd of enthusiastic 
hunters within bounds, and the few who grappled with the: 
situation were simply routed horse, foot and dragoons. I 
don't mean to say that anyone was unruly or disorderly, 
that could not be with such true sportsmen; it was si mpiy 
the "get thar" feeling bred in the fox hunting Kentuckian, 
that could not be restrained within the narrow limits of a, 
field trial. 
The meet, however, must not be counted an entire' failure 
if it has taught the management a lesson in organization. 
We realize the fact that the officials were almost, if not 
quite, unfamiliar with the management of a field trial, and 
therefore, any suggestions which we offer here for future 
guidance are tendered in the kindliest spirit. 
In the first place the secretary should have arranged a 
bulletin board in a conspicuous place in the hotel, and on 
this all the club announcements should have been posted. 
The names of the hounds required in the day's hunt should 
be written on this board, and below these the time of start- 
ing and directions as to where the hounds would be cast off 
or meet. When it was found that the ground was so dry 
and the conditions so entirely unfavorable for hunting except 
in the very early morning hours, the meets should have been 
announced for 4:30 A M. This early hour would have 
allowed for the little unavoidable delays incident to starting 
such a large meet, and the scarcity of horses, and still have 
given us plenty of time to reach the hunting grounds by day- 
light. The hounds could then have been put in and doubt- 
less a start made before the main crowd of local hunters had 
assembled. As it was, no one seemed to know exactly when 
we were to start, and consequently precious time was lost, 
and the sun was up before we were well under way. As 
most of the finding was in woodland, deeply carpeted with 
dry leaves, it was simply impossible after the sun had dried 
up the little dampness left by the hoar frost, for hounds to 
pick up a trail, or, if they did, to carry it along at any speed, 
and the higher the sun rose the worse became the conditions, 
until finally even the keenest hunters' patience melted away 
and the hounds were called off. This was the case the very 
first morning of the trials, and the experience thus 
learned should have prompted the arrangements out- 
lined above. 
Again the field trial committee or stewards should have 
been selected from hunters present who had no houuds 
entered in the stakes and these gentlemen should have been 
invested with authority to restrain the crowd and allow 
none but, as the rules distinctly state, the judges, handlers 
and members of the press to follow the hounds at all closely. 
These stewards should be identified by suitable badges A 
man who i<* iuterested in a hound that is in a heat and con- 
sequently doing his best to help his hound along cannot be 
supposed to pay much attention to his duties as a field stew- 
ard. We should remember this was a field trial, not a 
pleasure meet entirely. 
The question of judges is another important point. 
Instead of leaving this to a hasty choice when the hunt is 
assembled the judges should be decided upon and announced 
in the press before the time set for the trials, and only such 
men selected who could be depended upon to act throughout 
the running of the stakes. An experienced guide, one who 
is well up in the sport and with a thorough knowledge of 
the topography of the country and the wiles of the local rey- 
nardsisa sineqtianon, and a mistake was made in not having 
such an one here. The huntsman intead of being the field 
marshal as was the case at this meeting, should be an experi- 
enced hunter and have, charge of the handlers and houuds 
under the direction of the judges. Of course we understand 
that these hounds would not hark to a strange voice still 
there are many duties and necessary ones which such an 
official could have performed, as the hounds being strange 
to one another naturally hunted very independently ami 
were continually scattered. 
With these few remarks we may pass on to the main story 
of the trials. 
This was a Kentucky meet per se and therefore as Ken- 
tuckians, men and women, are renowned the world over for 
their devotion to sport in general and fox hunting in partic- 
ular it goes without saying that there was fun galore for 
everyone who participated. 
The forming of new friendships, a process through which 
one glides so easily among these jolly people, impromptu races 
and scurries across the bits of open country we came to now 
and then; the genial air of good fellowship and the entire 
