252 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
March 30, 1895. 
it can easily be shown how the practice in respect to it at field 
trials was an advantage to the faulty dog which needed assist- 
ance, and how it was a harm to the approximately perfect dog, 
the one which used his brains and capabilities in the most 
approved manner for the success of the gun. Supposing now 
that the faulty dog— usiug such term in the absence of a better 
one to designate the dog which works on the judgment and 
assistance of his handler — has made a point after the habitual 
prompting and assistance have been given him. The handler 
walks forward to flush. If he finds nothing, he says: "The 
birds have run, judge!" He then sends the dog on. Another 
point is established. The handler beats out the ground many 
yards ahead, and to the right and left of the dog, in places so 
out of consonance p ith the point that it would be absurd on 
any reasonable assumption to give' the dog credit for a point, 
even if the birds were found. If the birds are found so far 
away from the pointing dog, or so far down wind of him, that 
it was palpable that he did not have a true point on them, the 
same old excuse serves again and again; that is, the birds had 
run. Under the unreasoning exactions and pra.ctice in resjject 
to staunchness, how could the judges determine whether the 
birds had really run, or not, from the dog's piont? The 
practice clearly discriminates in favor of the dog which will 
point staunchly on a hot f ootscent. 
Now, there are times, under certain conditions, when the 
birds are wild and restive, wherein they will run a great deal 
and lie badly to the dog's points, if at all. Under such condi- 
tions, the faulty dog will make an exceedingly poor showing. 
At such times, some handlers make a most undignified compe- 
tition, rushing and scrambling to make a "good showing for 
their dogs. It is a pleasure to state that the majority of 
handlers compete with the utmost fairness, and the tendency 
every year is toward a more precise observance of fairness in 
handling, but one handler who scrambles is a hardship on 
every one who does not. 
Let us now suppose that the good dog makes a true point on 
the running birds. He is trained to hold his point after his 
handler passes ahead of him, till the latter beats out the 
grouud to his satisfaction and orders the dog on. The sensible 
dog knows that the birds have run away, as shown by his 
gradual relaxation on his point and the lessening of his eager 
watchfulness for the order to go on again; but he must work 
after a set form, one which puts such restraints on his intel- 
ligence that the faulty dog benefits by it. If the intelligent 
dog were to move on whde his handler were beating out the 
ground to the point, under the present system such act would 
likely be considered as a fault. If the dog were to leave his 
point and circle the running birds, to head them oft' and stop 
their running, as some exceptionally wise dogs will do, most 
judges would consider that the dog had blinked. 
If the dog is faithfully working in the interests of the gun, 
and if he is intelligent and properly experienced, he knows 
quite as welL as does the shooter, bow to make the best success 
out of the find, in behalf of the gun. If the birds are running, 
when the handler walks past the dog, the latter, if he be intel- 
ligent and correctly handled, walks by his side, or a few feet 
ahead, leading on directly to the birds. 
The faulty dog might follow at heel, or after pointing might 
give up all effort and trust to his handler to do the rest, being 
glad to evade any responsibility. 
Undoubtedly, if unrestrained, some handler under any con- 
ditions would soon discover ways of making an apparently good 
performance with a faulty dog, by glossing over the faults and 
supplementing the dog's inefficiency by their own efforts, but 
an experienced judge can easily detect what part of the work 
is done by the dog and what part is done by the handler, and 
separate and value it accordingly. If the handlers once under- 
stood that the dog was judged by what he really did himself, it 
would soon result in a better grade of competition, and a better 
trained class of dogs. 
In judging more consideration should be given to intelligence 
and knowledge and unassisted good performance in working to 
the gun, qualities which are expressively called bird sense. 
Considering the field trial progress and growth of the last 
decade, there is much upon which sportsmen can congratulite 
themselves. The changes have been radical and great. 
The first rules of the old heat system, which were based 
bodily upon'the coursing rules which then obtained in England, 
and which as applied to field trials were original largely in 
pretense, held a" place till many trials had many times exposed 
to competitors their wretched inefficiency, and intelligent 
criticism had exposed it to the world. They were merely the 
swaddling clothes of the early field trial, used longer than they 
were fit. The public had been educated up to a much higher 
plane long before the first rule, with their cumulftions of 
fallacy and bad English, were rejected. When the National 
Field Trial Club went into desuetude, the old rule accompanied 
it. A new club sprung up, enth-ely new rales were adopted, 
but they were all founded on the same erroneous theory, that 
is, the theory of coursing, which, as applied to coursing, is 
excellent, as in it there are but two things to consider, speed 
and quickness in turning, but which, as applied to the many 
complex and interdependent details of the work of setters and 
pointers, is absurd. 
Finally, the heat system was rejected in toto, and the spot- 
ting system was adopted instead. This system obtains at the 
present time throughout the United States and Canada, and one 
can safely predict that the old heat system of conducting field 
trials is gone forever. There are some undesirable circum- 
stances of handling, wbicli have been passed down from the 
time when jockeying was more prevalent than it is at present, 
of which also it may be predicted that they will soon disappear. 
As soon as it is known that there is a firm public sentiment 
agamst all the little unfair practices and petty meannesses, 
such as whistling to turn an opponent's dog, or to balk or call 
him off a scent when roading, or off a point, if pointing, or to 
hurry in to flush scattered birds so an opponent's dog can not 
secure points, etc., just so soon will those practices be aban- 
doned. If judges were to make a rule to the end that, if any 
dog be interfered with, intentionally or unintentionally, such 
dog will be run thereafter alone and given full opportunity to 
display his abilities, the trouble from cunning interference 
would soon cease. Finding that such acts failed injthe end, those 
handlers, who now and then use such methods, would soon 
abandon them. 
In any event, the matter of staunchness, which is always a 
constant and important consideration in the competition, 
should be so valued and managed that it would be in con- 
sonance with the competition and with the purposes of a dog in 
actual work to the gun afield. 
The season has arrived when the field trial trainers and 
handlers get restless and stretch themselves for flight. In a 
letter, recently received from Messrs. May fie id and Richards, 
Vinton, Miss., where they have been stopping since the trials 
ended, they report a very satisfactory winter season, and men- 
tioned that they would hie northward about April 1. 
B. WATERS. 
E. F. T. Club Meeting. 
The special meeting of the E. F. T. Club was called to order 
in Mr. F. R. Hitchcock's office, 07 Wall street, about 2 o'clock 
P. M., March 26, Mr. Pierre Lorillard, Jr., presided. There 
were present, Messrs. Carter, Orr, Ewing, HodgmaD, Meares 
and Hitchcock. The constitution was amended so that three 
of the Board of Governors constituted a quorum, and five 
members of the club are a club quorum. Messrs. Sturgis and 
Phelps were admitted to membership. The club has 5,179 
acres of grounds at Newton, N. C. Both the Continental Field 
Trials Club and the U. S. F. T. C. presented propositions to 
run trials in conjunction with those of the Eastern Club. The 
proposition of the former club was accepted, and the Con- 
tinental Club will hold its first quail trials at Newton, N. C. 
Messrs. Lorillax'd and Hitchcock were appointed a committee 
on judges. _ _ _ 
Gordon Setters. 
r Sistersville, W..Va.— In looking over the back numbers^ For- 
est and Stream,~I read the following remark, by Mr. Hough: 
"He is one of the despised Gordons." At the first reading of the 
item, I had a Gordon pup with whose dam I had hunted. The 
bitch was an excellent one. I supposed that she was an excep- 
tion, if the Gordons are a despised breed. 
I was greatly surprised to find that my pup was one of the best 
dogs I ever shot over. Fate robbed me of him, but fortunately a 
Gordon bitch whelned a fine litter of pups by him, and I pur- 
chased one. He was left entirely to himself, and, when I went 
on a trip after quail last December, I took him along, rather as 
an apology for a dog. He had chased birds all summer and. in 
fact, behaved in such a manner that I expected to see him chase 
the quaji into the next county. 
Our first flock flushed wild and scattered in the woods. My pup 
made point, after point in the brush, and was steady to wing. 
Now note this, he was rushing along in the woods at a gallop, 
when I saw him make a sliding stop, and turn his head over his 
shoulder. He remained in that position until I walked in behind 
him and flushed the quail. He also, without training, remember, 
was steady to shot-, with three double guns fired over him. After 
the first excitement, when the wire edge was worn off, he dropped 
to shot like a veteran. 
These two Gordons I have owned, and the dam I shot over. I 
never saw either of them unsteady to wing or shot, nor willfully 
flush a bird, nor chase a t'rabbit. The dam would run away from 
a rabbit, and the pups only show a genteel interest in one. 
They are simply tireless— fast and wide rangers, excellent and 
hardy fellows for all-round shooting. 
What I wish to ask is, are those the reasons for despising the 
Gordon? Why are they not more in favor?. What are the faults, 
if any. of the Gordon setter? J. H. PIERCE. 
The New England Kennel Club. 
Boston.— Through an error we published in our premium list 
the American Spaniel Club's old classification No. 1, not thinking 
for a moment there had been a cnange until advised by Mr. 
Keasbey, secretary of that club, that such was the case. It was 
furthest from our intentions to provide other than the best classi- 
fication of that club. 
We therefore withdraw that part of our premium list which 
savs "American Spaniel Club Classification No. 1," 
Had we been advised sooner of our mistake, we should have 
made our classification to conform to their more recent one, but, 
at this late day, much as we regret it, fail to see how we can do 
otherwise than adhere to our original one. Additional specials: 
From Pointer Club of America, $10 respectively for best pointer 
dog and bitch in open classes. The Collie Club of America offers 
a silver medal respectively for the best dog and bitch in open class, 
and a bronze medal respectively for the best dog and bitch in the 
puppy class. The Bedlington Terrier Club offers §5 for the best 
Aemrican-bred Bedlington terrier. Everything is booming. 
D. E. LOVELAND, Sec. 
DOG CHAT 
Mr. Samuel H. Roberts, of Pawn tucket, R. I., writes: 
"I have leased the shooting privilege of a large farm, and intend 
to secure some more quail from the South and put them out ac- 
cording to my own idea. Last year the birds were liberated in ac- 
i 
cordanee with the ideas of a committee, and I believe I can obtain 
even better results than were obtained a year ago. The boys 
here are after some, rabbits, and have subscribed $125, and I placed 
an order for some white ones yesterday. Chapman is now en- 
gaged trapping them. The sportsmen in Providence are also going 
into the scheme. The State Game Association is endeavoring to 
have the game laws amended, and they have commenced in the 
right way. Before the close of the 'present session of the Legisla 
tnre, Rhode Island expects to have an ideal game law, The State 
Fair is arranging for the fall show. A more liberal classification 
and a little more consideration for the handlers is all that is nec- 
essary to make this the second show to New York.'' 
Mr. F. L. Cheenv. Pittsfleld, Mass., informs us of his misfortune 
in losing his valuable setter bitch. Under date of March 30, he 
writes: "I write, with regret, of the dpath of my Irish setter bitch 
Daisv (Chief— Leigh Doane), caused by lead poisoning. She was 
a f a : thf ul friend, and no man need ask for a better grouse and 
woodcock dog. She was a field and bench winner, and the dam of 
the field-trial winner Molleen and many other good ones. Her 
place will be hard to fill, both afleld>nd at home." 
In the absence of "his brother. Dr. Bruette, who was confined to 
his room with a severe cold, Mr. William Bruette attended faith- 
fully to the veterinary duties connected witn the Chicago show. 
" When the Detroit and Chicago shows come round, Dr. H. Clay 
Glover generally makes up his mind that his Western interests 
require his personal attention, so we were not surprised to drop 
across him at theBe shows. Although not officially connected with 
the Chicago show, he was repeatedly consulted by the "regulars" 
during the week, and the benefit of his large experience was 
always at their command.. „ 
Mr, W. J. Higgiuson, 3 Gregory street, Rochester, N. Y., write 
us that there will be a meeting of the breeders, fanciers and lovers 
of the bull terrier at the forthcoming show of the Duquesne Ken- 
nel Club, with a view to forming a permanent organization in the 
interests of the breed of bull terriers. It will be held at Hotel 
Schlosser, April 10, at 8 p. m. 
The iviere Kennels, Tarrytown, N. Y., weere exceedingly un- 
fortunate in losing Blemton Victor (Victor II— Vindex II), an 
eleven months' old puppy, purchased of the Blemton Kennels soon 
after the New York show. Ho was turned out for exercise with 
the other dogs on March 2, and although they had treated him 
with friendliness previously, the older dogs there tackled and 
worried him, injuring tlm so severely by the rough treatment 
that he died a few days .afterward. He made no outcry, other- 
wise Mr. Browning, the manager, who was near by at the time, 
could have saved him. 
We publish this week a portrait of Delhi (Rip Rap— Queen II). 
He is owned by the Charlottesville Field Trial Kennels. He was 
the most successful young pointer of the past season, and, besides 
makingla^good showing in the records.he won the good opinions and 
praises of the sportsmen who saw him perform. 
A correspondent writes ns as follows: "Some years ago, I read 
an article in Forest and Stream regarding the use of pointers for 
hunting squirrels in the South. Who can I address for informa- 
tion concerning the matter? Perhaps some of our Southern 
readers lean give ^information as to the use of pointers as squirrel 
dogs. 
Mr. P. T. Madison, Sec.-Treas. of the Continental Field Trial 
Club, has issued a Tcircular from which the following excerpt is 
taken: "The constitution, 7b y-laws and rules are models of per- 
fection, and are vastly different from any yet formulated by other 
clubs. They are now in the printer's hands-a.nd will.be ready for 
mailing in a few days. It was decided to i have ;no membership 
fee, but make the annual dues payable in advance, and, owing to 
the large number of responses to the invitation to become charter 
members, the annual dues were placed at only ten dollars. In 
order that there may be no delay in placing the club in a nosition 
to do business at once, the secretary was instructed to request the 
members to remit their dues immediately. It was also deemed 
advisable to double the membership as soon as possible. I there- 
fore take this opportunity of publioly inviting the gentlemen 
sportsmeD of America to become members, and thereby assist us 
in making the Continental the grandest field trial Iclub ever or- 
ganized in the world." 
Duquesne Kennel Club. 
Pittsburg, — Through an error, our premium list shows a 
class for American shaggy foxhounds. That is a mistake. 
Our classes for foxhounds are English foxhounds and Ameri- 
can foxhounds. The Collie Club of America offers for compe- 
tition to members of the Collie Club of America only, a silver 
medal for the best collie exhibited and a bronze medal for the 
best collie entered in the puppy classes. 
JOHN MOORHEAD, President. 
Wolfhounds at New York. 
Hamilton, Canada. — You must pardon me for replying to the 
criticism of the Russian wolfhounds at the New York show 
which appeared in Forest and Stream of a recent issue, and 
which was signed Highland. 
In his remarks on our new importation, Ataman IV., he 
states that "Ataman IV., a new comer, made here his debut in 
the open dog class, and while he had the easiest of an easy win, 
it was due entirely to the fact that he virtually had no compe- 
tition, scarcely a dog in the class being in fit condition to show 
at a country fair." 
In reply to this I make public my claim that Ataman IV. is 
the finest Russian wolfhound that has ever been imported into 
this country (that is, of those which have ever been exhibited — 
of others I know nothing), and that he can win over any other 
dog that has ever been shown. 
Further on the article states that Ataman is "possessed of a 
very short neck" — and still further on it states that he is too 
straight in hind legs. This is surely enough to prove the quali- 
fications of the would-be criticiser to criticise wolfhounds. 
From this, one would beleive that this breed of dogs should 
have long necks, the same as greyhounds, size for size. And 
that they should not have straight legs, much straighter than 
the greyhounds, size for size. 
I certainly do not claim that Ataman is a faultless dog, tor 
he certainly is not; but I do claim and am willing to back it 
up, as aforesaid, that he i3 the best Russian wolfhound at th« 
present time before the public. 
WILLIAM J\ TULK, 
Manager Terra Cotta Kennels. 
