FOREST AND STREAM. April 20, im. 
312 
catch. Starting for the woods one Saturday night in 
October, with a neighbor who is an old coon-hunter, and 
taking along my well broken hound, Spot, we had hardly 
reached the woods when we heard Spot's musical voice 
echoing over the valley beyond. By the way he went 
through the woods, we knew it was a hot track. 
Presently the music changed to a welcome bark. We 
hurried to the tree. Each of us had a lantern in his 
hand. We kill the coons by shining and shooting at the 
eyes, which is much easier than chopping or climbing, 
as some of the hunters who write in Forest and Stream 
do. We saw a pair of small, reel eyes shining in the fork 
of a limb. My companion, taking aim, fired- and down 
came riug tail. Spot was there to welcome him, but he 
was too far gone to make much of a fight. 
We went to another woods near by; here Spot found 
another track, which was soon run, and proved to be 
that of a big opossum. It was resting on the first limb, 
usually the stopping place of coons. One shot and he was 
down. 
On we went further into the woods. Spot presently 
found another track, which was a little cold, but he 
stuck to it, as all good hounds do. After half an hour's 
work the coon was treed high up in a tall sugar maple. 
Two shots were reauired to dislodge him, but finally he 
came down in good fighting shape, but was soon shaken 
to death by Spot. 
This making us a good load, we resolved to start for 
home. We passed through a small sugar camp where 
two well known dense trees are standing. Reaching the 
camp, we entered the corner of the woods where the trees 
were. Spot, knowing what was up, went ahead, and 
soon we beard him sing out in a w ay w hich we knew in- 
dicated a hot track. Back and forth through the woods 
he went yplping at every breath. Meanwhile we were 
congratulating ourselves on being able to find so many 
hot tracks, and hoping this time there were two or three 
together. 
"There!" he says, "treed." We went to the trees, 
lanterns on our heads. To our joy, we saw three pair of 
eyes, making targets of a kind which take a little prac- 
tice to hit. Taking turn about, we knocked them out 
one at a time, giving Spot all the fighting he wanted for 
once. We two concluded we had all we wanted to carry. 
Five coons and one opossum were caught, so we went 
home well satisfied with our Saturday night's hunt, re- 
solving to try it again the next Saturday night. 
Ohio. Clayton Huffman. 
The S. P. C. A. 
The people at 'large, gpnerally speaking, have but a 
vague and limited idea of the work done by the American 
Society for .the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and 
oftener they have no idea at all. Indeed, in some in- 
stances, a prejudice exists against the society on the as- 
sumption that it is unnecessarily meddlesome and oppres- 
sive in enforcing matters of mere sentiment as matters of 
humane usage Be this as it may, there is always an un- 
derlying principle of good purpose in their actions, and 
society at large is a debtor to the S. P. C. A. for its un- 
remitting efforts in behalf of humanity. It is not only 
an active factor in the punishment of brutal acts, but it 
is a constant monitor and wholesome check on tlmse who 
are brutally inclined. Its efforts in behalf of humane 
treatment are far-reaching and practical. 
The twenty-ninth annual report of the society recounts 
many instances of brutal treatment, and the conviction 
and punishment of the offenders through the prosecution 
of the society. All domestic animals alike come within 
the scope of the society's protection aod care, and many 
a horse, dog, cat, cow, goat and chicken, if tney could 
but talk, would express their earnest gratitude for the 
needed protection. An excerpt from the address of the 
president will best show the earnestness in the cause and 
the efficiency of the work. He says, "During the past 
year there has been a notable diminution in the number 
of animals suspended from labor on account of sickness 
and. other disability. The fact indicates no decrease of 
efficiency or fidelity in our officers. What it indicates is 
that the number of animals which are abused in that 
way is less than it ever was before. In producing this 
result, the fear of legal penalties has doubtless been 
effective; but it may be hoped that a sentiment of hu- 
manity has also been growing among the owners of 
draught animals, since it is observed that the watering 
fountains which have been erected in many parts of the 
city are more frequently used by drivers than heretofore. 
"Our ambulance service is Q,n important part of our 
system. The ambulance house is within a block of our 
headquarters, and is connected with it by telegraph, and 
a code of signals is used under which orders can be given 
and obeyed at a moment's notice. Two large ambu- 
lances, with derrick and slings attached thereto, are in 
constant readiness to answer any call. Tt is interesting 
to remember that ambulances for the relief of horses and 
other large animals were first introduced by our own 
society. They have since teen introduced elsewhere, but 
in our own service we believe there are improvements 
which render them superior to all others. The efficiency 
of the derrick and slings in the extrication of horses 
from holes and excavations has been practically proved 
in very many cases. It is noteworthy, however, that 
they have been less frequently required of late than they 
were only a year or two aso, and the reason is that con- 
tractors are now treating their horses much more 
humanely. It may be observed, for example, that in 
making excavations, steam power has been introduced to 
a very large extent, so that the number of borses actually 
in use are employed rather to guide than to drag the 
carts, since the pulling force is supplied by steam. 
"Under Chapter 115, of the laws of 1804, approved by 
the Governor on the 8th day of March last, our society 
was invested with all the powers and functions which 
were formerly intrusted to the city government in the 
licensing of dogs, in the capture of estrays, and in the 
detention, and if necessary, the humane destruction of 
captured animals at the city pound. The powers with 
which the society has tbus been invested are large, and 
the responsibility which has been imposed upon us is 
heavy. It may be taken for granted, 1 trust, that in per- 
forming the duty which has been devolved upon us, we 
shall endeavor to act in the interest bolh of the public 
and the animals that may be captured; but I do not con- 
ceal from myself that the exercise of such functions ex- 
poses us to a constant danger of interference with the 
rights of our fellow-citizens, and that, in the absence 
either of ample facilities for efficient service or of vigilant 
supervision by competent persons, we must expect that 
our administration would be inefficient and would speedily 
become odious. I could by no means advise the extension 
of the provisions of the new law to societies in small 
places, and I should particularly deprecate it if the ob- 
ject of local societies in seeking such powers were to be 
the increase of their revenues by license fees. The fact 
is that the license fees in a small city would not nearly 
pay for the maintenance of a sufficient establishment and 
a sufficient corps of servants, and still less could thev be 
expected to pay for that sedulous and unremitting super- 
vision which is indispensable to succeed. Our own 
service at the present date requires four ambulances and 
two wagons specially constructed for their purpose, eight 
horses, with necessary stable room, and twenty-two per- 
sons who are at work in different relays by day and by 
night. The employees, of course, make daily reports, 
and are in hourly communication with headquarters, to 
which they apply for instructions in every case of doubt 
or difficulty The building which is used for the shelter is 
not what we should like it to be; but it is 100 feet in 
length by 25 feet in width, and is fitted up with every 
possible convenience for the maintenance of the captured 
animals, and for destroying theni without pain, in case 
they are not claimed within the time fixed by the law. 
"The shelter has been in operation for barely eight 
months. The undertaking was necessarily experimental; 
but its arrangements were carefully planned in advance, 
and thus far they have been carried out with reasonable 
success. There is only one institution in the world with 
which the shelter can be compared; I refer to the Batter- 
sea Home for Dogs in London. On examining the thirty- 
third annual report (1893) of that excellent institution, 
I find some interesting particulars. The Battersea House 
has the assistance of the metropolitan police of London; 
its operations extend throughout the city and county of 
London, with a population about three times as much as 
that of the city of New York. I rind that in 1893 it re- 
ceived 17,928 homeless dogs; and it may be inferred that 
in a city of one-third the population, it would have re- 
ceived 6,000 in twelve months, or 4,000 in eight months. 
Our own shelter, by the work of our own employees, and 
with no assistance whatever from the police, has received 
in eight months 5,111 dogs alone; that is to say, in the 
first eight months of existence, with new machinery, and 
acting under a new law, the shelter has received over 
twenty-seven per cent, more dogs than Battersea Home, 
after thirty-three years of experience, and with all the as- 
sistance of one of the best organized police forces in the 
world, had received for an equal population in the same 
period of ti-^e. But this is not all; for the Battersea 
receives dogs alone, whereas our shelter receives cats and 
other animals, and the number of animals of all kinds 
which have been received during our first eight months 
has been 22,028, of which 032 were lost animals restored 
to their owners. ... It has been observed by some 
of the newspapers that the summer of 1894— the first sum- 
mer for many years in which dogs have been allowed to 
go unmuzzled — is the first summer in which there has 
not been a single paroxysm of popular apprehension of 
hydrophobia." 
Of dog fighting the Superintendent reports: 
"As will be noticed by the subjoined summary, the dog 
and cock fighting fraternity were rather quiet during the 
past year, owing either to the constant surveillance kept 
over their rendezvous, or to a change of heart, as ex- 
pressed by an old sporting man, who said: 'I am ashamed 
to say I have been present at dog and cock fights, and 
declare that such fights are not only cruel to the animals, 
but degrading and demoralizing in their effect upon the 
human mind; they are a disgrace to our civilization, and 
are promoted and carried on only by those whose in- 
stincts are brutal and low.' It is to be hoped that in the 
near future such cruelties will be known only as scenes 
of the pa"t." 
With such vigilance and efficiency and the healthier 
public sentiment sedulously fostered by the society m re- 
spect to the lower animals, there is no doubt but what 
the brutal features mentioned will entirely disappear. 
Bull -Terrier Club Organized. 
.On Wednesday evening, April 10, the bull terrier 
fraternity organized a specialty club to be known as the 
Bull Terrier Club of America. The meeting was held in 
Hotel Schlosser during the Pittsburgh show. The follow- 
ing officers were elected: Frank F. Dole, president; John 
Moorhead, Jr., vice-president; W. D. Brereton, secretary 
and treasurer. Executive committee: The above officers 
ex-officio aud W. Mariner, Albert C. Stevens, W. J. 
Higginson, J. W. Church, J. Otis Fellows- Messrs. W. 
D. Brereton, GL W. Moore, and W. J. Higginson were ap- 
pointed a committee to draft constitution and by-laws 
and report at a meeting that was to be held April 12, at 
10.30 a. m. 
The Death of Belhus. 
Boston. — I regret to write you that my well known 
blood hound dog Belhus (13868) is dead. He was out 
hunting in the woods the other day, along with my other 
hounds, and some how or other, he must have injured 
himself internally. He never got over it. I am, how- 
ever, expecting a couple of hounds from England. They 
left Liverpool last Friday on steamship Bovic. I hope 
they will reach here all right, in time for the Boston 
show. C. A. Lougest. 
Oakes Coursing Meeting. 
The second annual meeting c£ the Oakes Coursing Club was 
brought to a successful close on Thursday, April 11. The stake 
was for 33 all-aged dogs, at $5 each, with $100 added by the 
club. There were 26 starters, an increase of 10 over last year's. 
Rabbits were plentiful, in most instances wild. Many of the 
slips were very long, and the jacks either ran very swiftly or 
fell an easy prey to the dogs. A very few moderate courses 
were had. 
The grounds are a little too rolling for convenience, but are 
different from last year in being free from cactus or thistles. 
Tuesday, the first day, was pleasant, but too warm for com- 
fort before the card was run through. 
The first pair in slips was H. C. Waterkaus's Revenue vs. 
Eastern Coursing Kennel's Royal Crest. The bitch was very 
shifty, but Crest had too much speed, and put her out. The 
jack escaped. 
In the second course, the Woodhaven Kennels' Prince Fuller- 
ton disposed of Eastern Coursing Kennels' "Wilio' the Wisp with 
little trouble, showing speed and cleverness. Puss also escaped. 
A-. P. Slocum's Rendezvous went down before N. P. 
W niton's Lucian Swift in the third, Swift showing wonder- 
ful working qualities. 
Lott White's Queen got the flag over J. H. Davis' Good 
Leather, a long course with little work. 
Laplander, owned by J. Mc.Nickle, went up fast, doing some 
good work. In the fifth going out of our sight. The (lag finally 
came back for J. H. Rew's Ragnarock. 
W. W. Good's White Stocking put out H. Jessup's Raven in 
the sixth, a long, desperate course. 
Rachel was hard pressed by Sam in the seventh, but Sain 
pulled out winner after Sam killed off her turn. Rachel be- 
longs to A. P. Slocum and Sam to J. H. O'Counor. 
In the eighth, Melrose and Durbin's Long Odds put out J. 
Curtain's Lucy, a short course in which they killod. 
Melrose and Durbin's Gilkirk disoosed of J, B. Smith's Gil- 
bert a^ter a long course in which Gilbert was of little help to 
her, finishing with a kill. 
In ttie tenth, No Mercy did all the work, Woodhaven Ken- 
nels' Prince Tonia being no help to her. 
In the eleventh, Ino, owned by W. W. Good, put out Eastern 
Coursing Kennels' Judge BurniPy. 
In the twelfth. Eastern Coursing Kennels' Lady Dedlock 
soon disposed of Win. McMurehy's Flora. 
A. P. Slocum's Gold Coin got the verdict over C. W. Davis' 
Blizzard. 
This finished the day's card. The only mishap was when the 
judge's horse fell in the seventh course, rolling clear over. They 
were both soon up. and after the dogs. The judge's decisions 
were given quickly and decidedly. He soon got the confidence 
of.the nominators, and the minds of the few doubtful ones were 
soon at ease with the way he demonstrated that he knew a 
course. 
The second day's running was marred by unpleasant weather. 
A cold rain fell at times during the day, but the card was run 
through twice regardless of the rain. Prince Fullerton and 
Royal Crest opened the day's sport, Crest falling an easy prey 
to Fullerton, both in speed and working qualities, 
Lucian Swift did a lot of work in the second, with little help 
from Queen. 
In the third, Rognarock easily put out White Stocking. 
Rachel fell before Long Odds in the fourth. 
In the fifth, Gilkirk and No Mercy ran an undecided. In the 
run off, Gilkirk won by the kill. 
The sixth was Iuo's, although Lady led up many lengths, 
but Ino worked her out in a long course. 
Gold Coin, a bye. 
The third time through the card brought Prince Fullerton 
and Lucian Swift to slips. Prince showed the most speed, but 
Lucian put him out after a lot of work.* 
In the second, Long Odds fell to Ragnarock, a long pumping 
course. 
Gilkirk 'did not give Gold Coin a point in the third; a weak 
jack. Ino, a bye. 
The stake was finished on Thursday. Lucian Swift and 
Ragnarock were the first in slips. Lucian won after a well- 
worked course. 
Gilkirk had a long, pumping, oue-handed course and left uo 
room for doubt. 
Lucian Swift and Gilkirk then divided. 
The officers worked for the interest of the nominators and 
succeeded in bringing the meeting to a successful close. 
Everything went off smoothly, and satisfactorily, and good 
nature prevailed. 
The jud^e, Mr. W. M. Stephenson, continued his good work 
throughout tne meeting. Mr. Stephenson has probably judged 
more meetings than any other man in America, outside of John 
Grace. His werk in the saddle has demonstrated to those who 
were present that he is qualified for the position. I noticed he 
carried no card or cared to look at any one's dogs. No one 
could say he was governed byprejudice. C. R. HUNTLEY. 
A New Bench Show Club. 
Toledo, O, — A club to be known as the Toledo, Ohio, Fanciers' 
Association was formed this week with the following officers: 
President, Dr. E. E. Cowdrick; Vice-Presidents, F. C. Shep- 
herd, and J, W. Mulinix; Treasurer. L. E. Clarke; Secretary, 
A. W. Bell; Committee, G. D. Dale, C. P. Detweiler, Geo. 
Felt, S. H. Philips and A. W. Pancoast; while the club em 
braces breeders of dogs, poultry and pigeons, the majority of 
the ninety-six members are ardent lovers of the kennel; and, 
while a good bench show has not as yet been attempted in 
Toledo, we can see no reason why such show should not be a 
decided success, as Ohio contains a very large number of fir.-t- 
class kennels, whose owners have always carried off their share 
of the blue ribbons at the leading shows of the country. Even 
in Toledo, we know there are a number of kennels, chief among 
which are the Alta, the Mauruee, the Poag until recently, 
but all of whose dogs are now distributed among the club's 
members; Montrose Beagle Kennels, Auburn, Lincoln, and 
Monroe also help to swell the list of kennels to a goodly num- 
ber. 
We trust that our Toledo fanciers will see fit to put their best 
foot forward for a large bench show in "Jti, and we predict for 
them the support and assistance of all true lovers of the dog. 
Starting out with such a membership, Toledo should soon be 
one of the leading cities on the winter bench show circuit. 
A. W. BELL. 
DOG CHAT 
Mr. W. L. Washington, the well known Irish setter 
breeder, is now engaged in the manufacture of steel 
products at New Castle, Pa., he holding an important 
position with the Washington-Elliott Steel Works. 
We take special pains to oblige our readers in the mat- 
ter of advice and treatment for sick dogs. In many in- 
stances, where the cases were urgent, we have forwarded 
the advice and prescription by mail. In some instances 
the letters were returned indorsed "unclaimed," and it 
may be that good dogs were the sufferers from the 
owner's false pride, which would not permit him to give 
his name and true address in connection with matters 
pertaining to his dog. Those who have put in false ad- 
dresses with their queries concerning sick dogs will now 
understand why they have received no reply, as will al^o 
those in future who do likewise, or write anonymously. 
There is sorrow in Engine Co. 13, Brooklyn, for Ben, 
the company's dog, is dead. Ben was not just a dog 
which led a dog's life of sleeping somewhere and eating 
when he was hungry. He entered into the company life 
and was a part of it. From puppy hood he showed great 
intelligence. He was trained to lead the horses to water, 
and when a newspaper was wanted Ben was sent to buy 
it. He learned the meaning of the gong signals, and led 
the way dutifully ahead of the galloping horses to the 
fire. He was a great favorite with the residents in the 
