494 
FOREST AND STREAM^ 
[Dec. 19, 1896. 
The Black Bass Record. 
SPMNa GiTT, Tenn— Editor Forest and stream; "While 
reading the advertisements in a recent issue of Forest 
AND Strbam I found the following; "Seven and one half 
pound black bass, conceded by all to be the champion of 
America." Are we expected to believe this? Certainly 
larger fish have been caught here, Jas. L. Hoyal, 
[This is not the black bass record. We shall print next 
week a list of recorded heavy fish, black bass among 
them.] 
he Mmmt 
FIXTURES. 
BENCH SHOWS. 
1897. 
Feb. % to 5.— New England Kennel Club's annual sbow, Boston. 
FIELD TBIALS, 
1897. 
Jan. 11.— Tupela, Mies.— Continental Field Trial Club's quail trials. 
P. T. Madison, Soc'y. 
Jan. 18.— West Point, Miss.— TJ. S, F. T. 0. winter trials. W. B. 
Stafford, Seo'y, Trenton, Tenn. 
Nov. 8.— Carlisle, Ind.— Union Field Trials Club second annual 
trials. P. T. Madison, Sec'y, Indianapolis, Ind. 
Joan's Sense of Color. 
At work in my study this morning, I heard my dog 
Joan barking furiously in the back yard. I said to my- 
self: "She is barking at a dog, and that dog is black." 
I thought that she was barking at a dog, because a dog is 
apt to fall on the haunches and bark directly at a man, 
while he (or she) is apt to move and bark about another 
dog; and 1 concluded that she was barking at a black 
dog, because the color black (or dark) has irritated her 
ever since I have had her. I do not know whether her 
dislike of black is the result of a prenatal influence nor 
whether she was frightened by some black thing or per- 
son in her puppydom, I do not know why Joan is irri- 
tated by black — I simply know the fact that she is. I be- 
came aware of this fact very soon ofter she came to me — 
a present from Dr. F. W. Kitchel — when she was about 
two months old. A pure African woman comes to the 
rectory regularly to do the washing. As soon as Joan 
saw this woman she ran away, her tail between her legs, 
yelping. When she had gotten to a safe distance she 
showed her irritation by barking with all her little might, 
I could not understand this at first, because I knew Mary 
Ann (the African woman's name) to be such a lover of 
dogs that she keeps a whole pack of them about her, to 
the disgust of many people who think that it costs her 
too much to keep them; forgetting that "man lives 
not by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth 
out of the mouth of God;" and that her dogs 
may feed a part of Mary Ann which is more 
important than her body — a part that is not of 
the grave. I could not, I say, understand at first 
why Mary Ann was offensive to Joan. I thought 
that the dislike would pass; but it did not; it in- 
creased. Mary Ann made many overtures — she still 
makes them — but Joan seems now, after the lapse- of 
many months, to actually hate her. We know when 
Mary Ann is coming by the ferocity of Joan's barking. I 
by accident discovered the secret of Joan's resentment of 
the propinquity of Mary Ann one day. A case, home- 
made from store boxes, had been placed in the dining- 
room and covered with some heavy material of so dark a 
red that in the gloaming it appears almost black. It was 
in the gloaming that Joan and I both first saw it. She 
stared at it in an affrighted way, her ears dropped, her 
tail went between her legs, and she slinked back of me 
against the wall. I saw at once that her spirits were 
rufiOled by Many Ann because Mary Ann is black, and I 
must not forget to finish the story with which I started 
out. Joan is in an interesting condition, and I am some- 
what anxious about her and about the coming generation. 
My conclusion was right. When.I dropped my pen and 
went into the back yard this morning I found that Joan 
was barking at a dog, and that that dog was completely 
black. I could hot see a white or a light hair on his body. 
What does all this teacb? Why, that the dog has the 
sense of color, and that he has the abstract notion of 
color, the notion apart from the thing that is of a certain 
color. To Joan are not only Mary Ann, the fabric cover- 
ing the extemporized case, and the dog black (or dark), 
but to her black (or dark) is black (or dark); and whoever 
or whatever has an abstract idea belongs to the abstract, 
and it is the abstract that is eternal. 
Charles Josiah Adams. 
KossyiLLi:, S. I. 
Irish Terrier Produce Stakes. 
The Irish Terrier Produce Stakes, under the auspices of 
the New England Kennel Club, will be decided at the 
coming Boston show, Feb. 2, 1897. Entries closed Jan, 1, 
1896, and, as you will see by inclosed list, thirtpen brood 
bitches are entered: Dr. William F. Kenney's (Providence) 
Norena; Morton E. Cobb's (Newton, Mass.) Reculver Biddy; 
Samuel D, Parker's (Readville, Mass.) Beechgrove Jesse 
II., Carleton Belle and Lady; Samuel A. Fletcher's (Mil- 
ton, Mass.) Nora Desmond; O. W. Donner's (Milton, 
Mass.) Milton Droleen, Milton Droleen, Milton Dingle and 
Milton Spuds; Toon & Thomas's (Salem, Mass,) End cliff e 
Nora and Endcliffe Peggy; Hempstead Farm's (Hempstead, 
L. I.) Lady Eva. All remittances for entrance fees, etc., 
should be sent to Mr. Samuel D. Parker, 50 State street, 
Boston (treasurer of Produce Stakes), on or before the 
date the entries close for the New England Kennel Club's 
thirteenth annual bench show in February next. 
Committee Irish Terrier Produce Stakes, 
Per O. W, DoKNBR. 
CHAINED 
to Business? 
Can't go Shooting? 
Do the next best thing- 
Read the 
N. E. K. Club's Show. 
Mr. Allen CHAMBEBLAiiir, press agent of the New 
England Kennel Club, writes that some people seem to 
think that there is some mistake about the dates of the 
Boston dog show this year— Feb, 3, 3, 4, 5— but they alone 
are mistaken in this. Those are the correct dates, and 
the Mechanics Building will be the stand, as of yore. The 
fact is the New England Kennel Club proposes to hold its 
show this year (which, by the way, is its thirteenth an- 
nual exhibition) at a time of the year when people can go 
to it. If it is held late in the spring, outdoor recreation 
is found to be too attractive by most persons, but in mid- 
winter everyone will want to go. Another advantage is 
that at the opening of the season (this will be the first 
show of the circuit) the dogs are fresher and show up 
better than after they have traveled over half the country. 
Owners desirous of entering dogs should address the com- 
mittee in charge of the show at their office, 167 Tremont 
street. Entries will close on Jan. 16. Each year sees 
many and many a good dog left out because the owner 
waited just too long before sending in the entry. 
POINTS AND FLUSHES. 
We are indebted to Mr, Thos. Johnson, Winnipeg, for 
some most interesting photographs of shooting scenes in 
Manitoba, where the prairie chicken is in such bountiful 
numbers. In a most interesting letter the following is 
specially noteworthy as showing what patient and skillful 
ta-aining will accomplish in making the horse useful afield 
in an intelligent manner. He says: "I should like to 
have shown you to what perfection a horse can be trained 
for shooting purposes. I paid more attention and devoted 
more time and energy this season to training the gray 
mare you will note on the right side in the photograph 
than I did to my dogs. She was a runaway and had 
other vicious habits. To-day she will stop to point or 
back; move on with the gun; stop to signal, a raise of 
my arm; come on to the whistle; follow me at a respect- 
ful distance all over the prairie, and at the finish take 
me home at a throe-minute gait. I now hope to have her 
mate trained next season to the same degree of perfection 
as is herself. To me training is a pleasure." 
The New England Kennel Club's prize list of its thir- 
teenth annual show is now ready for distribution, and can 
be obtained of the Bench Show Committee, 167 Tremont 
street, Boston. The judges are: Mr. Chas, H. Mason, of 
New York, bloodhounds. Great Danes, St. Bernards, mas- 
tiffs, bull dogs, bull terriers, Scottish terriers, beagles, 
Skyes, whippets; Mr. James Mortimer, of New York, col- 
lies, deerhounds, wolfhounds, Irish terriers, dachshunde, 
Bedlington terriers, Dandle Dinmonts; Mr. John David- 
son, Of Monroe, Mich., pointers, setters, greyhounds; Mr. 
German Hopkins, of New York, fox terriers, Black and 
Tan terriers, foxhounds; Mr. E. M. Oldham, of New York, 
spaniels; Mr. T. Farrar Rackham, of New York, all toy 
dogs. Boston terrier judge to be announced later. E, M. 
Oldham, superintendent. 
In our advertising columns Arthur Lovell, Putney, 
Vt., offers hunting dogs, C. V. S. Rea, Hackettstown, 
N. J. , offers trained setter. M. , care Forest and Stream, 
offers trained Irish setter, Geo. Douglas, Woodstock, 
Onti , offers cockers. Box 392, Cincinnati, offers trained 
pointer. Dr. Treacy Ford, Meade, S. D., offers grey- 
hounds. H. T. Mosley, Chaplin, Conn., offers broken 
setter. 
There was organized at Pittsburg, Pa., Dec. 8, the Pitts- 
burg Fox Terrier Club, with a membership of twenty- one 
of the representative and professional men of Pittsburg 
and Allegheny. The following officers were elected: 
President, B. S, Home; Vice-President, John M. Chaplin; 
Treasurer, Wm. E. Lettell; Secretary, C. B. Garrison. 
Printed rules and regulations governing the first annual 
Irish Terrier Produce Stakes, and the amount and division 
of prizes, can be obtained by addressing Samuel D, Parker, 
50 State street, Boston. 
Mr. G. P. Finnigan, Smithville Flats, N, Y,, writes us 
under date of Dec. 7, that he has withdrawn from the stud 
his English setter dog Border Chief. 
KENNEL NOTES. 
Kennel Notes are inserted withont charge; and. blanks 
(famished free) will be sent to any address. Prepared 
Blanks sent free on application. 
NAMES CLAIMED. 
The Reham Kennels claim the names 
Reham Red Brant, for red coclter spaniel dog, by Cherry— Brant- 
ford Bonita. 
Little Suitangi, for black cocker spaniel dog, by champion Black 
Duke— Flossie Wilshire. 
Little High Admiral, for black dog, same litter. 
Reham'a Little Jet, for black cocker spaniel bitoh, by Cherry- 
Dinah C. 
Communications for this department are requested. Anything on 
the bicycle in its relation to the sportsman is particularly desirable. 
HERE AND THERE. 
An Australian manufacturer of cycling shoes adver- 
tises free accident insurance with every purchase of 
boots or shoes to the value of five shillings. The coupon 
which the wheelman receives guarantees him the amount 
of $5 per week for a period not exceeding ten weeks in 
case of total disablement by accident, or $500 to his heirs 
in case of death by accident. 
That so much can be offered to secure trade to the value 
of $1.25 would indicate that cycling is an extremely safe 
sport as far as serious accidents are concerned. 
On the Col du Chut a hotel keeper has devised a prac- 
tical and extremely simple brake for use in coasting 
down the long and dangerous hills that are characteristic 
of his neighborhood, which he furnishes free of charge 
to his patrons. This is nothing more than a good sized 
fagot of wood attached to a cord 6ft. long. The cord is 
made fast to the saddle post of the bicycle and the fric- 
tion of the fagot on the road is said to render the descent 
of the worst inclines perfectly safe and easy. A some- 
what similar drag has been successfully used on the Pa- 
cific coast. In the latter case the boughs of trees were 
substituted. Such brakes have the advantage of not in- 
juring the tires, but can, of course, only be used to 
advantage where the descent is unbroken. 
A member of the L. A. W, described a game of hare 
and hounds on bicycles as played at Vevay, Switzerland, 
in which both men and women took part. A lady was 
always chosen one of the hares, and similarly it was 
found necessary to make the rule that among the hounds 
a woman should always lead, though not necessarily the 
same one throughout the course. This was to prevent 
riders with scorching proclivities from outstripping the 
pack. 
For a ten-mile run the hares were given a start of ten 
minutes; for twelve miles, twelve minutes, etc. Each 
hare carried a bag of paper scent to scatter along the 
route, and at turns of the road it was allowable to scatter 
false scent to throw the hounds off. 
The latest adaptation of the bicycle in France is in the 
strictly utilitarian direction of a fire extinguisher. The 
bicycle fire engine is made like a double tandem, with 
hose and a powerful pump placed between. The weight 
of the machine is about 1401b8., and it is propelled 
by four men. Once the scene of the fire is reached, the 
engine is made stationary by raising the wheels from the 
ground. The hose is connected and the pump adjusted, 
and then the firemen mount to their saddles again and 
pedal away to work the pump. It is said that four men 
working together in this way can throw a stream of 
water 75 or 100ft. into the air at the rate of 4,500 gallons 
an hour. Such engines would prove a boon to many 
rural and suburban communities in need of fire depart- 
ments. 
A gentleman in Lausanne, on the borders of Lake Gen- 
eva, tried to discourage cycling by scattering tacks along 
a road much used by wheelmen. His enterprise was mo- 
mentarily successful, for three dozen riders in a road race 
had their wheels disabled as a result. Ordinarily the 
mischief-maker might have hoped to escape unpunished, 
but these racers were more than usually provoked, as their 
chances for winning were gone; so one and all they re- 
lentlessly sought out the ingenuous resident of Lausanne, 
and dragged him to a police court. Here the prisoner, 
who was a man of means, tried to escape by pleading it 
was only done for a joke; but in the presence of his thirty- 
six outraged victims the humor was not very apparent. 
He was fined 2,200 francs for the damage done, and the 
summary justice which he received has proved a warning 
to tack throwers that will not soon be forgotten. 
TIRE TALK. 
'Way back in 1846 an Englishman named Thompson in- 
vented and patented the first pneumatic tire. His tire had 
an inner tube of soft rubber and an outer covering of 
leather. A few years later the leather sheath was re- 
placed by rubber thickened in the tread, thus producing 
a tire similar to many in use at the present time. 
His invention was regarded as of little consequenceV 
and it remained for another man more than forty years- 
later to practically utilize pneumatic tires in connection^ 
with the bicycle, and to reap the reward that resulted. 
One objection that riders make to soft tires is that they 
are slow. Just why this should be so we have never seen 
satisfactorily settled. The reason that is commonly given 
is that the additional elasticity gained checks the momen- 
tum of the wheel and wastes a portion of the propelling 
force. 
Such statements are contrary to fact and easily dis- 
proved, for if rigidity were an advantage the steel tires 
of racing sulkies would hardly have given place to the 
pneimiatic tires now so universally in use. 
In Paris pneumatic tires are in common use on cab 
wheels. It is stated that they not only have the advan- 
tage over iron or even solid rubber tires in that they les- 
sen the jar and noise, but that they also decrease the 
traction power, a result due to their increased springi- 
ness. 
On good roads they are said to be 38 per cent, more 
economical in use than tires of the ordinary type, and on 
the worst roads the saving is nearly 70 per cent. 
Both wire and wooden spoked wheels are used, and 
the best results are obtained with a moderate air pressure 
of about 6.51bs. to the square inch. 
Worn out tires are not altogether woithless. They 
have a commercial valuation, though it is comparatively 
trifling. Junk dealers buy them, and rag dealers also take 
them when they are offered. They bring $100 by the 
ton, which means that the dealers pay about 5 cents a 
pound for them, or 15 to 20 cents for the single tire. 
Pure rubber is worth from 50 cents a pound up on the 
spot where it is grown, but tires have so much cotton and 
mineral matter in their composition that the amount of 
the commercial article that can be saved is not great. 
Pneumatic tires have better gum in them than rubber 
shoes, and are worth more when they reach the grinding 
mill. The rubber is also better than that in the solid tires, 
and, weight for weight, the pneumatics are worth about 
twice as much, If you have an old bicycle, however, it 
is better to give it away than to try to realize anything 
on the tires. 
Age Limit for Wheeling. 
The limit of age for cycling is a question which is call- 
ing for many opinions from the medical press. The Brit- 
ish Medical Journal has this to say about it: "In the first 
place, no child under the age of seven years should be per- 
mitted to learn under any circumstances, and very great 
care must be taken that any boy or girl of that tender age 
becoming a rider is properly fitted with a suitable mar 
chine, and that the pedals, handle bar and saddle are so 
adjusted that he can sit properly upright and use his 
strength to the best advantage without distorting his body 
or injuring bis growing tissues. The crank should tie 
