Jan. I, 1898.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. IB 
personal turn, unwarranted by the issue, which he gives 
the discussioih, though he undoubtedly does so from 
mistaken inference. For instance, taking the first two 
paragraphs of his letter, he assumes that Mr. McCain did 
not introduce himself, in the face of the fact that the 
latter signed his letter properly and gave his address, 
and he further assumes tha,t Mr. McCain wrote "as an 
authority," whereas he only wrote as any one might 
write, gave his data for his reasons, and submitted them 
for public consideration. In respect to the matter of 
"age and experience," there was no personal application 
to it, nor any purpose to depreciate it. Also, Mr. Mc- 
Cain's manner of handling his dog was entirely outside 
the issue. The subject matter is hardly touched upon. 
We call attention to this from a friendly intention to 
keep the parties to the discussion in correct lines, that 
they may discover any errors if any exist, and give iiv^ 
formation which may be of value in adding to the best 
knowledge of conducting trials. But any letters devoted 
further to personality will riot a'^pear.] 
death imposes a great loss on the pointer interests of 
America. 
Pretense and Merit* 
St, Augustine, Fla. — Editor Forest and Stream: I'm 
glad to see that you're directing your able energies 
toward the field-trial question, for I have always looked 
upon field trials as the silliest thing connected with 
sporting matters. They settle no question of superior- 
ity, for nearly everything depends on luck. It is simply 
dogmen's business. 
During my life I have found the very best of dogs in 
every part of the country. with no more pedigree to boast 
of than a second-hand polecat. 
I can give tAvo instances that are prominent in my 
memory. In tlie early days of Chicago I used to hunt 
over about as ugly a liver-colored setter as I ever saw 
made up, but he understood his business thoroughly, 
and he had a nose that seemed infallible. On one occa- 
sion his master and I were shooting quail in a thick 
growth of pin-oaks with the dead leaves all on, and no 
one of my shooting days has left a brighter spot on my 
memory. It was afternoon and we had found no birds, 
when we met a market-shooter who told us there were 
plenty of birds close by us, but he'd defy anybody to 
kill them in such a place as that. He had them scattered 
all over the woods, and though the leaves were so dry 
that we made noise enough to wake the echoes, that dog 
made a stanch point on nearly every bird. We would 
each select a stand where we thought the bird must 
show itself to one or the other of us, and then the dog 
would put it up. We had only part of the afternoon to 
shoot in, but we got between twenty and thirty, with 
very few misses. 
Another remarkable dog was a rather unprepossessing 
black pointer bitch, owned in this city. A New York 
club millionaire came down here to shoot — as many 
others did before the game was exterminated by the 
wood-loafer — and his splendid dogs were fortified with 
field trials and mile-long pedigrees. His companion and 
guide was the owner of the black pointer, and the club 
man was shocked when he found her master was going 
to take her out with them ; but during the day .she found 
every bevy that they raised, and did all the work of 
pointing and retrieving single birds. The club man, 
who relied on pedigrees, wanted to buy her, though he 
said he'd get heartily laughed at if he took her to his 
club. He kept raising his offer till he got up into the 
hundreds, but the animal was not for sale. Didymus. 
Homing: Instinct in Dogs. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
I saw an article in a recent nunaber of the Forest and 
Stream, by your contributor, "The Man in the Clock 
Tower," hooting at the idea that dogs find their way 
by instinct. While it is not my wish to enter into a 
controversy with your able writer — his opportunities for 
observation from such a vantage point are too great — 
however, with your permission, I will spin a short yarn 
about a dog that did get home, and without the aid of 
the usual $25 reward. 
Some years since I bought a foxhound in Sunderland, 
Vt., some sixty miles from here as the crow flies. He 
was expressed to me in rather a light box, and natur- 
ally, in an express car, so that he had no opportunity 
of becoming familiar with the route. Perhaps u might 
have been two weeks afterward that I turned him loose, 
thinking he needed exercise. Subsequent events proved 
that he did. He was seen on my place about 2:30 in 
the afternoon (Sunday), and the next thing I heard of 
him was in the form of a postal card from Merrett Bent- 
ley, his former owner, saying "Trump came home early 
this morning" (Monday), so that he evidently wasted 
very little time inquiring the way. What was this— in- 
stinct? A Believer in It. 
Fleas and their Abuses. 
In regard to killing the fleas on Sallie's dog Maudie 
still another suggestion comes, this time from Mr. J. H. 
Pierce, of Hebron, W. Va., who says: 
"A dime's worth of oil of cedar applied will eradicate 
fleas and not injure dog or hair. Of course, quantity re- 
quired will depend on size of dog; but ten cents' worth 
will kill fleas on a pretty big dog. If Sallie has any cats 
I would not advise her to use it on them, as I tried it on 
a cat of mine once and the next morning poor Tommy's 
toes were turned skyward. Take liquid and drop in 
small quantities all over the dog." E. Hough. 
1206 BoYCE Building, Chicag-o. 
POINTS AND FLUSHES. 
A brief note from Mr. F. O. de Luze, treasurer of the 
Westminster Kennel Club, informs us of the death of 
the club's famous pointer dog. King of Kent (Priam — 
Kent's Baby). He was famous both as a bench show 
winner and as a sire of field performers of rare merit. 
In respect to the latter he had no equal in America. Rip 
Rap is his most famous son, and heads the hst as to age 
and fame. King of Kent was whelped Jan. 12, 1886, and 
was bred by Mr. Fred Warde, Tutsham_ Hall. Eng. His 
The Mobile & Ohio Railroad has issued a circular let- 
ter, instructing its agents to assist sportsmen as much as 
possible by carefully and promptly handling their dogs, 
camping outfits, etc., and rendering all the service they 
can. Dogs and camping outfit will be carried free m 
baggage car, as is customary, provided that they are de- 
livered to and received from the train baggagemen at the 
baggage car door. To field trial visitors tickets will be 
sold at the rate of one fare to West Point and Tupelo. 
As the Union field trials have been abandoned and the 
championship event has been changed to New Albany, 
Miss., the Tupelo rates are now of no advantage to vis- 
itors.' This road has always been exceptionally gener- 
ous in its dealings with sportsmen. 
The daily press recently announced that an enterpris- 
ing gentleman was bound Newfoundland-ward to pur- 
chase 500 dogs of the Newfoundland breed for the pur- 
pose of Klondike transportation. He will not have quite 
so much difficulty in finding a well-bred Newfoundland 
dog as he would in finding an Irish wolfhound, but by 
the time he secures 500 of the genuine brand he would 
need a good section of the Klondike to pay the expense, 
and he would not secure them in Newfoundland at that.. 
American Canoe Association, J 897-98. 
Commodore, F. L. Dunnell, Brooklyn, N. Y. 
Sec'y-Treas.' C. V. Schuyler, 309 Sixth avenue, Brooklyn, N. Y. 
Librarian, W. P. Stephens, Bayonne, N. J. 
rnRSERS. 
Atlantic Division, Wm. M. Carpenter, Maiii street, Sing Sing, 
N Y 
(Antral Division, Laurence C. Woodworth, Gouvcrneur, N. Y. 
Eastern Division, F. J. Burrage, West Newton, Mass. 
Northern Division, Edgar C. Woolsey, 37 Charles street,. Ottawa, 
Can. 
Annual dues, $1; initiation fee, ?1. 
Western Canoe Association, J 895-96. 
Commodore, C. F. Pennewell, Detr9it, Mich. 
Vice-Commodore, Nat. H. Cook, Chicago, 111. 
Rear-Coramodorc, E. TL Holmes, Milwaukee, Wis. 
Sec'y-Treas.. W. D. Stearns Detroit, Mich. 
Executive Committee: R. M. Lamp. Madison, Wis.; C. J. btead- 
man, Cincinnati, O.; F. W. Dickens, Milwaukee, Wis. 
The Royal C. C. 
The autumn meeting of this club was held &\ the club house oti 
the Island, Teddington Reach, on Nov. 13, ana was better attended 
than any similar meeting held for many years past, the following 
were elected officers lor the ensuing year: Com., 11. R. 11. the 
Prince of Wales; Capt., Mr. George Herbert; Mates, Messrs. B. 
de O. Ouincv (sailing) and E. W. Lewi.s (paddling); t^urser Mr. 
C. T. Wright; Cook, Mr. F. F. Tuckett; Auditor, Mr. O. V. 
Cooke; Secretary, Mr. A. C. Hamerton; Committee: Messrs. W. 
Baden-Powell, J. A. Niclioll, F. A. f^odewaldR. F. Lawson, Guy 
Ellington, C. C. Lvman, C. PI. Cooper, W. Stewart, J. P. Clarke. 
From the report which the secretary read it appeared that the 
whole amount necessary for the erection and fitting up of the club 
house had been found on debentures, and that the club was, with 
with that exception, now free from debt; that the number of new 
members elected during the vcar was equivalent to those elected 
during the two preceding years together, and far exceeded the 
average number over a period of year.s. -r, 1 m 
A proposal bv Mr. R. F. Lawson th;it the words m Rule /J4, com- 
pelling a racing c;moe's rudder to be hung abaft the stern, should 
be omitted was lost, as was an amendment to the same that an 
under-body rudder should be capable of being lifted above the keel 
line while the canoe was lying afloat. The motion by Mr. Percy 
Nisbet, "that with the object of uniting canoeists,^ and in view ot 
the expected visit of members of the Sydney C. C. to England in 
1898, this meeting instructs the secretary to put himself in commu- 
nication with the honorary secretary of the British Canoe Associa- 
tion, and endeavor to come to a mutual agreement whereby the 
Royal C. C. race week and British Canoe Association meeting 
should be held at the same time and in the same vicinity next 
year," was declared by the chairman to be out of order. A sugges- 
tion by him to the mover that the object in view might be attained 
by an amendment to the next motion as to venue was not adopted. 
The question of venue was discussed at great length, and several 
places were proposed^Oulton Broad, Hythe (near Southampton), 
Bembridge (in the Isle of Wight) and Plymouth. Of these the sec- 
ond and third received most support, and the final vole favored 
Bembridge, where a meet will consequently be held next year for 
the sailing challenge cup .and principal races. 
The next motion, which was in the form of a recommendation to 
the committee in framing the programme, was by leave of the 
meeting withdrawn. A motion by Mr. Linton Hope as to canoe- 
yawls was also withdrawn, and Mr. Baden-Powell's motion f9r a 
new classification for canoe-yawls~"That canoe-yawls be classified 
by rule worded exactly in like manner to the cruising canoe class, 
but all dimensions therein being taken at half more, i. c, multi- 
plied by 1.5, and adding after '.sleeping space' 'between two bulk- 
heads,' and a footnote that all canoe-yawls now complying with the 
R. C. C. rule be admitted without time allowance, so long as not 
altered in hull dimensions"— obtaining the requisite majority, was 
declared to be carried. . , , , r ,, 
Motions by Mr. B. deQ. Ouincy were carried for the following 
matters: Subscription for membership is raised from £1 to £1 Is.; 
power was given the committee to appoint subcommittees for spe- 
cial purposes, with power to add to them members of the club 
though not members of the committee. The quorum for an ordi- 
nary or special meeting was fixed at ten, and the majority neces- 
sary to carrv a resolution at such a meeting must be at least two 
to one; and the duty of settling dates, classes and courses for 
races, and of making such other rules and regulations relative to 
the same, was cast upon the committee; other motions having in 
view the restoration of rules for racing based on the Y. R. A. Year 
Book were on a division lost, as was also a motion for the meas- 
urement of depth outside in the cruising class being increased from 
1ft. from either end to 2ft. 
At the close of the meeting the chairman invited Mr. P. Nisbet 
to informally discuss the motion as to a joint meet with the B. C. 
A., and a lengthy and somewhat acrimonious discussion took 
place; but, as no resolution binding on the B. C. A. could be 
passed, the matter dropped and the meeting came to an end after 
lasting four hours and forty minutes. — 77(1? Field. 
A, C. A, Membership. 
Atlantic Division. 
George D. Terry, New York city. 
William R. Simpson, New York city. 
A SPECIAL meeting, of the Y. R. A. of Massachusetts 
will be held on Dec. 38 at the American Ilouse, Boston, 
to consider several amendments, the principal one being 
that relating to time allowance. It is proposed, by 
way of a compromise, to give allowance to the extent of 
one foot to all existing boats for the year 189S, abol- 
ishing all allowance after this year. The Burgess Y. C, 
at a recent meeting, decided, after a discussion of the 
matter, to vote against the further retention of allow- 
ance; this club voted for allowance at the previous meet- 
ing. 
The One-Design Schooner Class. 
The proposed class of one-design cruising schooners has taken , 
definite shape and promises to be a success; the idea having at- 
tracted a number of yachtsmen who are interested in something 
that affords room and comfort. The design has been completed by 
23. There ia nothing whatever of the fin or rreak type.s about the 
Messrs. Smith & Barbey, and was on view at their offices on Dec. 
proposed yacht, but she is a thoroughly modern craft in the matter 
of sheer and long ends, with 65ft over all on a l.w.I. of Ifift, an easy 
S section on a beam of 16ft. and a draft of but 6ft. Gin., a moderate- 
ly raked sternpost running down from the heel of keel, with ordi- 
nary rudder luing on it and a fair sweep from heel of keel to fore 
end of the l.w.I. and on into the fore overhang. The centerboard is 
so nearly below the floor as to avoid all interference with the in- 
terior arrangement, which is very good indeed; there i.s a long 
but low trunk cabin, giving full headroom, the main cabin makes 
up two berths on each side, with sofas in front, and there is a 
good stateroom on starboard side. The passage is just to port 
of the ccnterline, leaving space for toilet room and second state- 
room; at its fore end it turns so as to give direct access to a 
room for the captain. The forecastle and galley are roomy and well 
arranged. 
Though of but forty-six feet Lw^l^ with the modern, full lines 
and long ends and fairly light wood construction, the internal ac- 
Gommodation is about equal to that of the old type of schooner 
of 60ft l.w.I. The sail plan is handsome and shipshape, propor- 
tioned for the Sound in summer, but of moderate area. During 
the present week estimates will be had from builders, so that the 
exact cost may be known. This will certainly be very much under 
the cost of a single, yacht built to a private order, and offers a 
chance to yachtsmen to possess a thoroughly good modern yacht 
at a low first cost, with a certainty that she will hold her sale 
value for an indefinite time. If organized as a racing class, as 
the intention now is, the boats will give excellent sport among 
themselves, none the less so from the fact that they draw four 
feet less than the limit of draft adopted last season, and conse- 
tjuently are capable of cruising service in alT parts of the Sound. 
It is desirable that immediate arrangements he made for building 
in order that the boats may be ready by the opening of the season, 
the design is practically completed and in a very short time the 
committee will be in a position to award the contracts. Those in- 
tending to join the class should do .so at lii cearliest convenient 
tending to join the class should do so at the earliest eonvenient 
Jones, 130 Center St., New York. 
The FoKEST IKSD Stream is put to press each week on 
Tuesday. Correspondence intended for puhlicat'^cr-' 
should reach ws at the latest by Monday, and wia s 
earlier as practicable. 
The Fin-Keel in Cruising Types. 
New York, Dec. 20. — Editor forest and Stream: Answering Fin 
de Siecle, it seems to me that the sins of the fin are as nothing 
compared with the sins of the men that have used it in a stufiid 
way; surely the type is not to be blamed because designers build 
light displacement boats under the impetus of a rule which favors 
the type; neither are they to be blamed if on Lake Ontario the new 
22ft, class develops as great an abortion as yachting has yet seen. 
It will give me pleasure to submit a couple of designs for the 
. class, one showing a fast boat and the other more of a good boat, 
but before doing so shall wait for a complete set of the rules. 
Concerning the 21ft, knockabouts there are four points in the pub- 
lished description which seem very unfortunate. 
Fust — "The fin shall not be counted in the required weight of 
ballast, and no fin shall be less than i^ui. in thickness." From my 
experience the fin shall not be less than ^V4_^n. in tliickness, and 1 
tliink ought to be counted as a part of the required weight of bal- 
last, as otherwise if an owner puts in a good-sized fin he will have 
to carry considerable displacement to float it. 
Second— "Not over 400sq.ft. of actual sail area shall be in the 
mainsail." This sail plan will be unobjectionable when whole sail 
is carried perhaps, but will be very awkward tt> reduce and preserve 
a decent balance. 
Third— There are a lot of restrictions about freeboard, size oT 
timbers, planking, etc., also in regard to equipment of various 
kinds, all of which would be entirely unnecessary if a requirement 
of displacement had been made and a better yacht would have re- 
sulted. • 
Fourth— It seems to me a mistake of policy to make any differ- 
ence in ballast between the keel or centerboard boats, as such a 
difference will tend to produce a boat of less displacement. 
It makes me extremelv sad to see the endless amount of time 
spent by various yachtsmen on an attempt to secure a wholesome 
type oii'boat by means of roundabout restrictions, which can only 
indirectly perform their purpose. Witness the tremendous amount 
of work performed by W. P. Stephens in the tables of scantling 
submitted to the Lake Y. R. A., and adopted by them, which are 
good for but one tvpe of boat, and which are totally inadequate to 
make a strong boat of the kind that the rules adopted favor. I 
maintain that the very best results for yachting would be obtained 
both in design and construction if a certain displacement and .sail 
area were required for each load waterline length of yacht, this 
length to be measured when the yacht is inclined between an angle 
of 30 to 45 degrees. With such a rule absolutely everything would 
be accomplished that all of the rules that have been suggested 
could accomplish, attd manv additional desirable features brought 
in. ' Geo. Hill. 
YACHTING NEWS NOTES. 
Mr. Stuyvesant Wainwright, of the American Y. C, so well 
known in connection with the races of that club, has be,en dan- 
gerously ill at his home, Milton Point, for several weeks, but is 
now improving. 
There is something decidedly novel in the idea of a yacht de- 
signed in Brooklyn, N. Y., laid' down and framed in St. Louis. 
Mo., shipped in a box to Brooklyn, and erected and completed 
there. This, however, has recently been done in the case of a 
catbcat 27 ft. over all and 9ft. beam, a deep craft, with outside 
metal keel and a roomv cabin. She was designed by her owner, 
in Brooklyn, the drawings were sent to Fred Medart, the yacht 
and boat builder of St. Louis, and the entire frame, including 
garboards and sheerstrakes— in fact, everything but the balance of 
the planking, the deck plank and the cabin house — was got out. 
fitted and erected in St. Louis, and then knocked down and crated 
for shipment, the weight being 1009 lbs. After reaching its des- 
tination the frame was again set up, everything going together 
properly, the fastenings were driven and the yacht was completed 
very satisfactorily. The photos of the work show a very strong 
and light frame. Mr. Medart makes a specialty of this sort^ of 
work, furnishing complete frames for any kind of steam or sailing 
yacht, with all parts fitted and rabbets cut; crated for shipment to 
any point. 
At a meeting on Dec. 13 the Victoria Y. C, of Hamilton, Ont., 
resolved to recommend to local clubs in its yicinity the adoption 
of the following rule: "In all local races in the 27ft. and 22ft. 
classes, the area of immersed midship section be 20 and 12 per cent, 
respectively of the area of parallelogram of beam by draft,^ mclud- 
ing draft of centerboard when lowered to its lowest point." This 
excludes from the races the scow type of racing centerboard, such 
as Bonshaw, winner of the Brigger cup this year. 
At the annual meeting of the Atlantic Y. C. of Boston, on I^ec. 
14, the following were elected: Com., Edward W. Dixon; vice- 
corn., John F. Hayden; sec, E. F. O'Donnell; treas., M. J. Innn. 
Com. Dixon has he'd the office for eight years in succession. 
Fly, knockabout, has been sold by W. O. Gay, of Boston, to a 
Providence yachtsman. Mr. Gay may build a 21ft. knockabout un- 
.-^-T the new limit of 600sqft of sail. 
The Lawley cSr Son Go. has an order for a steam yaclit of 117ft 
•n'sr all, 95ft l.w.I.. 16ft beam and 7ft draft, to be designed by Mr. 
George Lawley. She will be built o£ wood. 
