f^Oni^ST AND STREAM. B5 
Ian'. lit), igod.j 
fabbits, but the inan who has the courage and en- 
durance to tramp over the Chester or Wasliington hills 
after a fox all day, hungry and footsore, but uncom- 
plaining, has been mastered by the charms of a pastime 
that is taken up only at rare intervals. The good 
iox hunter scours the woods for weeks, and he generally 
has dogs trained especially to follow his favorite game. 
In spite of the increase of hunters and guns, foxes seem 
as plentiful as ever in western Massachusetts, and the 
sport is followed with enthusiasm on the very outskirts 
of busy villages. Westfield is the center of a famous 
fox club, but the men who gather for the annual hunt 
are many of them inexperienced and join in the chase 
partly because there is a good crowd and a good dinner 
will follow. 
The expert fox hunter does not take a brass band 
and town meeting along. He seldom selects more thaa 
one companion, and will not tolerate more than two 
dogs. If these animals are well trained and the proper 
locality is selected, they are sure to start up a trail, and 
then comes the battle between the proverbial cunning 
of the fox and the resources of the skilled hunter. Usu- 
ally the fox moves in circles, perhaps around one hill 
and then another; but he does not follow fixed rules. 
For several hunts the game may cross from one moun- 
tain to another directly over the intervening knoll, but 
the next fox may break all precedent and skirt around 
the edge, so the hunter who has lain in wait on top watch- 
ing for the hard-pressed victim has to wait another hour 
until the baying grows louder and the agile fellow springs 
nimbly back, giving a chance for a shot. But this is only 
one of many plans the fox has to elude a hunter. Some- 
times he darts into a flock of sheep, and the frightened 
animals stampede, carryhig the disturber along so far 
TINKER BILL. 
that every trace of the scent is lost lor the dog, and 
the fox finds a chance to slip out unobserved. Another 
plan is to skip along a fence, and the average dog will 
be utterly baffled. 
Much depends on the dog, who must have pluck and 
perseverance, as well as intelligence and careful training 
to successfully follow a fox to 'the death. The well-bred 
fox hound will not be turned aside by the most tantalizing 
rabbit. He will not drop one fox because he finds another 
fatter and fairer one, but will stick to the heels of the 
first brush scented until the fatal shot is fired or until 
the exhausted master calls him off at night. No com- 
mon dog will do for the fox hunter. The animal must 
know just where the foxes are and be able to match 
cunning with a shrewdness that can adapt itself to unex- 
pected exigencies. The well-bred fox hound will not 
start away until the master is ready, he will not strike a 
false trail, and above all, he will bay constantly when in 
pursuit, a deep musical sound that stirs the blood in the 
sportsman and makes his nerves tingle as the volume 
increases with each note, indicating approaching game 
and a chance to shoot. The hunter will then study the 
locality and must know by instinct just the clump or log 
by which the hard-pressed fox will pass, and conceal 
himself near it. Louder and louder grows the baying, 
until there is a rustle, and a ball of fur bounds past. 
Then if you have an attack of "buck fever" and your 
arm is paraly.red until the fox gets by, the chances are 
that the dog will never give you another chance. He 
concludes yon do not mean business, and does nr-t pro- 
pose to run another hour for your amusement. Instead 
•of resuming the scent, he will probably slink off humili- 
ated. 
Among the successfifl fox hunters in Springfield are 
H, F. Downing:, Charles Bill, F. D. Foot. W. W. Col- 
burn and O. W. Niles. Rev. Dr. L. L. Potter was an 
enthusiast over this sport when he lived in Springfield, 
and no doubt gained inspiration for many a sermon 
while roaming over the hills and listening to the hounds. 
Rev. John Cuckson also shouldered a gun for this 
recreation occasionally. Becket has been a favorite ren- 
dezvous for the hunters, and on the register of the 
Claflin House are recorded the names of many of the 
jolly party. Invariably with the signatures of the hunt- 
ers appears the name of "Judge Tinker," but the "Judge" 
has slain his last fox. While known to the landlord and 
other admirers as Judge, from his gravity and wise look, 
to the ordinary sportsman Tinker was known as Tinker 
BiU, the best fox hound in the wide region. He hunted 
for eleven years, but finally met death under a Liberty 
Street electric car. Few dogs could excite such deep 
and widespread grief by their departure, and Tinker 
Bill was honored with an epitaph in verse. Tinker was 
owned by Charles Bill, who is an expert fox hunter, 
and in a singularly successful career the dog drove at 
least 200 foxes to their death. The dog was traine-d 
personally by Mr. Bill, and he possessed all the equip- 
ment and acconiplishments that nnt- could wish for hunt- 
ing. His body was black, his head and loping ears tan, 
and the tail that expressed emotions of pleasure or un- 
happiness so unmistakably, was also tan color. Tinker 
had a dignity that attracted attention everywhere. He 
liad eyes that seemed almost human, and an unusually 
well-filled brain. lie knew all the tricks of fox hunting, 
and with the first frosts he would grow excited and 
eager for the chase. He was usually obedient, but 
during the autumn days his fox fever would lead him 
to the depot in the hope of meeting some sportsman on 
his way to the western hills. Francis D. Foot met 
him when waiting this way at the station one day. 
Tinker bounded on the train and took a seat, certain that 
a hunt was planned. Bitt Mr. Foot shook his head and 
said, "No, Tinker; your master is not here, and we are 
not 'going hunting." The dog ui-iderstood at once, and 
promptly left the train. 
Perhaps the most remarkable case of intelligence at- 
tributed to Tinker was the fact that he understood what 
the word "dead" meant. Often when a fox had been 
particularly exasperating in the chase Mr, Bill would 
allow Tinker to take some satisfaction in shaking the 
captured creature, regardless of the danger of injuring 
the pelt. But when his master said, "The fox is dead, 
Tinker," the dog invariably stopped his sport. Tinker 
had as a companion a collie dog named Prince, whom he 
ofter wore out in a chase. During Tinker's absence at 
Groton, Conn., Prince died, and when Mr. Bill brought 
the fox hound back to this city he wondered if the loss 
of the companion would be understood. He first asked, 
"Tinker, where is Prince?" and the dog banted the 
premises for his old comrade without success. Then 
he said, "You won't see Prince again; he is dead," and 
Tinker seemed to grasp the meaning at once, for he crept 
oS to the barn, and lying down, refused to be comforted 
for hours. 
Once, when Tinker thought it was time to begin fox 
hunting again, he started from Groton to Springfield, and 
stopped at Norwich, where he knew Mr, Bill's brother 
lived. The crowded streets puzzled him, and to find 
Mr. BiU the dog started out in a most intelligent way. 
Tie knew the letter carriers' uniform, and had watched 
the post office employes bring the mail. So he followed 
the firft letter carrier he met, hoping each stop would 
bring him to Mr. Bill. But the carrier was on a differ- 
ent rrute, and this plan failed. Then he found a night 
patrolman, and after he had fcllowed him a time the 
officer guessed what was wanted, and helped the dog 
to his masters brother. Tinker knew a tame fox from a 
wild one, a distinction other hunting dogs can make. 
Mr. Bill had several tame foxes which had the trouble- 
some habit of running away. Invariably Tinker was 
started on the trail, and would not only run them down, 
iiut would hold them down carefully with his paws until 
Mr. Bill could take the animal without being bitten. 
Tinker had endurance that was remarkable, and had the 
record of running many a companion hound lame, while 
lie turned up fresh for a third or fourth day's hunt. 
Chapters of stories could be told of him, and he will 
be the subject of reminiscence for groups of fox hunters 
in years to come. 
Judge Kelly oh Dogs* 
Jack, the big black Newfoundland dog, for years the 
constant companion of Judge William Louis Kelly, of the 
district court, figures prominently in a decision rendered 
yesterday by Judge Kelly. Jack and the Judge loved each 
other. For many years Jack was almost daily at the 
court house, stretched out on his favorite rug in the 
judge's chambers, or curled up under the bench in the 
court room when the Judge was holding court. Jack died 
not long ago, and so when Judge Kelly came to decide a 
dog case, it is little wonder that Jack's shaggy head and 
big pleading eyes came between the Judge and law books. 
George P. Smith's Great Dane, Maud S., was killed by 
a street car Sept. 3 at Grand and Lexington avenues. Mr. 
Smith sued the street car company for $250 damages, and 
received a verdict for $50, which the street car company 
seeks to have set aside. Judge Kelly refuses to set it aside, 
and he refuses a new trial. It is in the memorandum 
accompanying this order that he proves himself a cham- 
pion of dogs. 
Tag Makes no Difference. 
One of the points made by the street car company in 
defense of the suit was that the dog was not licensed and 
did not wear a collar or a muzzle, as the law requires. 
The judge holds that the street car company is not 
charged with the police duty of the city, nor can its em- 
ployes constitute themselves high executioners of animals, 
four-footed or otherwise. 
The Judge was cited to a case in the United States 
Supreme Court, in which the dog law of the country is 
collected, but he holds that it does not apply to this case, 
as it is based on a statute different from the Minnesota 
statute. Continuing, the Judge says : 
"At the risk of going out of the record I am impelled 
to notice that the learned court, when discussing the dog 
generally, has fallen into an error much too common. It 
says : 'Although dogs are ordinarily harmless, they pre- 
serve some of their hereditarjr wolfish instincts.' The dog 
— man's first, last, truest and' most unselfish friend — is no 
more descended from the wolf than is man from the 
monkej'. It is a distinct species, of which the shepherd's 
dog is probably the primitive stock. Aside from the 
testimony of the naturalist, there is another proof. There 
never was and never will be a dog evolved from a domesti- 
cated wolf. Vicious and abandoned dogs may become wild 
and wolfish — so may A-icious and abandoned men. 
"While the memory of Jack — my silken-haired, gentle- 
eyed, trusted friend and companion for over ten years — 
keeps green, I must defend his lineage from an error, even 
though obiter dictum of the highest court in the land." — 
St. Paul Pioneer Press, Jan. ll, j; 
Sotd lits Beagles. 
Aden, Va., Jan. 10. — The little ad I put in Forest and Stream 
bi ought me letters from all over the United States, and T of course 
will come again, when I have any more beagles to sell. 
NXAI. RSADZMO, 
Death of Dan's Lady, 
MtJNciE, Ind., Jan. 15— Editor Forest and Stfeani: 
The English setter Dan's Lady is dead— died Dec. 10, 
1899. She was the peer of her sex— a winner in five field 
trials, ancl more recently noted as being the dam of the 
successful field trial winners, Dave Earl, Albert Lang, 
Lady's Count, Count Danstone, Lady's Count Gladstone 
and Uncle B. Dan's Lady was a high class individual, and 
in the course of her field trial career, during which she 
started in five races, she was placed over the greatest cam- 
paigners of her time, among them champion Count Glad- 
stone IV., AUene, Betty S., Eugene T,, Gleam's Sport_, 
Gleam's Pink, Minnie T., Topsy's Rod and Lilliart 
Russell. 
She was bred by Blue Ridge Kennel, bought as a puppy 
by Theo. Goodman, Terre Haute, Ind., and completed her 
field trial career while owned by Mr. Goodman. 
She was bought in April, 1896, by myself, and since 
that time, being bred to Count Gladstone IV., has pro- 
duced Lady's Count, Count Danstone and Lady's Count 
Gladstone. She was in whelp to Harwick at time I 
bought her, and from that litter came Uncle B,, Dave 
Earl and Albert Lang, being of the litter sired by Count 
Gladstone IV., prior to my purchase of Lady from Mr. 
Goodman. 
Dan's Lady, whelped May 14, 1891, was sired by Dan 
Gladstone (champion Gladstone — champion Sue), out of 
Lily Burgess (champion Gath's Mark — Esther), her 
breeding being remarkable in that her sire, dam and all 
four of her grandparents were field trial winners — she 
being indeed a member of the royal family. 
G. G. Williamson. 
Cross Bills in New Yofk City. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
On Sunday, Jan. 14, I saw, as I happened to glance up 
from my work, three or four birds fly into the branches 
of a hemlock tree not far from my window. At first I 
took them to be English sparrows, but as my eye hap- 
pened to rest on them for an instant after they had 
alighted, I saw them bend their heads in working at the 
ends of the twigs in a manner that showed they were 
not sparrows, but crossbills. 
It is many years since I have seen these birds within 
the city limits, which I believe they visit only at long 
intervals, and procuring a glass I began to watch them, 
and kept this up so long as they remained in the tree. 
Both species were represented, and all ages and sexes, in 
the seventy-five to one hundred birds that were feeding on 
the hemlock cones. At one time I saw three especially 
handsome and fuU-plumaged males of L. leucoptera, and 
two of L. curvirostra minor, in like dress. Females and 
young of both species were very numerous. 
It w'iW be remembered that Sunday opened bright and 
sunshiny, and that it began to snow heavily about noon, 
the snow changing to fog and rain during the afternoon. 
The hour at which the crossbills were seen was between 
3 and 4 P. M., and the place was on iS/th street, west of 
Broadway, Manhattan, New York City. G, 
United States Field Trials. 
' Trenton, Tenn., Jan. 14. — Editor Forest and Stream: 
Owing to the prevalence of smallpox at West Point, Miss.,. 
/ the United States Field Trial Club's annual trials wall be^ 
'' run at Grand Junction, Tenn. 
W. B. Stafford, Sec'y-Trea$. 
American Ganoe Association, J 899- J 900. 
Commodore, W. G. MacKendrick, 200 Eastern avenue Toronto 
Can. ' 
Secretary-Treasurer, Herbert Begg, 24 King street, Toronto, Can 
Librarian, W. P. Stephens, Thirty-second street and avenue A 
Bayonne, N. J. 
Division Officers, 
ATLANTIC DIVISION. 
Vice-Corn., H. C. Allen, Trenton, N. J. 
Rear-Corti., Lewis H. May, New York. 
Purser, Arthur H. Wood, Trenton, N. J. 
CENTRAL DIVISION. 
Vice-Corn.. John S. Wright, Rochester, N. Y. 
Rear-Com., Jesse J. Armstrong, Rome, N. Y. 
Purser, C. Fred Wolters, 14 East Main street, Rochester, N. Y:. 
EASTERN DIVISION. 
Vice-Corn., Frank A. Smith, Worcester, Mass. 
Rear-Com., Louis A. Hall, Boston, Mass. 
Purser, Frederick Coulson, 405 Main street, Worcester. Mass. 
NORTHERN DIVISION. 
Vice-Corn., J. McD. Mowatt, Kingston, Ont., Can. 
Rear-Com., E. C. Woolsey, Ottawa, Ont., Can. 
Purser, J. E. Cunningham, Kingston, Ont., Can. 
WESTERN DIVISION. 
Vice-Com., Wm. C. Jupp, Detroit, Mich. 
Rear-Com., F. B. Huntington. Milwaukee. Wis. 
Purser, Fred T. Barcroft, 40S Ferguson Building, Detroit, Mich 
Regatta Committee: R. Easton Burns, Kingston, Ont., Cau 
chairman; Herbert Begg, Toronto; D. B. Goodsell, Yonkers, N. v! 
Meet of 1900, Muskoka Lake Aug. 3-17. 
Official orgari, Forest and Stream. 
Fixtures. 
MarcJi, 
10. Meeting of Canoeists at Sportsmen's Show, New York. 
May. 
26-31. Atlantic Division meet. Park Island. 
August. 
3-17. A. C. A. meet, Muskoka. 
A. C. A. Membership 
ApptiCATlON for membership may be made to the purser of ihe 
division in which the applicant resides on blanks furnished • 
Eurser, the applicant becoming a member provided no obied'-n 
e made within fourteen days after his name has been officia'",- 
published in the Forest and Stream. 
Atlantic Division. — Henry Escher, Jr., Brooklyn; T. M. Lovclt, 
Trenton. N. J.; Harry E. Davis, Philadelphia, 
