May 25, 1901.I 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
411 
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Fixiures. 
Se|)t. 2-5.— Toronto, Can.^Dog show of the Toronto Industrial 
Exhibition. W. P. Fraser, Sec'y. and Supt. 
Men and Dogs. 
San Francisco, Cal., May 11. — Editor Forest and 
Sfream: The annual bench show of the San Francisco 
Kenne! Club in progress at Mechanics' Pavilion, ^San 
Francisco, May 8, 9, 10, 11, proved very successful and 
generally satisfactory. A greater number of dogs have 
been entered and exhibited in former years, but the en- 
tries have never before averaged as well in class selection. 
Many more dogs were brought from distant and Eastern 
kennels than in any year heretofore. 
The officers of the dub are: A. B. Sprecwles, President; 
John E. de Ruyter, First "Vice-President; Henry J. 
Crocker, Second Vice-President; J. P. Norman, Secre-r 
tary-Treasurer; Captain C. B. Knocker, Delegate tO 
American Kennel Club. The bench show committee in 
charge are Dr. F. W. d'Evelyn (chairman), N. H. Hick- 
man, W. S. Kittle, J. P. Norman and E. Courtney Ford. 
Judges, J. J. Lynn, of Port Huron; Henry Jarfett, of 
Philadelphia, and John Bradshaw. 
The show has demonstrated, as do many other events 
in field sports of late years, that the west coast is neither 
far behind nor notably isolated from those Eastern or 
European centers that were wont to pose as encompass- 
ing the best and most of everything in high class and 
professional expositions. The growth of population, 
development of western resources, and improved trans- 
portation service have reduced the stretches of plains 
and the mountain barriers until San Francisco is not so 
very remote, and the great realms, California, Oregon 
and Washington, are really identified with the United 
States. North America is not nearly as vast and vague 
as it used fo be when there were more buffaloes than 
men in Kansas, and more grizzlies than dogs in Cali- 
fornia. It looks quite neighborly when many people 
bring dogs from New York and New Jersey to win z 
bit of commendation and blue or red ribbon for them 
in San Francisco. Three thousand miles are not 4is for- 
midable as they used to be. 
There is the touch of nature that makes the world 
akin in the incident of men from distant points sollect- 
ing at some rendezvous to compare, discuss and admire 
Hogs. The dail}^ newspapers send their technical pen- 
cilers to the dog .shows and give the public, which does 
not read much of it, all the pedigree, record and expert 
lore that can be put into miles of type. If an introduc- 
tory preamble is undertaken it is usually an effort at 
humor, and the noblest animals of their kind are de- 
scribed as bow-wows, canine orchestras, baj'-ers of the 
moon, blue-blooded and high-priced barkers, etc. 
Dog fanciers themselves do not often contemplate- the 
animals from any very elevated standard, but rather from 
fancied professional distinctions that the best friends of 
the animals seldom comprehend or study. A dog may 
have all the fine technical points of outward show, but 
in reality be inferior in every com.mendable trait to some 
unmarked and seemingly insignificant dog that has never 
a hope to be decorated with medal, ribbon or pedigree, 
or an3'thing but a flying brickbat or an ignoble pound- 
master's seine. Nevertheless the men who establish ken- 
nels and talk pedigrees, points, coats and whatnot, who 
originate and carry out exhibitions, make rules and fix 
.standards and adjudge awards, are the great systematic 
benefactors of the faithful animals. 
Contemplated from an unprofessional point of view, 
one that may not be without its advantages, a dog show 
is not the least wonderful nor the least profitable exhibi- 
tion in the world. Here are many hundreds of the ani- 
mals of every notable strain, brought originally from 
every inhabited corner of the earth. They have been 
redeemed, or at least changed from a natural wild state 
and adopted or domesticated by men of all time and every 
race as companions, slaves and friends. They are car- 
nivorous creatures whose progenitors depended upon 
other living creatures that they could catch by strategy, 
or by "suprior intelligence or speed, and must all ha;'! 
been ferocious and pitiless in their battles for subsist 
ence and life. 
Their intelligence, improved by contact with mankind 
and the universal protection of their superior fellow crea- 
ture, has developed them into the most docile, exemplary 
and faithful of dumb brutes. How many millions of them 
have lived their brief lives and passed with the genera- 
tions of man in the world, and how vast has been their 
contribution to human welfare, who will compute? 
The children that have grown to manhood or woman- 
hood without the affection and companionship of one or 
more of these creatures, have missed something worth 
having in life. They have been companions, defenders, 
protectors, slaves — and the faithfulest of friends to 
princes and paupers, to the wise and the ignorant. They 
have been fought for by warriors, caressed and protected 
by kings and queens, and eulogized by the best intellects 
and the greatest of thinkers and poets of all time. 
Who has no admiration and feeling for the faithful 
animals can be neither sincere in religion nor notably 
human in character. Considering the enormous number 
of dogs in the world, their affiliation with the many pur- 
suits and conditions of mankind, how rarelj' do they per- 
mit their brutality to manifest itself unless provoked 
beyond endurance, to the injury of any. Mankind him- 
self often feel humiliated by the contrast of examples. 
There is scope for sentiment — for what the hard, prac- 
tical spirit of the times in which we live may call whim- 
sical fancies— in the contemplation of an assemblage of 
dogs. Here are six or seven hundred of the animals 
placed in stalls or cages littered with fresh straw. They 
are chained or tethered with little chance to move about, 
even to stretch themselves. There are but a dozen or so 
of them placed beyond the reach of the throngs of spec- 
tators. For many hours each day the patient creatures, 
accustomed to freedom and activity, are submissively ap- 
proached, aroused, ogled, whistled' to. talked fo, caressed 
aggressive of animals — men, women and children. They 
are in direct contact wnth people, most of them entirely 
strange to them and many of them merely curious with- 
out any tact or appreciation. People approach them in 
every possible fashion, speak to them in all tones. The 
sensitive animals quickly recognize the friendly, the in- 
different, and those of them who do not like dogs. The 
creatures of the highest earthly intelligence are arrayed 
in all sorts of raiment and color, with all sorts of orna-^ 
mentation, and carrying canes, shawls, parasols and 
packages. The inferior creatures are as nature made 
them — naked and unadorned. They are subject to the 
trying ordeal of being familiarly approached, inspected, 
commented upon, caressed, handled and diverted by a 
thousand annoyances without a chance to evade or 
escape. 
And yet, under it all, it is seldom that a kind word 
to any one of them is not responded to with a beaming, 
happy look, a joyous wag of the tail or a ready greeting 
that no other dumb creature can express so well. There 
is a gleam of pleasure and assurance in the eyes of a 
dog, thus responding to a word of kindness, that has 
made mankind better for its existence. It is, and always 
will be. the best kind of a compliment to the virtue in 
the tone of the human voice, A dog may wag his tail 
to many OA-erturcs, but he has an expression in his eyes 
for his friends that is not conventional or affected. His 
instinct will not lead him astraj'. 
Some human philosopher, with broad, wholesome pow- 
ers of observation and expression, ought some time to 
-create a book upon the dog, doing him and all his tribe 
great honor. Such an historian would glean information 
for a very thick book, for his work would necessarily 
comprise notes from many lands, and of many races of 
dogs and nien. Beyond all his other participation in the 
affairs of mankind, the dogs' intimate association with 
sportsmen from the day and generation of Esau to the 
■present time would afford a wide field from which to 
glean tributes to the greatness of both these sportsmen 
and hunters. It would be difficult to conceive of a real 
sportsman who had not received inspiration, pleasure 
and profit from the faithful dog. While there is genuine 
appreciation and gratitude in the world the dog should 
not lack for it from any man who has thoughts beyond 
and above leather and prunella. 
Charles L. Patge. 
A R«n with Florida Hounds* 
Grand Rapids, Mich. — I spent the winter in Florida and 
had sport of various kinds — duck, quail and dove shoot- 
ing, fishing and some sport following the hounds. The 
latter may not have been strictly legitimate sport, but it 
was field sport, however. I inclose photos of the "game" 
after the hounds had him treed. This was a practice run 
for the hounds; it was taken at Palatka; the photos were 
A RUN WITH FLORIDA HOUNDS. 
taken by " myself, and although I am an amateur, they 
were successful. The "game" was a- convict taken from 
jail and allowed an hour start. The hounds w-ere put on 
his track and furnished as rich music as any fox hound. 
This run gives the hounds practice and also gives the 
man much needed exercise. Claude Sintz.. 
[Subsequently to the writing of this note by our corre- 
spondent, the hounds referred to were put on the trail of 
two murderers at Hastings, near St. Augustine, and 
trailed them to their hiding place in the woods, and the 
men have since been tried and convicted.] 
He Took the Dogf* 
There was once a crowd of boys sitting on the grotmd 
in a circle, and in the middle sat a strange dog. An old 
gentleman happened along at that time and asked them 
what they were doing. They said they were telling hunt- 
ing stories, and the one that told the biggest lie got the 
dog. The old gentleman said that wasn't right, as when 
he was a 3-oung man they never told lies about hunting. 
One youngster then spoke up and said, "Give him the 
dog." C. W. V. 
Tofonto Dogf Show» 
Toronto, Can., May 16.— The Toronto Industrial Ex- 
hibition Dog Show will be held in connection with the 
exhibitiofi on .^ept. f, 3, 4 and S next. 
' "yv, jp, Eraser, Sec'j^ and Bnp, 
— * — 
Notice. 
All communications intended for Forest and Stream should 
always be addressed to the Forest and Stream Publishing Co., and 
not to any individual connected with the paper. 
'Mid Reef and Rapid —XI. ^ 
BY F. K. WEBB. 
It stopped raining some time in the night, and morning 
broke with a sky obscured with low-hanging, leaden- 
colored clouds drifting athwart the sky, in whose somber 
folds the mountain tops were shrouded from our view, 
and under which the river flowed darkling, sullen and 
forbidding. 
Every indication pointed to a rainy day, and we were 
strongly tempted to remain quietly in camp all day, but 
we were due at Bear Lithia Springs in the evening, where 
we were invited to stop for a day or so, as the guests 
of the management, and as Bear Lithia was a good day's 
cruise on the present scant water, an early start was neces- 
sary, so we turned out at s o'clock as usual and made 
preparations for resuming the cruise, in case the rain did 
not catch us before we got off. , 
In order to guard against this contingency as much as 
possible, the tents were struck at once, and the blankets, 
mattresses, clothes, bags, etc, packed and stowed away 
before the rain came on, as it is difficult to take down the 
tents, pack the blankets, etc., in a rain without getting 
them wet, after which we addressed ourselves to the task 
of getting breakfast. A fire was speedily started in the 
camp stove. George, who is chief of the firewood bureau, 
had thoughtfully placed his little stack of firewood under 
the mess table the night before, where it was protected 
from the rain, and in a short time we were doing justice 
to an ample breakfast of fried bass, bacon, soft-boiled 
eggs, biscuits and coffee. 
While the boys were polishing up the club plate and 
packing the kitchen outfit, I prepared a plentiful lunch of 
cold ham, tongue, hard-boiled eggs, cheese, biscuits and 
butter, which, with a bottle of pickles and a couple of 
lemons, were stowed in the mess chest. 
We were well known here, and this was one of our 
supply stations, and while we were chatting with old 
Mr. Kyger, who had hobbled painfully down the long, 
steep hill on his canes to have a talk Avith us, a colored 
servant came down the hill, bringing with her a big 
basket containing a fresh supply of biscuits, lard, butter 
and eggs, which had been spoken for the evening before, 
and which wdre duly stowed away in the various bags, 
cans, buckets, etc., provided for that purpose. 
"Now tell me," the old gentleman asked, after a little 
further weather and crop conversation, "what do you men 
iliake these trips for? Are you surveyors or exploring the 
river, or just fishin'. or what?" 
The average rural inhabitant finds it hard to satisfac- 
torily account for our cruises. To his practical mind the 
idea of three or four grown men undertaking such a trip 
in business hours and just for fun, is incomprehensible, 
and many and various, as well as ludicrous, are the 
hypotheses advanced from time to time in explanation. 
One bare-footed rustic back up on North River took us 
lorpeddlers, stating in explanation that he had noticed two 
or three pairs of socks in a bag, evidently being quite at 
a loss to understand what any one man could possibly 
want with so many socks. Another popular theory is 
that we are rimning a race, .or working out a bet or 
w^ager of some kind, while the most commonly accepted 
explanation is that we are traveling photographers, and 
as the average rustic is fond of having his picture taken, 
we would not suffer fof lack of business if such were 
really the object of our trips. George generally obliges 
them by taking a shot with his kodak at the numerous 
family groups brought into our various camps from time 
to time for that purpose, with the inquiry for "The feller 
that takes the picters." 
They are usually greatly mystified when they learn that 
no charge is made, as well as disappointed when he 
laboriously explains that he cannot open the camera then 
and there and take out the finished picture, and that all 
the finishing and printing is done after his return home in 
the fall, and that it will be a couple of months or so before 
they will get their pictures. 
Another amusing feature is the general distrust of our 
diminutive, fragile looking boats on the part of the afore- 
said average rustic, the general consensus of opinion 
being that "I don't want to take no chances in them there 
dad-blamed little punkin seeds of boats; gimme a good 
ol' scow, like that 'n' thar" (indicating the usual 
ubiquitous 20ft. wooden punt), "an' a good pole an' that's 
good's I want." 
We were on the point of packing the mess chest, kitchen 
ware and mess table in the canoes which still lay on the 
bank, where they had lain during the night, and launching 
them and resuming the cruise, when the rain came down 
with a soft, gentle patter on the broad sycamore leaves 
overhead, and shimmered grayly on the wide, flat surface 
of the river, so we tightly closed our canoe hatches, with 
the heavy, oiled canvas^ aprons drawn well over the space 
-for the crews, relighted our pipes, donned our long rub- 
'ber coats and rubber hats, and prepared to sit it out where 
we were. There is no better out-of-door protection from 
the rain than that afforded bv the canoes when arranged 
for bad weather. 
With all hatches tightly closed, apron pulled well up 
over the breast, and rubber, canvas or gossamer cape but- 
toned tight and high up around his neck under the ample 
sou'- wester hat, and coming well down over the apron and 
hatches in front of and all around him, the canoeist can 
bid-defiance to the heaviest rains as long as he staj^s in his 
canoe, but if there is much getting out and in to do, with 
the consequent opening up of apron and hatches, he is 
apt to get wet from the hips down, as well as sure to get 
the inside of the canoe, including mattress seat, wet also. 
So, wdiile we might easily have resumed the cruise re- 
gardless of the rain, even had it been much heavier than 
it was (for it was light and gentle), as we had the Shaver 
mill dam to portage but a mile below, we decided to sit 
out the rain where we were rather than embark aTi4 bfl 
oWip4 \9 msHe t^e portage ' 
