Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1876-09-23
THE CENTENNIAL DOG SHOW.
Its Extent and VnTiety---VRlue of Some Anil
mails PreseRt---CuriOsities TO be Seen.


OF all the international gatherings,
conventions and congresses, special ex-
hibitions and side shows of this ceRten-
NAL year, the most curious is the dog
show open at the live stock exhibition
grounds at the Centennial, on Belmont
avenue. For the accommodation of the
canine wonders nine long sheds with
double rows of stalls are provided.
These stalls differ only from those ordi-
narily used for the exhibition OF cattle
at State or county fairs, in having their
floors placed two or three feet above the
ground. The dogs, singly, in pairs or
families, are chained or tied in their
places, and supplied with straw beds
and plenty of biscuit and water. There
are about six hundred of Il m here, of
all kinds, from the rough bulldog and
the common rat terrier TO the thorough
bred English or Irish setter, and the
slight and graceful italian greyhound; /;
and of all sizes, from the diminutive
toy black and-tan terrier to the massive
Siberian bulldog and the mild eyed
Newfoundlander.
Long before the visitor reaches the
show he is greeted with such a medley
of dog voices as he has assuredly never
heard before. From the deep bay of
the fox hound to the sharp yelp of the
terrier, from the full tone of the English
mastiff to the uncertain squeak of the
poodle, there are numerous gradations,
with variations for each mood of the dog
mind. The whining of some of the
petted lap dogs exposed to the cool
wind, as well as homesick, and perhaps
hungering for the dainty food to which
their fair owners have accustomed them,
is really pitiful.
Settlers are more largely represented
than any other variety of the dog race,
and there are many fine, highly bred
animals. There are some excellent red
Irish settlers, including a few that are
valued at 200 guineas apiece, and some
black -and-tan Gordon settlers so finely
marked that they would form fine sub,
jects for the animal painter. Many
English settlers are exhibited, and some
of them not only show the points of good
dogs, but have pedigrees of remarkable
extent Most noticeable among the
latter are two dogs recently imported
from England, late the property Of Ed
ward Laverack, of Shropshire. They
are descended from stock which Mr.
. Laverack obtained in 1925, and which il
was supposed had been pure for thirty
five years. He has kept continuous
) strain of pure bloodsin that time. Tht
pedigree of the dogs for nine genera
tions is shown, and the number O.
names in it is adapted to give person
an enlarged idea of the dimensions O
the graveyard which might contain the
} bones of his ancestors. Some wag ha:
burlesqued the pedigree mongers by
! issuing the prospectus of the full pedi
gree of a dog, giving its descent iron
one of the Biblical dogs that licked
Lazarus sores. There are comparative
{ ly few pointers, but some are good ami
mails. Some Irish terriers are shown O
+ a very high strain of blood, as may b.
$ judged from the price, 200 guineas il
| gold, asked for one or two OF the best
a Very curious in appearance are the Irisl
J water spaniels, with long curly topknot
g and shaggy ears. There are quite
t number of dachshunds, medium sizet
+ dog with singular crooked forelegs
0 Among the other CANNES are English 70:
= terriers, used to unearth the fox whel
e the hounds have run him into his bun
9 row; many Skye terriers, Scotch terriers
n black -and-tan terriers, poodles and la,
e dogs, Spitz dogs, Siberian bloodhounds
r fine English mastiff, English an
s italian greyhounds, Chesapeake ba
e duck dogs, vicious looking bull terriers
e English pug dogs, sheep dogs, and tw
t queer hairless Mexican hounds.
6 This is the first extensive dog sho'
J. ever held in this country. Such show
e have, however, been of pretty regula
J annual occurrence in England an
o France for some time past