The San Francisco call., 1898-05-18
DOCS WILL BE DANDIES TO-DAY San Francisco's Bench Show to Open at the
 Pavilion.
Competitors All Sanguine of Victory at the Hands of
 the Judge.
John L. Cunninghan's Magnificent Par ot Great Danes in
 the Entries,

The bench show opens to-day At precisely 2 p. m. Judge Bell win step into the ring, and the aristocratic ca2 hines will be called before him by breeds and classes. The prizes will be awarded without fear or favor, and the first-prize winners in each class of a breed will meet in the winners class to determine which dog can claim the proud distinction of being the best of the respective breed.
 The ribbons bestowed on competitors are of different colors, which carry the following significance:
 Blue denotes first prize in the class.
 Red denotes second prize in the class. White denotes third prize in the class. Yellow denotes a special prize.
 Red, white and blue betoken the vic tory in the winners class This is the emblem to gain which is the acme of the dogman's ambition.
 So to-day the show opens, and the city's charities will benefit by the San Francisco Kennel Clubs humane gen. erosity in the exact ratio that the city's public will patronize the exhibition The number of dogs shown this year has been exceeded but once on this coast, and by few entries only, and that was on the occasion of last year s show. On the other hand in quality of exhibits. this show surpasses all others.
 ]. V. Geary, the treasurer of the Pa Cfic Mastiff Club, requests a correction of a misstatement that appeared yes terday in one of our contemporaries. He is not the owner of the mastiff bitch Rosa Bell, but of Juno, which captured the prize in the puppy class at last years show.
 Of the Great Danes the property of John L. Cunningham. Ivan, the dog. has not been shown of late. He Is in the challenge class, and until tenn porarily withdrawn from the circuit met with almost uninterrupted success. Champion Juanita's record of successes is absolutely unbroken, and last year in a record class of Danes she scored the brilliant triumph of receiving the special for best of the breed at the San Francisco show.
 MT. Cunninghams dogs will meet with competition of the keenest this year. for Charles Dresser's Czar and Mrs. Roncovieri's Rex R will dispute the supremacy with them.
 The Verona kennels. too, may have a harder fight on their hands than they anticipate E. V. Sullivan's settlers, conditioned by that prince of handlers, George Allender, are in prime fettle, and as for collies, the entry list speaks for itself.
 4 great amount of interest centers in
 
 hounds. Dr. McNutt, whether winner or loser. will be pleased at the pros pect of competition, the lack of which he has so long deplored.
 The rivalry of Mrs. Grace and MT. Attredge in Yorkshire terriers will be closely watched. The latter is a new conner in bench show matters, but his dogs are good and he has the knowl- edge of a veteran in regard to grooming and conditioning.
 Mir. Hickman's foxterrier puppy, Count Othmar. is in the pink of condi- ton. as is also his bitch, Dauntless White Violet They will be two good ones in a remarkably fine class.
 George Bell. the judge. arrived last night from New York He says that the Mechanics Pavilion will accommodate nearly four times as many dogs advan- tageousiy as Madison Gardens in New York. MT. Bell is delighted with the dec orations and the arrangements made for the reception of the canine host and pre- diets a big success. The prevailing tenor of the decorations are the Cuban colors intertwined with the stars and stripes.
 Emmet Sullivan has entered sixteen of his finest dogs. The management de- sires to state that all dogs entered must be on the bench by F o'clock to-day. and not on the 18th, though a typographical error caused the premium list to read hr