Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1900-01-27

/ teen pounds each being the extreme
the the best hounds reach, and the
Scottish deerhounds are some few
pounds lighter and smaller generally.
There is q crossbred Continental dog
known as the Leonberg, which bears a
reputation for bigness, but any speci-
mems seen in this country are almostI
diminutive when placed alongside our
biggest st. Demands. Some of the Py-
renean so called "sheepdogs," so far as
seize is concerned, compare favorably
with our largest dogs, and a few years
ago, in 1891, the well-known London
dealer, Wilson, bought a fine specimen
of what he called an Afghan sheepdog
for rs to see 1t stood hard on to 80
inches at the shoulders, and looked
what It actually was, pretty well the
tallest dog we ever saw, but it was by
no means the heaviest.
Our English mastiffs take but a sec
ondardy place with regard to height,
but their massive bodies and big bones
enable them to come out better, so far
as weight is concerned. and dogs up to
$50 pounds. and even 10 pounds, are
not unknown, although we imagine that
of late years this variety has, by inter-
breeding and other causes, somewhat
deteriorated in size, as Il has certainly
done in general excellence.
Although when the ST. Bernard was
first introduced to this country the
. best specimens were not OF abnormal
dimensions, they were large dogs,
though the best of them were certainly
not more than from 40 pounds to $50
pounds in weight. The famous Barry,
of the hospice, who, by reason Of his
saving the lives of so many travellers
lost in the snow, made the breed ia
nous did not weigh more than 100
pounds; and Albert Smiths pair Of
Ccgs, which he brought from Switzer-
land about 1850 to assist him in his
popular entertainments, seemed to be
I little, IL any, heavier. However. by a
special process, which is worked out
by selection of the fittest. and by ex-
ira care in rearing and feeding, the St
Bernard has waxed and increased
greatly in size, until he stands we'll out
2 from all other varieties as the giant oil
the canine race. e.. taking height
? and weight into consideration, fol
!, there are and have been taller dog:
than he. As the Goliath of dogs, ii
1884 Rev. A. Carter introduced Plinlim
mon, who lowered high above any Of
ured he stood 33k inches high at tn,
shoulders, and weighed in his natura
-, and not too obese state. 210 pounds
I This fine specimen Of the ST. Bernard
7 was eventually purchased for abou
Z G 500 by the late j. X. Emmett, well
Z known American actor. in whose pos
q session the great dog died But a big
y ger st. Bernard than Plinlimmon wa
u introduced three years later, this beinl
. +. II. Green's Sir Bedivere, who, be
G sides being his equal in height, exceed
ed him by two or three pounds II
: weight Lord Butte was even half al
II inch higher at the shoulders than ST
a Bedivere; when with us he weighe
y but 200 pounds, though after he ha
II sojourned a few weeks in America h
y was said to scale 220 pounds state
1 ment which, to say the least, was c
q doubtful truth. Later there did come
i heavier dog, or rather, two heavie
Is dogs, than either Pinlimmon or 81
s. Bedivere, and in 1897 Mr.. SAINTS Lor
s. Brassey scaled the immense weight {
n 234 pounds, while Mr.. Ralph's Duke {
.. Firmont, who fiOurished about tn
81 same period. was but some half a doze
70 pounds less. It is not often the I,
ps males Of the larger varieties Of the do
H. approach the males in size, but a nofs
s. bic exception is the case Of the eel,
in brated Princess Florence, who weighe
H. PIP pounds, and she obtained her emo
90 nous size and height, length of bac
be and great frame generally. The lai
Id n. j. Betterton's smoot dog Watch wa
so a little over 200 pounds in weight bi
a he did not look nearly so big, and "
* imagine that the biggest dog of II
us present day is Messrs. Inman an
he Walmsleys smooth dog Parsival. WI
m must scale we'll over the 200-pound. H
Is Of great height and possesses emo
d. mouse bone and unusual depth of rib
he Perhaps there may be owners WI
mt will claim for their dogs equality
ed maybe excess in weight over such I
e- have been mentioned in this articl
I'D Cur examples. have, however. obtaint
rs more or less celebrity in their line, an
OF having done so, thus become more
ed less public characters, and therein Il
en- interest lies Moreover, they enable I
~ 20 tell what big dogs are, of the
ed weiChts and heights. and TO draw a
no tention to the fact that dogs mo
n than a yard high" are as mythical
ci- such as are said to be "as big
w donkevs" and our readers are assure
On that when they are mentioned, the r
~, mancist is at work. and illusions
'ut such fabulous specimens of the can't
In race must be taken as travellers tai
Ter and as examples Of exaggeration.
lr- London Field, .,f- =