The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-05-26
VAluABLR DOE n
Mere Than a million Donnra' worth
% DOEa and kennel Preserves
On T~enneaaee.

.
Tennessee is the great ~wintering
state Of America for the finest bred
sporting dogs Of the world. Mississippi
pi stands second in the number of ken
nels and value of dogs. There are dogs
in Tennessee worth a kings ransom,
and some Of them could not be pur-
chased for any, amount Of money from
their millionaire owners. The value Of
the several hundred kennels in Tennes-
see, the dogs and land belonging to
them, has recently been estimated at
$4,000 by Charles Sturdivant, of
Stanton, who is the trainer and keeper
of the George Gould and Lorillard dogs.
Under the laws of Tennessee a dog has
no property value, and no license is nee
| essary. Nor can damages be enforced
for the accidental death of a fine dog
though his value in the fields runs as
high as $4,000. The owners and train-
ers are now at work to secure the pas
sage Of a bill to tax all dogs in Tonnes
see, thereby giving them a property
value in the courts.
The greatest kennel in the worlds
located at Hickory valley, under the
personal management of J.. NJ. Avent,
who is recognized as the foremost
trainer and authority in the sporting
world. It is owned by a company Of
New York, st. Louis and Tennessee
fnanciers. There are $4,000 acres of
land owned and leased by this company.
These men are rich, for only men Of
wealth can keep up such a preserve.
Mr.. Avent says that the section m
bracing southern Tennessee and north
ern Mississippi is the natural training
center of the world. There are more
quail to be found in the marsh lands
of this section than elsewhere, and
game is very necessary to dog t0ining.
The head trainers of these big kennel
preserves receive as much money for
their work as college presidents. The
dogs are pointers and settlers of the
bluest blood, and range in value from
$500 to $4,000, though but few of them
reach the maximum value. There are
hundreds of bird hunters in Tennessee
who w their own dogs, and these pri-
waite animals range in value from $50
to $500. 1t is impossible to buy a bird
pup in Tennessee of the commOnest
kind for less than $50, and the prices
at the stud kennels are far beyond this.
Next in Importance to the big Hick-
DRY valley kennels is the Del Monte
kennel at Waverly, owned by the
George CrOcker estate of California.
James G. Waddell, the original dog ex-
pert of the United States, is in charge
of the 4,0OO-acre preserve. Mr.. Waddell
established the first sporting dog ken
nell at Newton, n. j., in 1874, having
borrowed the idea from England, where
dog kennels have long been a part of
every large establishment. From the
Newton kennels sprang all other Amer
lean sporting kennels.
Dogs have a fixed standard of value"
said Mr.. Waddell, 'as firmly established
as that placed upon horses OF cattle.
In Del Monte we have some of the
finest dogs in the world. For Minnie
L, an English setter, we paid 81, $50, and
$1,000 each for Bette B. and Sam L.
For Dick Bay, a pointer, we paid 81, 900,
and for Dicks Kid, $4,000. Dicks Kid
is now the head of our stud and il
valued at $4,000, because we have won
some valuable prizes with him at field
trials. We have in our kennels to-day
$4,000 worth of sporting dogs-that is,
they will bring that much money in
the worst kind of market. It costs
$4,000 a year to run the kennel, which
explains why it is that only rich men
can afford such a luxury. People who
indulge in dogs have the money to
spare, and they get their returns from
the pleasures of the chase. The lead,
ing ~fnanciers and ~iurists of this coun-
try are great lovers Of the sport and
find relaxation in it.
"From dogs worth $4,000 and $4,000
there are thousands that are worth
anywhere from $3.50 to $500 each. The
rraineE's fee is $500, so any trained dog
has to be started off in advance. of that
figure. The hunter would hardly be
satisfied with one which had not won,s
value of $3.50. There are millions OF
dollars invested in this kind of prop
erty throughout the United States
now, all as a result of that single dog
kennel of 1874.
"The dog is capable'of a training al
most equal to his master. In fact, the
dog well trained has the capacity to
follow his masters mind so as to al,
most anticipate his desire. 1t follows,
therefore, that a hunter must love his
dog and establish a mutual confidence
which will enable them to work as one.
A man who would kick a dog has no
right to One If a dog belongs to
a dull man, he will be dull likewise; if
to an alert master, he will come up to
his measure. There is no limit to the
training of which a dog is capable save
that of his masters ind."-Chicago
Record.
Poor English Telephone service,