The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-26
ON

concerned, and dogs up to $50 pounds, and
even 10 pounds. are not unknown, IL
though We imagine that Of late years this
variety has, by inter-breeding and other
causes. somewhat deteriorated in size ns
1t has certainly done In general excellence
Although when the St, Bernard was
first introduced to this country the best
specimens Were not of abnormal dimen-
sionS, they We're large dogs, though the
best of them were certainly not more than
rom lao pounds 10 100 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 tho
breed famous, did not weigh more than
100 pounds: and Albert Smiths pair OF
dogs which he brought from Switzerland
about 1850 to assist him in his popular en-
tertainments seemed to be little, If any,
heavier However, by a special process,
which is worked out by selection of the
fittest and by extra care In rearing and
feeding the St Bernard has waxed and
increased greatly in size, until ne stands
well out from all other varieties as the
giant of the canine race-i e., taking
hight and weight into consideration, Tor
there are and have been taller dogs than
he As the Goliath of dogs in 1884 the
Rev A. Carter Introduced Plinlimmon,
who lowered high above any of his strain.
Fairly and carefully measured. he stood
SSla Inches high at the shoulders. and
weighed in his natural and not too obese
state, 2l0 pounds. This fine specimen of
the St Bernard was evestually purchased
for about $500 by the late Mr.. j. X EN-
NETT, a well-known American actor, in
who's possession the great dog died. But
bigger St Bernard than Plnllmmon was
introduced sthree years later, this
being Mr. r. II. Green's Sir Bedivere
who. besides being his equal in hight, ex-
ceeded him by two or three pounds IN
weight Lord Butte was even half an inch
higher at the shoulders Than Sir Bedvere;
when with us he weighed but 200 pounds,
though after he had sojourned a few
weeks In America he was said TO scale
200 pounds-a statement which, to say the
least was of doubtful truth. Later there
did come a heavier dog, or rather two
heavier, dogs, than either Plinlimmon or
Sir Bedvere, and in 1897 MIR. SAINTS Lord
Brassey scaled the immense weight OF 23i
pounds, while Mr.. Ralph's Duke of Fir
mont, who hourished about the same pc
Rod, was but some half a dozen pounds
less. 1t Is not often the females of the
larger varieties of the dog approach the
males in size but notable eXception'is the
one of the celebrated Princess Florence,
who weighed 2l2 pounds, and she obtained
her enormous size and hight length OF
back and great frame generally The late
Mr.. II. j. Betterion's smooth dog Watch
was little over 200 pounds in weight, but
ne did not look nearly so big. and we inn
agine that the biggest dog Of the present
day is Messrs Inman & Walmseys
smooth dog Parsival. who must scale well
over 200-ponnd. He IL of great hight and
possesses enormous bone and unusual
depth of ribs.
Perhaps there may be owners who will
claim for their dogs equality or maybe
excess n weight over such as have been
mentioned in this article. our examples
have, however, obtained more or less cele-
brity i'm their line and having done 50,
thus become more or less public charac-
ters and therein the interest lies. More
over they enable us 20 tell what big dogs
are OF their weights and nights and to
draw attention to the fact that dogs
more than yard high" are as mythical
"a such as are said to be "as big dom
KEYS" and our readers ore assured that
when they are mentioned, the romancist
is at work and illusions to such fabulous
specimens of the canine race must be
taken as travellers tales as examples OF
oxaggera ton.