The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-01-10
POINTS OF THE POINTERS.

Writing on the qualities OF the pointer
dog. correspondent of the London Field
says: Although there Is no ostenslbie
reason why such should be the case. the
fact remains that in tie combination OF
qualities required fer the show ring ahd
for work IN front Of the s gun the pointer Rndasd
still and always have been. great num-
Der of pointers which are good In the held
and, at the sam same ums, IN vdI appeartancds entaned
the show ring. This, perhaps may arise
from the possibility that the pointer as a
distinct breed Is older than the setter. and
thus reproduces itself more true 70 type.
So far as work alone Is concerned. there
Is nothing TO choose between the two va
rieties, and | imagine that either one or
the other when well trained could not be
surpassed for the kind OF. work for which
they have been specially bred.
There Is no data 10 teil rdsosd eadoeyd "nen iptn
Great Britain, but this "a usually consid-
cred TO have taken place early In the lsth
century, at Tune wnen ,s srpe',mS TSe noinier ny
IL is said. originally came from France
but there was possibly the Spanish
tries Great Britain is doubtless indebted
for this most useful sporting companion;
Here II has been so highly valued and
recognized throughout the country and
world. He is found TO be equally useful
I'm Canada and the United States and In
indeed. his appearance is not unknown
wherever the Englishman is TO be found
and has the opportunity of carrying a
gun There are some particularly hand
some black dogs of the variety In south
Africa.
The English pointer is as good on
snipe and quail as he is on grouse and
partridge. and. should occasion require;
he may be taught TO retrieve gently ana
when the Iaziness of the owner requires
MIN to do so. This reporting business. SO
far as dogs are concerned is not Iollowed
in this country, but both in America and
in northern Europe, where game Is com.
paratively scarce and the area of ground
10 be tramped over practically unlimited.
iy required The dor is allowed to range
at large, galloping over miles OF GROUND
where the shooter travels furiongs. lie
has to find birds or game, locate tneir po-
sitions. and then come back 10 MS mas
ter and sagaciously conduct him to the
coyey or whatever else may be In wait
ing This seems all very nice. but TO
some. perhaps insulated. ideas SAVIOR
little OF pot hunting. i prefer to see our
pointer work the ground and nnd ms
game, standing perhaps a nunared yarus
away from IL, and gradually drawing up
until the master is in shot; Then the
birds are sprung. some OF .,h them a PerhSps aas
dropped and is lying down quietly until
he receives the order 10 hold UP; wnen
ne gallops away. head carried high In the
air and continues his search for game:
With some people the color Oh the
pointer appears To be "A rather vexed
question, but why this IS so II is aiI.
have been the best OF pointers OF all col
ors though perhaps for work on an ex-
tensive moor, where they are allowed 10
take wide range, lightly-colored dog
ia better seen amid the thick heather.
But against this there are breeders who
say the light-colored animals are more
delicate than those that are darker. Such
ideas are inclined TO be faddish. and all
that. can be said as to Solor is that ,h ne ene
look harder. but they are NOT actualty
so any more than are the pale lemon ana
whites more delicate because nss 1neir
and more gentle appearance. We nave
seen dogs or all these colors winning IN
sneId trials time after time but IL Is sell
dom one of the old-fashioned strain. liv-
er-colored and white flecks on the dark
ground Is 10 be found nowadays. though
liver and white. ticked and marked IN
va rious wavs seem to be at the present
time more numerous than the white and
lemon I'm various shades. Devonshlre has
FOR two or three generations Geen an ac-
cepted home for the pointer, and from
the kennels thereabouts large numbers or
excellent dogs have been drafted TO
America also 20 Russia, Germany and to
many other continental places, where the
race has four she'd. Notwithstanding that
many OF these countries had an abund-
ance OF sporting dogs already.
prince Solms. OF Brannfels. sent dogs
10 This country which at our trials did
the best OF work G.. Raper. while Of
iciating as Judge at one OF the German
shows about l. years ago, purchased an
old dog called Naso OF Strasburg which
az his best must have been one OF the
four Icgs The same Judge pronounced
the pointers at the New York show I'm
1891 quite as good "A group as he ever saw
at Birmingham or elsewhere IN this coun-
scanted I'm equally favorable terms of
those seen at 81. Petersburg. Paris. Brus-
This is especially gratifying to- uS as
snortsmen who. though originallySndcht-
cd 10 foreign countri, ~ for many OF our
varieties Of the canine race. have been
enabled 10 produce I'm the thoroughly
Fnciish nointer n caniue family of such
excellence as 10 sairs appreciation in