Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-03-07

have worthily held their own in Eng
land, 80 far as my experience goes, tbs.
problem Isl confined to the wonderful !
Irish setter Eloho, bis son Champion
Tim, the beagle Frank Forest and his
daughter Emmeline, the rough st.
Bernard Sir Waldorf, to say nothing Of :,
the innumerable good Japanese span els 4
shown by Mr.. Sem in the last seven
or eight years.
Il will be noticed that pointers, set
tiers and field spaniels and cookers are
excluded from this list. Since | have
been In this country--a period ext nd
ing over 10 years II have not seen
pointer or English setter worthy OF
being sent across the Atlantis to uphold
the homer of America. From my oh
bervation OF these. breeds, owne here I
have not shown the patience to get the Z.
hest results from tn. grand blood which
has been imported b. this country, Y
Furthermore, judges, especially OF Eng
lish settlers, have shown confusion as
regards the type they really wanted In
fact, no two judges have exhibited q
disposition to admire the same type.
For this reason IL seems to mo that
English settlers from an English oip
Of view have had no chance in th
country. Il
This question OF judges opens out fh
fact that even in England, whers show
have been held for al least so ears II
is difficult to secure man compel D
to distribute tbs ribbons. When 1t III
considered that on the other side meA
have been devoting their liftime to The
advancement OF certain htceds, thatA
they have studied every phase of their \
special fancy, that they krow every dis
iinctive character of certs'p families
and that for years they have bHPn try
ing to blend successfully family
With another 1t is only reasonable to !
suppose that the highest stage or
knowledge should have been reached. Y
Yet even with these specialists In the
Held | am fain TO admit that the menI
for whose judgment ! have any respect
can be counted on both hands. For
this reason it is unfair to expect an
American fancier who has owned QUE
or two good dogs. or has bred one
tcrackerjack," to step into the ringl
and know all the details and lointsl
necessary to select winners authpriia-7
lively.
American breeders are too anxious to /
produce winners at the earliser posi-
hle moment Two or three years or,
at the outside, 10, seem to discourage
them IL they do not show something
which can beat an English importa-
tion. The great distances 10 be travelled
10 order 70 exhibit, the comparatively
few shows and the haphazard selection
Of judges are serious detriments to the
advancement of all breeds of dogs in
this country. There are frequently
three or four shows week on the other
side, while 10 the United States, east
1 nj fhag Rnnlrtnu ha liz,
from February to May and from Sep
ternber to November, and the exhibit
hibitor must travel from New York 10
Chicago and from Chicago to New
Orleans. This in itself is a sufficient
handicap against competition with
English breeders.
Dogs are worth at least four times
more in England than they are here.
Hence the apparent extravagance of the
prices paid for Imported specimens. , A
dog for which an enthusiast on this
side is willing to give thousand dol.
Jars is actually worth that sum on the
other side. Here, however, breeders
are so far apart that it Is unreasonable
70 expect them to keep In touch with
their rivals. As a result man will
buy certain dog ut a high figure, and
although the animal might he OF the
greatest benefit to his breed, yet the
journey to the other kennels is SUCH an
Undertaking that the owner of a suita-
Bile mate prsfers keeping her at horne
and breeding from some inferior speci-
men. The result is that eeoond rate dogs
are produced, in lieu of what, undsr
other conditions might have Leen ami
mails worthy of competing in the keep
est company in England.
Unqueationably this accounta for the
fact that the majority of winners liz the
various breeds are impoI tuJions. Ia
scanning over last years New y ork cata-
loeue one can only discover home bred
champions in St. Demands, pointers, set
tiers and field spaniels. have purI ossiy
omitted the SUCCESS Of my own dog,
Hands Up, who won everything 10 fox
terriers. Although he won the chal-
lenge cup for the best smooth or rough
fog terrier. many native critics con-
sidered him unworthy Of 1uoh dis
tinction. He is now in England, and
ms yet to appear hello an English
judge.
Apart from my own deg, the only
American bred specimens | can recall
which have crossed the Atlantic are
the mastiff Beaufort's Black Prince.apd
one or two fox terriers sent over by
August Belmont. As regards the lat
ter. their invasion was a comparative
failure. while Beaufort's Black Prince
had always to play second fiddle to a
dog owned by the we'll known English I
exhibitor, Mr.. Royle.
M UGH money has recently been ex-
pended in greyhounds of the very he t
blood for Importation to California.
Well-known English kennels, such az
those of the Fawcett Bros, Mr..
Pilkington and MIR. Hornhy, have cen
prevailed upon to part with some of
their very best cours, RS. From these
iniportatious it can tnly be question
Of time aud judioious mating before
California should hold its own with
the cleyerest champion OF the English
ooursing world. Whether, however,
the California enthusiasts will have \
sufficient perseverance, 10 continue
breeding until they produce the finest
dogs remains with themselves.
Those already mentioned are not the
only instances in which big prices have
been paid for English dogs. The Legm-
ington kennels, If Pittsburg gave
", 900 lfor the bulldog katerfelto aud
81, 500 for Lady DookleaL James Rer-
ppohan paid 90. 500 for Go Bang aad
Sl,700 for Claude Duval, both 4 X ter
riers. George and Frank Gould, too.
have invested handsome sums in bench
show dogs.
But the important thing is TO be able
to breed price winning dogs, for it
mt ts..f. 4 Al