Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-12-10
BUYING DOGS IN RUSSIA.
Kennels of Grand Duke Open to an
American College Boy.

After taking his sheepskin at Yale
last June, j. B. Thomas, Jr.. set out for
Russia on q quest for the pure type OF
Borzoi. or Russian woifhound. AS one
Of the band of Yale students who con-
duct in Simsbury, Conn, on practical
lines the model Valley farm for the
breeding of fine poultry and dogs and
the training of hunters and ponies, Mr..
Thomas had made a specially of the
Borzoi, and his kennel contains some OF
the most noted bench show winners in
the country. The specimens in this
country, the more study he gave to the
breed, seemed to young Thomas to b.
lacking in uniformity of type. and he
journeyed abroad to learn what the
breeders at the fountain head would
call the true sort. AS a result, three
dogs just from Russia We're exhibited
by Mr.. Thomas at the Brooklyn show
last week, where, although differing in
many ways from what had been
deemed the standard here, they won
everything in their classes, while two,
Bistri and Sorva, won the cup for the
best brace of sporting dogs benched.
Mr.. Thomas who was captain of the
track team at Yale, was accOmpanie,
abroad by George Goss Of the football
team. The English kennels We're first
visited, the most noted dogs showing
prominent stops, while nearly all had
almost straight hind legs unfit for a
running dog. AS a class. the BorZos
varied as much in type as those in this
country.
At st. Petersburg Mr.. Thomas dis
covered one reason for the lack of
type in the English and American ken
nels, for. in visiting the imperial ken
nels. at Gatchina. which has sent more
dogs abroad than any other, no dis
tinct type was to be seen. In fact, the
collection was .'wcedy' one in every
way, and, after such q long journey, q
great disappointment to the American.
Other kennels near St. Petersburg
proved to be equally disappointing in
results. The travellers were then adj
vised to make the long journey to the
kennels of the Grand Duke Nicolaivtch
and OF MIR. and Mrs. Artem BoldareH.
To reach these kennels the tourists had
to start from Moscow. and after an
overnight journey they arrived at Tula,
a town some hundreds Of versts to the
ride on troillas across the steppes
brought them to Borchina, where the
kennels are situated.
Here Mr.. Thomas found the ideal dog
that he had been searching foN the real
zation of his dreams. At Porchina the
dogs We're white to tan in color, none
being black, and the entire collection
was Of the one sort and this sort a
marked advance on anything that Mr..
Thomas had ever seen. He found sim :
liar dogs at the kennels OF the Bolda :
refs, a fourteen hour trip from Tula,
at Woronzcva, in the province of Tam
boy, but here the notable feature was
the white color and the magnificent
coat. All the1c Cogs were Of the sort
Americans hay read about, but seldom,
'if ever, seen. They possess long, fine
heads, of straight lines, great muscle
and bone, depth Of chest and thickness
of Ioin, and the general appearance of
feetness and strength, with a coat Of
marvellous length and thickness.
There are positive reasons why this
old type of the BorZoi had not been
seen in this country prior to the impor-
tations by Mr. Thomas. The first Is
that very few of the Borzoi fanciers OF
| England or America have ever visited
Russia, while those who have did not
go to these wonderful kennels, far from
, the ordinary route of sightseers.
! The first specimen of the breed ever
seen in this country was benched in thu
early sos, at the Westminster show BY
| the late Edward Kelly, who had beer
impressed by the beauty and novelty
of the breed on a visit to Paris, Will,
in England the earliest sponsors for thu
Borzois were the Duchess Of Newcastle