Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1903-02-26
WoMAN's QUEER BUSINESS.

Out on Hudson Heights, suburb of
Jersey City, Mrs. Charles Betz con-
ducts the most successful and largest
English bulldog farm in the vicinity
of New York There are on this farm
SO bulldogs and few Boston terriers,
but Mrs. Betz counts the latter simply
as dogs" and though she gives them
good care she is not as watchful of
them as she is Of the English bulls"
In one room there are now 16 bull
puppies all Of them under seven
months of age, and all in more or
less precarious state Of health, as bull
dogs until they have passed the age
of three months usually are.
Mrs. Betz first began the breeding
of this species Of dog two years ago
with three dogs, but to succeed as
well as she has in raising the puppies
has cost many a sleepless night for
the entire family When a litter Of
puppies are born, out at the farm, 1t
means that a dog doctor is called in
to stay with the mother until she Is
perfectly comfortable and out of all
danger. He only leaves her when she
is able to "sit up and take notice"
This is usually three hours after the
little pups have been put In fleece
lined basket and set by the stove to
keep warm. For this three hours, II
he is in the neighborhood, the Doctors
fee Is $40; If he must go out to Hud-
son Heights from New York especial
ly to attend the case, his fee is from
$15 to $25, so that in the very begin
ming the dogs are an expense. Mrs.
Betz often has to employ foster moth
ers for her little dogs, as many filters
are of greater number than one dog
can care for. This entails still furth-
er expense.
Until the little bull pups are quite
strong, or If foster mother must be
used, one of the family must sit all
night long by the little dogs and watch
them as carefully as one would watch
young baby, and once the little fel-
lows have gone to sleep for the night
no noise is made to disturb them, for
on their rest depends greatly their
strength as they grow II little bull
dog does not sleep we'll when II Is q
baby dog, then as it grows up 1t win
be weak and profitless.
The farm" itself is not very i'm.
pressive. Merely a large house,
standing on a hill overlooking the
Hudson race track About the back
are several kennels used for the dogs
in summer. In winter the animals
are kept in the house, and to accom-
modate them as we'll as to keep the
house in as sanitary a condition az
possible, all the carpets have been
taken from the floors, and the dogs
make their home with the family in
the best rooms. Everything must
bend to them, for they are the bread
earners and must be first considered.
Mrs. Betz is just beginning to
show" her dogs. and from this ken
mel two years old, she has raised one
FIRST, two second, and one third prize
dog. all from the puppies that have
been born on the farm. The proprle-
tor has several private clients whom
she supplies with dogs. and there IL
more demand for English bulls Of
good breed than one would imagine.
Often she sells two and three dogs to
one family and supplies several ex-
eellent kennels about New York with
English stock. Bulldogs are frequent
" imported from England for these
kennels. Two were received last
week, and on the same vessel came a
fine French bull"
Big profits reward successful bull
dog raising, but one must understand
the dog question thoroughly to raise
two puppies out of litter OF six or
eight. and a knowledge Of dog doc
toring is essential II the veterinary IL
not to be allowed to secure too much
Of the surplus. Mrs. Betz, with the
fruits Of two years experience, sells
the pups for from $50 up and the full.
grown dogs for from 5000 to 5000.
One prize winner now on the farm 10
valued at 5000.
From 20 to % dogs are raised on
the farm each month, and from these
not less than $500 is the amount Of
clear profit. Mrs. Betz 10 always a
little wary about selling a dog when
it is a pup, for, talking In a business
like manner about short faces"
wide muzzles." and being well I'M
dershot," she says you can never tell
until a dog has its growth whether
you have a prize winner or Just a dog
OF good breed. Many a dog she has
kept as q prospective prize winner
has turned out to be q good ordinary
bull and some she has sold as ordi.
nary dogs have won priEes.-Nev