Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-22
ST, LOUIS WILL
HOLD A DOG SHOW
Attractive and Valuable Prizes
Will Doubtless Draw Many
Eastern Entries.
BY JAMES WATSON.

What can be done In the way of a good
dog show west OF the Mississippi Is to be
demonstrated soon when the new club or
ganzed at st. Louis will hold its first show.
st. Louis was one of the early show cities
Of the United States, some of the most
successful shows of twenty-five years ago
having been given by the old ST. Louis
Kennel Club, which was very similar club
to what the Westminster Kennel Club
was-a coterie Of fanciers of the pointer
and the importers of pointers at st. Louis
were the best in the country Irish settlers
were another fancy OF these western sports
men, and 1t was to st. Louis we owed the
importation of that wonderful dog Elcho,
from which we had twenty years ago a.
succession of Irish settlers of such class as
put our dog show displays we'll ahead OF
what could be seen at the best shows at
the home of the breed.
It is likely that quite a number of the
best eastern dogs Will go to st. Louis, as
there are many very attractive and Valua-
BILE special prizes to be competed for.
Whether the addition Of the same amount
of cash to the classification prizes would
not have yielded better results is one Of
those questions to which a positive answer
cannot be given, but IN the opinion of a
large number of exhibitors small PRICES and
$50 specials to be won by dogs that are
already the leading class winners is not the
way to attract a large entry, and II Is the
large entry even if there is a small gather
ing OF prominent winners that makes q
remunerative show.
Popularity of Dalmatians.
There Is strong indication that Dalnla-
tians will become one Of the popular breeds
in the near future. This variety has been
taken up with a good deal of enthusiasm
by some thorough fanciers. at the head Of
which at the present time are Mr.. Howard
Willetts and Mr.. j. w. Mfnturn, who
show as the Gedney Farm kennels and
the Rockcllffe kennels, though Mr.. Willetts
as often as not enters his dogs in his own
name. The Dalmation, or coach dog, Is q
very shapely animal, and when well spotted
Ia a decidedly attractive dog. 1t Is sup
posed to have come from Dalmatla original
w hence the name, but there is nothing TO
support that except ancient rurnor repeated
by writer after writer until II has become
accepted without question
Fifty years ago the Dalmatian was gener-
ally known as the talbot In England, talbot
being another name for hound, and that is
suggestive Of hound origin. He bears q
marked resemblance to the pointer, and as
there is no question as to sne hound origin
of the pointer there should be none as to
a similar origin for the coach dog. Be
cause Button came across lightly licked
hound type of dog, which was said to have
come from India, he arrived at the con-
cIusion that the DalInatian came from that
dog, which he called the brach OF Bengal,
brach being the contlnental name Tor oogS
of pointer type.
Another dog used as carriage dog In
Buttons time. about 175o. was tho Great
Dane. which was then a smaller dog than
Our large show specimens, measuring about
twenty Eight inches at the shoulders. But
the Dane was always a quarrelsome. fight
ing dog, and the English preferred the
talbot as the carriage companion. 1t
used to be said that these dogs had a spe-
cial liking for the company OF horses and
stables but that Is mere Imagination,
Sleeve Dogs.
Mention Of Button recalls peculiar fact
he mentions, and as It was a French
custom he must have knowledge of It The
carrying OF dimfnutive dogs in women's
sleeves Is supposed to have always been
solely a custom OF the ladies OF the Picking
palace. hence the name Of sleeve dogs ire
quentiy given to Pekinese spaniels. but
Button tells us that 1t was the idea OF the
French ladies OF fashion to SO carry small
dogs. mainly Bishons or Maltese. but that