Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-11


y
II must have been on the occasion of that
visit that he met j. +. Skinner of Balti-
more who at one time was assistant post
master OF the United States and was also
inc editor of the Turf Register and the
American Farmer and in lS45 published
ire first American book devoted exclusively
10 the dog. Mr.. Skinner must have been
ono OF the best type of gentleman sports
an and undoubtedly had an extensive
library, as I have seen several books win
els name on the title page and nave one
bearing the stamp. J. 5. Skinner, ISL rms
1, French poem on sporting and shooting
entitled Chase au Tir." and Is was pos
sibiv Mr. SINNERS knowledge of French
which brought him into closer association
with General Lafayette at the time he visit
cd America The result of this personal m
tiInacy was that General Lafayette sent 10
Mr. Skinner what may have been the nrSt
two St Bernard dogs ever received mere
also the first pair OF French shepherd dogs
The doubt regarding the st. Bernard dogs
arises from Mr.. Skinner calling them
Pyrenean or ST. Bernard dogs, and ne
Epeaks of them as sheep dogs, for which
purpose they were sent TO this country.
There Is quite a mixture of description
"a to these dogs being kept Tor guarding
"thl large meTine hOcks of Spain in their
annual migTa Ion to the mountains, pro-
teCtiug them from the numerous wolves
with which the Pyrenees abound. and
rleu saving that there are SAID 10 be Two
breeds Of Pyrenean as well as Of the New
fCundland one with long and the other with
shorter hair following this with mention
Ot the work of the St Bernards at the
Swiss hOSpiCes So that IL Is not positive
that these dogs were anything but Py-
lrueau sheep dogs. which differ very much
from what we call St Bernards. We DO
know, however. that at least twice BEFORE
these dogs could have been sent out by
-r1l far rpft to n
had been practically wiped out and the
breed remade from various large dogs. ana
the amount of white I'm many of the ST
Demands may have come from the Pyre-
mean mixture. The dogs Mr.. Skinner receiv-
cd were both males, and are described as
large. powerful animals, white With n
large portion Of light brown color They
We're quite distinct from the two black dogs
received on another occasion from General
Lafayette which were described as true
shepherd dogs, much smaller, the breed sell
Gum exceeding two feet in height. and not
being protectors from wolves as the others
We're. The pair that came over were per
fectly black with head and nose sharp ana
pointed. and with a manner and counter
BrcC indicating uncommon alertness and In
telligenCe.'
What these black sheep dogs might have
accomplished as progenitors OF a breed o.
American or Lafayette collies was frus-
trated by their escaping from the kennel
IN which they We're put for safe keeping
breaking out on the day Of their arrival
and although extensively advertised for
aud every search made. no trace of them
WAS obtained. Mr.. Skinner. at the time he
wrote his dog book, was IN correspondence
with the generals son, George Washington
Lafayette. regarding another importation
Of these sheep dogs. Mr.. Skinner had ap-
parentiy been asking that some shepherds
come over with the dogs but Nj. Lafayette
told him II would be difficult to get any
one to leave his home for sucn a puT-
pose. and very wisely added that il would
be much easier TO teach the dogs what was
wanted FOR / can assure you they Will
learn the English language in much less
time than their masters would require to
De taught a few words of it How this
country has grown In sixty, years may be
realized iu some sense when read the
opinion of this editor OF the American Far
Tuer that mature had designed for our ma
tiuual sheep pasture the range OF noun
ta!us from Maryland To Georgia, and which
must Dee So appropriated.