The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1909-12-16
J. L. wINCHELL'S BLOODHOUNDS.
Fair Haven Breeder of DOg-SIeuths
and His Pets.

|
Action" in the December issue of
Recreation magazine. 1t is illustrat-
ed by photographs by Louis F. Breh-
mer of Rutland.
After tracing the history of blood
hounds into England at the time of
William the Conqueror, the writer
notes that the first real English blood
huodn was brought into this country
by Edwin Brough in 1888. The blood
hound Of slavery days, he declares,
was a mongrel fox hound, but, run
ming in packs, dangerous and greatly
feared. Referring to his own hounds,
Mr.. Winchell says:
His First Man Trailer.
Some years ago / bought in the
South one of the best trained South
ern man trailers. II might have been
said of her that she had tasted her
game. She was a little thirty or forty
pound dog and looked like a cross of
black and tan foxhound bull terrier
and pug. Her color was that of the
foxhound, she had the head, muzzle
and stick-to-it-iveness of bull ter
rier when she caught hold, and the
three twists and knot in her tail of
a prize pug. She, was good natured
and friendly if she did not imagine
herself imposed upon, except to the
party she was trailing; that one was
her game and no former friendships
counted then. This hound was much
the kind of dog painted by the North
ern politician before the Civil War
a tree dog and savage. She gave my
visitors a new sensation; it never was
a drag hunt after she started. l never
let her trail except for the amusement
of the visitors; then the runner was
always instructed to climb near the
top of the tree so he could have a
better view of her work.
This dog ran finely on fresh trail,
when her voice was as musical as
laid lightly and much recrossed she
was at fault. Then her bay was short,
sharp and quick, in contrast to that
of the English bloodhound, which al
ways maintains a long-drawn, deep
resounding bay like the echoes of a
distant cannon.
l have found that my dogs make
} the best trailers when first trained
alone then worked in pairs. Each then
learns to work independent of the
} other and both will not at the same
; time overrun the trail. The real
: bloodhound is seldom trained to bark
, in leash or to be savage.
A Sleuth BY Instinct
Referring to serious tracing of cri
minals the author has the following
to say:
When there is cause for serious
man trailing and pair of trained
English bloodhounds have arrived will
their keepers, two or more, the dog.
are never turned loose or left to dis
Q cover for themselves what is wanted
of them. One specially trained fol
the purpose is taken and given some
thing to smell that the missing per
son has had. Then this dog will g
quietly over the house or whereve
this person has been, examining ev
. erything he has handled, as if to ge
all possible information about him be
:, fore he starts. When he is satisfied
= not before, he will go to the window
or door where the fugitive lost per
son left and show he is ready. H
: is then Independent to point of oh
stinacy and brooks interference Will
at work. When the keeper starts OF
the trail holding the leash of dog II
each hand, about all he has to do i
= to raise his feet and be sure of hi
@ footing The dogs are heavy, power
full, and the most determined of trail
ers. They will follow trail TO
days, camping on it at night an
. picking it up in the morning.
Bloodhounds used for criminal wor
" or especially for trailing are neve
taken out of their yards or kennel
9 save for work or practice. If give
D proper care and the same amount c
g training that is required to make
man expert in any profession, the
u would be able to accomplish as grea
$ results as the writer's of fiction civ
81 them credit for.
= Two Priced Trailers.
d The writer refers thus Interestingly
~ to two of his favorite dogs:
81 Within the last twenty years / hay
le had many fine trailers. They hay
oi been my house dogs as we'll as N
u companions. Oh. Victor and Oh. Sh
II both we'll known show dogs, wei
both very interesting aside from the
value as show dogs. Victor was
house dog and believed in maxim
himself useful. If any particulf
Us member of the family was wanted
was told to go and fetch that perso
T, we simply calling the person by nam
IT, He would look up in your face viii
to you were telling him, then If he III
or IvYh,,Co,,uI