New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-03-22
Although Old, Breed Is
Well Known to Few but
Real FanCierS.
STRONG, FAITHFUL
AND INTELLIGENT
All Celebrities Trace Line Back
Nearly to the Colonial
Times.

which their beauty. intelligence anu ldIlh-
fulness cntitle them. When may they
reasonably he expected to become the lion
of the hour the favorite Of Dame Fash
ion who rings in the changes in the dog
world?
Nearly every dog has had his day. and
fancicrs Of the Chesapeake Bay dog pre-
dict that be is Just about due TO arrive.
The chesapeake is extremely conserva-
tive. and is well known only 10 few
However. after he mas once established
himself i'm the heart Of his owner no other
dog. however handsome. can take his
place.
For many years much has been written
regarding the true type and origin Of the
cnesaDcake which has served only TO
confuse the un.nitiated. for scarcely any
.oo of these authorities have agreed.
Earl Henry. of Albert Lea, Mimi. one
.. che pioneer breeders of Chesapeakes.
saws: Having had only quarter Of a
century's experience with the breed, ! DO
not feel competent to say which writer
may be accepted as authority, but l am
inclined TO think the most authentic re-
ports are handed down by the veteran
George Kierstead TO whom / give credit
for laying the foundation OF the famous
Chesapeake breed of to-day Mr. Henry
slogan has always been: Breed for the
advancement of the Chesapeake Bay duck
dog and for the benefit of sportsmen.
There are few celebrities I'M this breed,
and most of them are the progeny of the
great Sunday and Nellie, bred and owned
by Mr.. Kierstead Most of them are coll
tent to spend their lives working for their
masters. Just how long Master Chesa-
peake will be allowed to remain in Sc
clusiou is doubtful. He is Just sturdy
enough and rough enough and odd enough
10 create Juror in the show ring, as
has the Airedale terrier. and more re
Gently the German shepherd dog.
In "Thc American Book of the Dog
George Kicrstead SAYS. There is no
other breed of dog whose history extend;
back so far as that Of the Chesapeake
Tsv. of which so little is known by the
general public and the origin of which is
so yelled in mystery.
Tt was near the end of the eighteenth
century when the breed became known in
the United States. There is no doubt
that the breed originated along Chesa-
pcake Bay and its tributaries. and that
il derived its name from that fact"
I'm giving the origin Of the breed Mr..
Henry says From the best authorities
obtainable we have learned that about
the year 1907 the ship Canton, of Balti-
more. fell in at sea with an English brig
i'm sinking condition. bound from New
ioundland 10 England. The crew were
taken aboard the Canton, also two pup
pies. dog and a bitch. The English
crew were landed on its native soil and
the two puppies were purchased from the
captain for a guinea apiece and taken TO
Baltimore.
The little dog dinCy red in color. was
rallied Sailor and was given to John Mer
scr. of West River: the bitch was black
md was called Canton; she went to live
with DR.. James Stewart, of Sparrow
Point These two dogs were compactly
built: not so large as the Newfoundland:
coat not long. but thick and wavy.
Each attained great reputation as a
duck retriever, and it is said OF them
that they would follow a cripple for miles
through ice and a heavy sea, and IL sue
ressful in q capture would invariably
bring the bird back 10 their owner. The
dog Sailor was purchased by wealthy
fancer and was taken 10 his estate on
the east shore Of Maryland. where his
progeny is still known as the Sailor
breed"
While there is no record Of any dogs
produced from the union of these two.
sailor and Canton. the supposition Is
that il IL to these are due credit for the
bow famous breed OF Chesapeake Bay
luck dogs.
There are now 10 be met with any
plumber of pseudo Chesapeake Bay dogs.
out their appearance suggests that they
have been crossed with the setter or
!pan.e and this accounts for the differ
INT types found. The explanation Of this
rross breeding is that the Chesapeake
Bay dog with an authenticated pedigree
Is not to be met with every day, and
especially since the close Of the Civil
War. which made such devastation in the
Southern States
While there are n number Of dogs used
for breeding purposes. and their produce
.old as Chesapeake Bay dogs some of
them are so full Of allen blood that they
no not even reproduce themselves. much
less transmit the qualities claimed for
the Chesapeake Bay dog. There are,
however, dogs used for breeding the
progeny OF which may be depended upon
To reproduce themselves and transmit
this with their other good qualities. This
is surely proof positive that the Chesa-
reske Bay duck dog does exist in purity
and that II is as distinct a breed as the
setter, pointer or any other breed, though
much fewer In numbers.
For Years promiscuous breeding was
kent I'D along the shores Of Chesapeake
Bay. 80 that il became wellnigh impos-
,ible 10 obtain a specimen that would
conform 70 the description OF Sailor and
Canton.
The characteristics Of the Chesapeake
Bay dog that especially commend him 10
Wild fowl shooters are. first. his good.
hard common sense. There is no retriever
30 cool headed and quiet as the Chesa-
peske. and for this reason he does not
use up his strength fOolishly. going after
he knows not what. and many times on
wild goose chase" literally. Every
hunter has seen hot headed dogs which
10 this continually
The Chesapeako has the strength and
pOHer 10 10 where he Will and he has
the Will 20 10 where the duck falls be IL
through ice. mud rice beds or what IT
maybe viii get there. When he does