The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-09-02
MANY STAR DOGS
 LOCALLY OWNED
Nearly 75 Per Cent of Winners in Pointers and Setters Raised and Trained in
 Alabama
By JOHN c. MOSES

been usual TOT the past four or nVe years. At Denbigh, N D., this week, working on prairie chickens, Lewis c. Morris un- til this year owned by E. J. Rowe of Birmingham, won over 25 competitors in the all-age stakes, thus giving him a big lead in the seasons events.
 Lewis c. Morris is a pointer sired by the great Fishels Frank out of Bessitina He is an Alabama dog all through; was bred by MT. Broadnax of Eutaw and trained and broken by Jones Wilson of Boligee. MT. Wilson has his training grounds this year at Coatopa, in Sumter county, near York.
 MT. Rowe sold this famous dog last year for the highest price ever obtained for bird dog in this country, which was approximately s5OOO. The purchaser was L. L. Haggin of Lexington, Ky. The present owner has placed the dog in charge of MT. Gilchrst of Cortland and it appears that this gentleman has lost no time in conditioning his string of pros- poets.
 Lewis c. Morris was defeated at Grand Junction, Tenn, last season in the championship race after three-hour run and by the closest decision, by LaBesita, a setter. A nationwide discussion was started by this event, as the judges decision was questioned by many. How ever, the dog may prove to the world this season that it lis in him. to be champion,
 BORN, BRED AND RAISED
 Birmingham and Alabama during the last four or five years, have produced about 75 per cent of the 'big ones'' in field trial events, both in pointers and settlers, and numbers some of the best prospects" at present The man feat- ure along this line is that not only have we produced the best but most of them are "home-raised." That is, they were dogs that were bred, born and reared in our midst, showing that this state, and Birmingham in particular, have the best crowd of sportsmen and judges of good dog flesh in the country Two of this fraternity have recently gone to their last rest-Gordon Moughon and c. F. Eastham-and if ever two men loved our noble friend the dog any better than these two men, it remains to be seen. To know man that loves the dumb anil nal as they did is pleasure, and I could name over many others who are still with us.
 The majority of all the big winners in the pointer class during the past four years have either been owned by Bir- mingham sportsmensor have been trained in Alabama. The great John Proctor, who wound up last saeson as a four-time champion and winner of g events, was trained and handled by c. H. Babcock of Three Notch. He is now owned by A. 'L Curtis of Belton, Tex. The Birming- ham field of stars carries the names of Percival lingo. owned by w. K. Terry: Won Gull, Kent Elgin and others owned by T. T. Ashford; and the great Stix, one O. best producing sires that ever lived, owned by the late C.. F. Eastman and later by Judge Zell Gaston. Stix finally met death in front of an engine while crossing railroad track. Then there was Valkyre. owned by Easthom and Tyler, the greatest winning bitch pointer ever run on the circuits. She was sired by Stix, out of Gulena by Won Gull. She was started in eight big events, taking six places, four firsts, one second and one third. When she ran third she was greatly handicapped, owing to her physi- cal condition. She beat the great Mani toba Rap every time she met him. After Valkyre's retirement Manitoba Rap was the star of the circuits.
 SOME GOOD ONES"
 Dropping into the setter class, we have some good ones" Jack Love, by Free Lance out of Cotton Blossom, owned by the late Gordon Moughon, won the United States derby and ran third in the Texas derby. About year ago MT. Moughon sold him to J. J. Lawson of Durham, N C., for $75O. Those who believe in Bir- mingham first and always are expecting to hear from this good setter later on in the season. Dropping back a few generations on the pedigree blanks we pick up John Fletcher's old lemon and white setter. Fred T.. winner of two a.l- ago stakes and one third in the free for-all. It is the writer's pleasure to now own a bitch out of Fred T., and at the age of years this dog will go from daylight to dark, and make the tongue of many youngster hang before supper. Then might name Danube of the past owned by T. T. Ashford; Sports McAl- lister and Pot Metal, owned by J. J.. Spencer; Tony Man, owned. by J. J. Odom; Scales Work Boy ("Docx'). win- ner of the Georgia derby, and many others. And dropping down the line to the present day., Hugh Scales has his little setter, Scales Joe Rec Harry. This little dog looks like "comer'' Last season in the Alabama trials at De- catur, Hugh took Harry along "Just to fill in a hole in a brace. He took Harry from the lot, without any training, and the showing he made was the surprise of the meet, making two nice wins. This opened Hugh's eyes, and this year ne promises that this little dog will be heard from along the circuit
 By the way this Alabama Amateur Field Trial club of Birmingham has orig mated some fine prospects and has stirred interest among all lovers of the sport in Alabama. We may look for big things from now on in these home trials. The first meet takes place this year the first week in December. Arguments at the various "hang-outs of the dog frater- nity are assuming a crisis. and every fancier has line of ''dope'' on his par ticular prospect that would make far better reading than the funny page of Bobby Make Believe in Sunday editions of the Age-Herald.s a4
 Another field trial event on prairie chickens, the Continental, takes place at Towner, N. D., on next Tuesday. Sep tenher K