The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-12
The Pointer

In writing of the bird dogs of the sport ing dog family, I will first discuss the pointer While space forbids an extended inquiry relative to the origin of the Point er will take a passing glance at the his tory of the dog from which our present Gay Pointers are supposed to have de- seconded. By the most authentic accounts of the origin of the Pointer Spain is given the credit for the original stock. It is true, some writers contend that the pointers were originally introduced into England from France, but the weight of authority is against this theory. It is true, France, at very early period, pos- sessed Pointers Cor pointing dogs) very similar in many respects to the Spanish dog, but they were built on lighter, racier lines, and were evidently Italian Braques, imported from Italy into France and there crossed on the St. Hubert Hounds. That the Pointer was shown in Spain as far back as the twelfth century is shown very conclusively in Nrkwrights history of the Pointer. It is now very generally agreed by the best authorities that this is the dog from which our modern Point
  Spain into England about the time of the war of the Spanish succession. The exact date cannot be fixed, but it was probably sometime between 1703 and 1T15, for we find that the Pointer was used in England shortly after Lord Peterborroughs cam paign in Spain. Further, the French pointing dog at that period was called "Chien d Arret," and very evidently this name would never have been changed to that of Pointer had the dog originally been carried from France to England; while the Spanish pointing dog was called "Depunta," the Anglicised term Pointer being a very easy corruption of the Span ish name Furthermore, in the works of various English writers. in the field of sportsmanshp, who flourished in the early part of the eighteenth century. we note the many Dons, Sanchos and Peros among the dogs owned by English gen. tlemen of that time, the name Pero being the Spanish term for dog.
 From such facts as I have given (and these might be enlarged if space per mitted) I am sure that the Spanish point ing dog is the parent stock of our present day Pointers. But what of the early Pointers in America? q
 By the best authorities on the Pointers in America, it is generally conceded that many of our early so-called native Point CTS were brought direct from Spain to America when Spanish explorations were at their highest, and each year shipload after shipload of adventurers came to the new world from Spanish shores, bringing with them horses, cattle and dogs. This is reasonably true of the so-called na- tive Pointers found in the old Spanish settlement in the southern parts of the United States. But to England we must give credit for the best in our present. day Pointers. The Pointer was from the first very popular among a large class f,f r<C, dog, at an early date, reached high state of development. In passing, we might say that some English breeders undertook to breed the old heavy Spanish Pointer along lighter lines. by crosses with the English Hound, but these ef- forts met with little announcement. and were finally abandoned, but not until, &C., cording to some good authorities, trace of the English Hound crept into some of our best strains of Pointers, strains from which many of our present-day noted Pointers have descended. Whether or not these efforts were for the future welfare of the Pointer I leave for the reader to say. No stud book was published in America prior to the American Kennel and Sporting Field, which was given to the public in 1876, and therefore authen- tic records of dogs in the United States Prior to that time are difficult to obtain Many sportsmen bred Pointers, but little
 
 Sometime about the year 1876 the Vest minister Kennel club was organized with kennels at Babylon, L. l., and the era of the importation of the best blood from England to the United States might be said to have begun Such dogs as Sensa- ton, Sleaford, Bow, Faust. Croxteth, Bang Bang. Vandervort's Don Meteor Graphic. King of Kent, Hops and Main spring were in turn brought to the United States by this club; and other sportsmen such as the Rev. J. c. McDona, the St. Louis Kennel club, James l.. Anthony, Edward Dexter, Capt. c. E. McMurdo, J. r. Perkins and others; and to these ina- portations we are largely indebted for the best in our Pointers of today. While many importations of good Pointers had been made, Pointer breeding had not been so successful in America, and the LleWellyn Setters had practically usurped al Interest in the field trials, when Ed ward Dexter and Captain McMurdo brought over the great Pointer King of Kent, and his kennel mate, Hops; and MT. Perkins. through the influence of Captain McMurdo. brought over Main spring. From that time. Pointer interest revived, and today Pointer fanciers in America owe more possibly, to these gen. tlemen than to any others in the Pointer world. King of Kent bred to Hops gave to the world the great Rip Rap. We also ind among the sons of the King of Kent tne uosS Kent Elg1n, Strideaway. Hal Pointer, Tick Boy and other great Point CTS. Kidnapping bred to Queen TIT gave the great pointer Jingo fear no critic when I say the blood lines of these two great families predominate in the great Pointers of the United atStes today. Of course, other pre-potent blood lines are found, such, for instance. as the Graphic blood, through Rush of Lad, whence comes the great producer, Fishel's Frank, but when we examine Sthe pedigrees of the great Pointers produced in this coun- try. the lines run in an unbrolsen chain back to the foundation heads-King of Kent and Kidnapping.
 An examination of these Pointers will also reveal the fact that the breeding of Kidnapping and of Hops. the dam of the great Rip Rap, is identical both being by Mike out of Romp. Hence we see what pre-potency is shown in the impress made by these great dogs on the Pointer world. Apparently, the Pointers of Amer ica have had checkered career in the field trial world. The influence of the Pointer under the guidance of MT Dex- ter. Captain McMurdo and MT. Perkins seemed to again reach low ebb when there appeared on the horizon a man from Hope, Ind, in the person of U. R. Fishel Some 25 years ago MT. Fishel, in his own words. realized at the time that tbere vas room for much work to be done to