New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-25
Maltese Dogs
Visit Waldorf
Next Friday
Valuable Prizes Offered for
First Show of Breed
Ever Held

Inc Natl0ndl Maltese DoS S'e'
will make its first official bid for pub
lie attention in the shape of specially
show at the Waldorf-Astoria next Fri
day afternoon, and the hypercritical OF
the canine world will have an oppor
;unity of seeing the oldest type OF pet
dog now extant.
That the fixture will be a swell al
fair there is not the least doubt. LOT
the prize list easily outstrips any
thing hitherto seen in the line OIL
specialtv exhibit. In order that all
classes Of prospective exhibitors shall
have a chance to show their dogs. tnir-
ty-six classifcations have been made.
For twelve of the regular classes
gold money prizes have been ofered by
Elbridge Gerry Snow. Jr. and TOT lne
second best. silver money prizes naNe
been offered by Mrs. James Garaner
Rossman. organizer of the ciup. var
uable first and second prizes have peeh
donated in the twenty-four remaining
classes. so that there are about oTe
hundred and fifty special prizes III all
Tribune Ad. Responsible
SINGULAR il is that The Tribune IS
nartlv responsible for the existence OF
N, National Maltese Dog Club. lev
Years ago Mrs. BOSNIAN saw an al. IN
This paper about Maltese dog oeing
for sale. and on the strength OF the
information she purchased the niue
dog. She liked the breed so well tnst
the specimen became the foundation OF
her kennel, and she is to-day one OF the
keenest students Of the little aristo-
crat of the boudoir" on this side Oh the
Atlantic.
With unwavering presidency ana tne
critical acumen of the enthusiastic IAN
cier, Mrs. Rossman has delved into the
history of the breed from the earnest
ages. even ps far back as eight centd-
ries before the Christian era. IN otner
ways Mrs. Rossman has done lot tow
ard the Standardization OF the preea,
but her GROWING effort was the organl-
cation of the club. and, with Mrs. II. D
Henderson and Mrs. NJ. KoerJin, the
promotion of the approaching show. In
commenting on the chief characters
tics of the breed Mrs. Rossman says:
"There is probably no toy dog 80
seldom seen or so little known as
the Maltese. II is rather pity, Tor
they are very beautiful, intelligent,
devoted pets. Essentially womans3
dog. vet the ancient writer's and
phiiosophers held them in high
esteem. and the fashionable men and
women of Greece and Rome, cen
turtles ago, considered these pleasant
playfellows' to represent the su-
creme pleasures of life and the
greatest of all delights The Greeks
erected tombs TO their Maltese dogs,
and on antique vases and tapestries
you will find these dogs. pictured
"a very fine model of Maltese
dog was dug UP at Fayvum, in kgypt,
and il is not unlikely that u was the
little Maltese dogs which the Ee?P,
tians worshipped. which so incensed
the lsraelites that when they es
caped the tyranny of the Egyptians
they used the epithet dog TO eN-
press their contempt.
"The fact that these dogs have for
centuries been household pets prob
ably accounts for their great intelll-
gence. fidelity and cleanliness: The
sncients bred them so small that
thew could be carried in the bosom
OF the dress. and frequently. in order
10 keep the dogs small, they resorted
10 strange means, such as shutting
them up in boxes and canisters or
Enclosing their bodies in the earth
when they are whelped, so they can
not grow great by reason OF the
place
Courage of Great Dane
although these dogges are little.
pretty, proper and hne, they nave
the courage of Great Dane when
il comes to defending their master
or mistress. They have q most acute
sence of hearing and wonderful in
tuition. qualities rare in 80 small a
dog. Five hundred years ago these
dogs were called the spaniel gentle
and the comforter two most APP
propriate names. We. with our mod
ern appliances. do not need the heat
from a little dogs body to relieve
cur aches and pains, but | do not
doubt that they were very useful TO
the people of olden days, and the
comforter was not misnomer;
neither can spaniel gentle for these
little animals are very gentle. never
snappish, and rarely, IL ever, bark
without cause.
"They are spaniels and not terriers,
ana are so now officially recognized
BY the American Kennel Club.
"The English Maltese with the eI-
ception of Lady Gifford's Oh. Hugh.
shown in 1870 are very much
larger, longer in body and have
longer muzzles and much longer
coats than the American dogs. 1t
is believed the English climate has
a great deal 10 do with the splendid
coats. BE that as it may, we have
in this country few dogs under six
pounds whose coats sweep the
ground"
Competent officials have been en-
gagged to pass upon the classes. c. j.
Hopton will act as referee and Theo-
dore Oferman and DR.. J. f. De Mund
will act as judges. The points which
will be considered are: Coat, 20; head,
/ 10; ears, eyes, nose and size. 8 points
each: tail and carriage lega. body