The New York herald., 1921-02-11
Min9les With Crowd That Fills
Garden to Pay Homage
to the Dog.

When five or six thousand persons
concentrate in a given place merely tc
50 tisfy common fancy. rank outsider
naturally expresses curiosity over the
impelling influence. When that concen-
tration is at such an attraction as the
annual bench show of the Westminster
Kennel Club. which opened yesterday in
the Madison Square Garden, the ques-
ton is suggested: Who form the per-
sonal force back OF such demonstra-
ton?
Persons In the crowd at the opening
matinee whose experiences go back over
several decades OF bench shows OF the
club agreed that the attendance ex-
ceeded in numbers any they had seen at
any previous opening day session. and
in that mass of dog fanciers We're two
men who, more than any other two per-
sons present. helped make the show pos
sible. They were Richard II. Williams.
president OF the Westminster Kennel
Club. and William Rauch. chairman OF
the dog show committee OF the club.
For each of them IL was day OF in
teresting anniversaries. For Mr.. Will
Jams the opening marked the beginning
OF his seventeenth year as president of
the club and the thirty-seventh year OF
his services as n director. Yes" aid
Mr.. Williams, 1T was in 1884 when 7
was elected a director of the West
minister Kennel club, and / am glad
TO note that, as the years go on, the
attendance increases"
MIR. Rauch was found in tie avenue
set aside for shepherd dogs. In deep con-
versation with Joseph Il. Widener and
the latter's son. Peter A. Il. Widener I'd.
over the merits of Paula of Joselle. a
star member OF the Joseile Kennels.
owned by Mr.. Widener. Mr.. Widener
and his son are in New York from Phil
adelpnia for the duration of the show.
For Mr.. Rauch the opening of the
show marked his majority" as chair
man of the dog show committee, on
which his present associates are Mr..
Williams. Winthrop Rutherfurd and
Lewis A. Eldridge. 81 am twenty-one
years old to-day as chairman of the
committee. and j am very glad / am
here" said Mr.. Rauch. 81 don't think
the concentration of the show into three
days this year has any bearing upon the
very large attendance this afternoon.
am safe in saying that the club cannot
make any money this year at three
day show, but II is all in the interest OF
the sport, and that is all that concerns
any of us."
Francis r. Hitchcock. vice-president Of
the Westminster Kennel Club, is in
Aiken, but may come north for the
final day of the show. H.. X. Knapp. the
treasurer is convalescing from an opera
ton, but Mr. Eldridge who. in addition
70 being a member OF the show commit
tee also is secretary of the club. was
there, while the large board Of governors
was represented by Shepherd X. de
Forest.~W. Chauncey Floyd-Jones. p. X.
Kittredge and Lewis 5. Thompson.
Harry Payne Whitney. member Of the
toard, did not get there, but his brother.
Payne Whitney. whose wife Is owner or
the Greentree Kennels. did. That Mrs.
Payne Whitney was in the Garden the
moment the doors were opened was
foregone conclusion,
Trying TO elbow their way in the
crowd through the intersecting streets of
kennels or hanging to the rail about the
Judges. rings we're seen Mrs. Allen Cow
erneur Wellrnan and Miss Elizabeth
Sands OF Newport: Mrs James \. Bur
den. Mrs. Augustus F. kounze Mrs.
Morgan Belmont. Jacob Rupert. Major
and Mrs Theron t. Strong and Nine.
Carmen Pascova. The latter is best
known to the public as a singer who has
appeared with the Chicago Opera Com
nany. but she also is a dog fancier, be-
ing secretary OF the Australian Kennel
CIub She speciallzes in the breeding
OF Gordon settlers and has won 800
nrizes OF various colors in exhibiting
her dogs.
Among the many residents OF this
citv who have direct interest in the