Evening star., 1940-10-04
BY HORACE KNOWLES,
Star Staff Correspondent.

FREDERICKSBURG, Va, Oct. 4,
If you can't bark and don't have
q tail to wag you don't rate much in
this town today.
The 18th annual renewal of
Fredericksburg traditional dog
mart is in full swing, with members
of the canine family arguing in
every tone of yelp, bark and howl
over one another's merits.
Some 500 dogs, from Mexican
chihuahuas to huge Great Dane
weighing some 1876 pounds, were
on the high school athletic field
by the time judging in the bench
show started. They came in wagons,
on foot, in automobiles and riding
on saddles with their masters.
Perfect "daVg" weather. jus t
enough sun to give the breeze a
good, old-fashioned dog" odor-
was on hand as the hundreds of
dog lovers from far and near gath
cred to talk over the years hunts.
One exhibitor, with a fine pack
of reddish hounds, said he had
bagged 80 coons in the past year.
The cut-away coat and old silk
hat of Thomas Cook, colored, of
Rock Ford. Va, were among the
familiar sights on hand. Cook had
squirrel dog to exhibit.
"Yes, sub; he am de bes' evah
en- de woods" conflded Cook. He
can tree'm jes as fas as you can
kill EN-"
Every kind of dog imaginable was
on the grounds, including a French
poodle all dressed up in red rib
bons, dozens of fine bird dogs and
scores of f1ap-eared hounds said to
tree anything but a polecat.
Attracting much attention as the
"cutest" in the show, were a basket
of cocker spaniel puppies only 10
days old-orphanS that have been
fed with medicine dropper. They
have now advanced to the bottle
stage and were busy enjoying their
midday meal before an apprecia-
tive audience at the show.
The program opened-after the
town had broadcast an urgent ap-
peal for all flea powder east of the
Mississippi River-with judging of
the chihuahuas and Chinese hair
less dogs. The entries, owned by
Mrs. A. J. Sweeney of Fredericks-
burg. won first place in both classes.
Other winners were fox terrier
class, entry of Kathleen Edwards,
Fredericksburg; toy fox terriers,
entry OF Virginia Hinton, Berea,
Va; pointer male, entry of Ivan
Payne, Bealton, Va: pointer female,
entry of L. P. Humphries, Beaver
Dam, Va; and wire haired terriers,
entry of Virginia Edwards, Silver
mine, Conn.
Anticipating a large number of
dogs to 60 on the block, managers
had two auctioneers ready to handle
the exchanges and sales-instead Of
the usual one.
Auctioneers John Hudson of Pas
sapatanzy and John Heubi of Fred
ericksburg will conduct the main
event, beginning at 2:30 pm, fol-
lowing a bench show, a fox horn
blowing contest and trick dog con-
test. The old-time fiddler's CON-
petition will be one of the Iveliest
events.
Judges for the bench show were
Mac D. Hart. executive secretary
of the State Commission of Game
and Inland Fisheries; Robert 7
Corbell of Richmond and Leesburg
Mrs. Dwight Chaplin of Stafford and
Miss Virginia Armeliini of Freder-
icksburg.
The ancient cry of the auctioneer
here once a year began in 1893 when
the Indians decided to give up war
crying for day and do little dog
trading with the white man The
white man agreed to lay down his
gun for at least "a hours a year and
the mart was arranged.
The arrangement worked all right
for n years, when the Revolutionary