DOGS and their OWNERS

THE Thirty-seventh Annual Show of the Westminster Kennel Club will be held at the new Grand Central Palace, New York, on the twenty-third to the twenty-sixth of this month, and it promises to be as successful as of yore with the splendid entry of over two thousand dogs. This show is by far the greatest in America, and in some instances it is altogether better and more spectacular than the largest of the kennel events in the British Isles. The quality at a New York show is always superb, and it is there where champions of the new and old worlds meet, and, consequently, there is much speculation as to what the awards will be. Different judges will always have their own opinions. If every adjudicator placed the same dog first at show after show, then dog shows would end, and a pleasing and often a paying pastime cast aside.

THE international element will enter more than ever into this month's show and there will be judges from the other side whose names are household ones among the owners of high class dogs. Capt. W. R. Beamish, who will judge the bulldogs is quite "a character" in his way. He is the soul of bon hommie, the soldier, the man about town, the club man, and the dog fancier. Captain Beamish saw much actual service in the South African War and is an Irishman, as his name denotes. Mr. J. L. McCandlish of Redditch, England, will judge the Scottish Terriers and the West-Highland white terriers.

COOMING to the show itself, expect to see a great improvement both in the quality and in the number of bloodhounds. Miss Mary Archer has been exhibiting very good hounds recently and her Bonhampton Baghera is likely to beat Kim from the same kennel, while Miss Amy Bonham's Green River Kingcraft may have the call over both. The sensation of the show in this breed will be Mrs. Knox's King of Kings, one of the most wonderful puppies ever seen. He is a red-tan in color and sound. A son of Kiralfy and Kohinoor, he was bred in the famous Danbury, Conn., Kennels. If he has a fault he could be a shade bigger. But he will grow into a big hound, assuredly. In his head properties he is simply remarkable. He has the loose skin and wrinkles of an old hound. Indeed, I do not remember seeing a wrinkled and headed dog anything like King of Kings, since the days of Champion Cromwell (England). The ears of King of Kings trail the ground. He will be hard to beat when he is led in for the winner's class.

Mr. Morris Kinney of the Kinnelon Kennels, Butler, N. J., will be well ahead in the mastiff classes. The Great Danes are always good at the New York show and I like the chances of Mr. Ludwig's dogs in their section while it will be a good go between Mr. Robert Goelet's Zenda of Sudbury and Champion Zaida of Sudbury in the bitch class. Zaida, a wonderfully nice young one, just over a year old, will be likely to beat her distinguished dam.

THE St. Bernards will have large classes and the Alta-bred ones are likely to prevail. Mrs. A. W. Lee will judge them. Champion Alta Marvel may be going down the hill. Col. Jacob Ruppert has unfortunately dropped out of exhibiting St. Bernards, but some of his smooth dogs are now owned by the Elkwood Kennels, and the old Ruppert representative Splendidus will probably take the blue. The Hercuvean Kennels, the White Star Kennels, Mr. W. Bourke Cochran, have always something good in St. Bernards.

The Russian wolfhounds are always attractive and as they lie on their benches they are greatly admired. Mr. Jos. B. Thomas (Valley Farm Kennels) and the Vladeska Kennels generally provide the winners in these classes. Irish wolfhounds are likely to be chiefly represented by Mr. and Mrs. T. Douglas Robinson. The Scottish deerhounds will muster well. Greyhounds will be small in numbers but very good. The plums will probably fall to Ben. F. Lewis, Jr., who is relying not only on his old and wellknown champions but on new and "fresh" longtails from the other side and especially purchased by his father in England, in January. Among these dogs is Champion Butcher Boy, a winner of over 200 first prizes on the other side. He is a big white and black dog of the greatest merit.

A MERICAN foxhounds will be representative. The English fox-hounds will probably be led by the Middlesex of which Mr. A. H. Higginson of South Lincoln, Mass., is the master. Mr. Robert J. Collier, can, just now exhibit a very fine five couples of English foxhounds and mostly bred by the Marquis of Zetland. There is a capital entry of Beagles and when you see the little hounds owned by Mr. Henry C. Phipps, The Somerset, The Sir Sister, The Belray, The Domino, Mr. Payne Whitney, Mr. Frank D. Stuart, Mr. J. M. Ceballos, Jr., Mr. Reynals and others, you are in for a feast for the eyes and an education on the smallest of the hunting hounds.

THE pointers will be very good this year and the "regulars" will have as new rivals several recently imported dogs purchased in January in England and Scotland by Mr. Ben Lewis of Lansdowne, Pa. These were procured on behalf of Mr. E. B. Chase of Philadelphia and they will be prominent. Mr. W. T. Payne, Mr. Harry D. Kirkover, Mr. Jay Gould, and other well-known gentlemen are always well represented in the pointer classes at the Westminster and this year Mr. William Ziegler, Jr., and Col. R. Rieman Duval will be likely to take a hand. The English setters, like their cousin gundogs, are always worth a week's journey to see. The prominent exhibitors at a Westminster show have among them, Mr. A. G. Hooley, Dr. James E. Hair, Mr. E. B. Chase, The Berkeley Kennels, Mr. Joseph Lewis. All exhibit the highest class dogs with the Meadowview Kennels (Mr. Hooley's) the largest number of dogs. English setters at a New York show make a series of classes that has no superior anywhere. I hear a great account of Mr. Chase's Bob White Masterpiece — a beauty.

Gordon setters arc not so good as they were years ago and the Yesdike Kennels if they send their dogs from Easton, Pa., may accomplish the wished-for trick with Yesdike Challenge and Champion Carlo. The Irish setters are likely to be good. Mr. R. H. Bardsley has a good dog in Teddy's Mark but it is expected that Mr. Louis Contoit will send a fine team from Mount Kisco, N. Y. His Irish setters are always above the average in quality.

MR. CLARENCE M. CHAPMAN can generally be depended on for a good dog or two of the Retriever breed at the Westminster, and Mr. George J. Gould and Mr. John Brett of New York City, are more than often forward in the prizelist with their dogs of the flat coated variety of this most useful breed. Mr. Louis A. Thcbaud and Mr. Charles Henry Mellon are likely to exhibit their Griffons