Memories of the Pit Bull Terrier and His Master (History of Fighting Dogs Series)

Hanna.

THE ORIGIN OF THE BULL TERRIER

By

Ed. Maguire

The Bull Terrier is a breed sufficiently modern, to leave no doubt as to its derivation. In the first quarter of the ninteenth century, attention was being directed to the improvement of the Terriers throughout England and Ireland. New types were sought. The sporting men of that time, who patronized the prize ring and the cock pit, desired to produce a dog which could do something more than kill rats and unearth the Fox, for, at that time the terrier was used in rat-killing contests. Jimmy Shaw’s Jako could finish sixty rats in three minutes; and on one occasion at Manchester, England, made a record of killing one thousand in a little over an hour.

Now a dog was wanted combining all the dash and gameness of the Terrier, but with the heart, courage and fighting instinct of the Bull Dog, so the Terier and Bull Dog were crossed.

A large type of the Terrier was chosen, the large smooth-coated black and tan, also the early English white Terrier, a small dog only weighing about fourteen pounds, but noted for its gameness. This cross breed gave the fanciers the dog they had been looking for: a determined vermin killer, and interped fighter, upon which skill and the pit wagers were freely placed.

However, the animal was neither a true Terrier nor a true Bull Dog, but served his purpose and was highly valued for his gameness. It is a matter of record, that in 1806, Lord Camelford owned one of these types, for which he paid the very high price of eighty-four guineas, and which he presented to Champion Belcher, the great pugilist. This dog was featured in the Sporting Magazines of the time. He was a short-legged, thick-set, fawn-colored specimen with closely cropped ears and a broad, blunt, muzzle.

This kind of a dog continued throughout England and Ireland for many years and was known as the Bull and Terrier. Gradually the Bull Dog element, at first pronounced, was reduced by careful breeding, which eliminated the undershot jaw and bench legs of the English Bull Dog, and produced a type with sharpened head and long straight limbs. The Terrier characteristics were maintained so that little of the Bull Dog resemblance remained, except the fearless, fighting spirit.

In the past strains the Bull Terrier was much marked with fawn, brindle and black. About sixty years ago, a strain of pure white Pit dogs were bred by James Hinks, a well known dog man of that day, and to whom we are indebted to for the fine type of Bull Terrier we have today. The advent of the Hinke strain in 1862, brought the short-faced dog into disrepute. The best dogs of that time weighed between twelve and thirty-four pounds.

A great dog of that time was Nelson, twenty-one pounds, who killed twenty-eight dogs in the pit. Hink’s Dick, Old Dutch, and Madman were some other great dogs of the time.

Ireland turned out some of the best Pit dogs known. The Irish dogs were mostly brindle and buckskin.

Some believed the Irish strain of dogs to be gamer than the dogs bred in England, and imported some very good ones to this country from Ireland to fight some glorious battles. Among these were such dogs as: Bloom’s Black and Tan. Harry Jenning’s Bowler, Tutley’s Joe, Jack Brown’s Peter, Jim Corcoran’s Terry, The Gas House Dog, The Blind Dog, Burke’s Spring, and others which carried the blood of Irish champions.

Jenning’s Bowler fought Sabine’s Billie in Chicago, one of the most noted battles which took place in America. (See New York Clipper of Feb. 1866) Pete Kerwin lost $10,000 on this battle and William Bulshaw, stake holder, held $30,000 stake money. No doubt there are some living who remember this battle. At the pit side were such notables as Dan Noble, Hank Worth, Dutch Frank, Tom Darby, Joe Slater of Boston, the notorious Rodger Plant and others.

Cockney Charlie at that time imported Pilot, Paddy and others. Pilot whipped Crib. The late John P. Burke bred and fought some very wonderful game dogs, Old man Colby, Noonan, Casey, Farmer Brothers and others helped to keep them to the standard. Of late years it would appear that there is loose breeding since so many dogs quit fighting inside of an hour. Years ago it was nothing to see a battle last around three or four hours. Now a good many owners use the Journals to fight their dogs, but seldom get them into a pit.

Game dogs are scarce, but there are some men who have them, so the man, who is a fancier should be very careful about his breeding strain, and he will then have a better right to look for gameness in his dog than the fellow who breeds otherwise.

FAMOUS DOGS OF THE PAST

The following will describe Max, a dog owned by Mr. Joe Frommel of Mobile, Ala., a well known dog man. Max died in Peter Floody’s hands, Nov. 16, 1910. Mr. Floody of St. Paul, Minn., a well known dog man who breeds Pit dogs for pleasure, but claims no distinction as to the bloodline of the dog. He did not care if he had fifteen crosses of the old timers or one, yet he had some of the best, as the following article will show.

Max, color buckskin, was sixteen years old when he died. He was a full brother to Nigger and Toby, two proven game dogs now dead, stuffed and mounted in Louisville, Ky. Nigger and Toby, two litter brothers, were matched and fought two hours and ten minutes in the Pit, both dying immediately after the battle. They took the worst punishment ever seen in a Pit. This strain of dogs were bred from Newport Jack, he being a son of Napoleon Jack a dog who fought from coast to coast, especially well known in the south and west. Max his grandson won several hard battles and was never known to turn from his opponent. His age did not effect his fighting qualifications, except from feebleness, his gameness died with him. Max was crossed with descendents of Towser, of Ann Arbor, Mich., also Grid, of Detroit, Mich. He was a son of Cincinnati Paddy and of Shot, all battle winners. Grogan a half brother of Shot owned by Floody, was the nearest descendent of Con Feeley’s Jessie, living. Grogan’s dam, Lady Feeley, was a wonderful Pit bitch. Grogan’s sire, Young Harry, was a son of Old Harry, he a son of Con Feeley’s Jessie. Lady Feeley and Old Harry were half brother and sister to Grogan. While it is true that dogs of the past cannot win a battle of today, they are not belittled for that reason, any amateur knows that the better the blood, the more prospect of game dogs seem assured in the result of mating. The amateur, providing he has the proper blood, stands as much show of producing a game dog as a veteran. This bunk of fifteen crosses of the Gas House Dog and Bob The Fool is all wrong. The Gas House Dog, Grip, weighed thirty-one pounds, now with all of their breeding they come as heavy as ninety pounds. Is it possible to increase the weight and hold their gameness?

BATTLE RECORD OF MAGUIRES OLD SMUGGLER

The Publisher of this book has owned this famous old dog two different times, he was a lovable old boy and was always ready to fight and never ready to quit. While in my care he sired some game dogs. Old Smuggler is a pure Colby bloodline, his sire being Colby’s Bunch, dam Colby’s Monkey. His weight in the Pit was forty pounds. Color Black with white marks. U. K. C. register number 85494. He was purchased when a pup by J. R. McClough of Duluth, Minn., Mr. McClough sold him to Ed. Maguire of Elyria Ohio, and while in Mr. Maguire’s hands he had the following battles: In Nov. 1916, Smuggler was matched against Sieberts dog Banjo, a pure Henry dog sired by Black Brandy ex. Lady in White, on the outskirts of Lebanon, Pa. The battle went one hour and twenty-five minutes. Banjo outfought Smuggler, but Smuggler would go across as long as he could crawl. Banjo quit cold standing on four feet. Those who were watching the fight were very much surprised to see Banjo quit, as he was not hurt. He was too strong for old Smuggler, and Smuggler earned every cent of the gate receipts on this fight, which was $88.00.

Smuggler was next matched against a white dog, Paddy, bred around Boston, Mass. Paddy was supposed to have won eleven battles. He was owned by Harry Winters of Reading, Pennsylvania. This was January 18, 1917. This was for the gate receipts which was $100.00. Smuggler had a snap with Paddy as he seemed to be weak from being overtrained. Smuggler punished him so badly around the head and stifles that they gave up the battle to save Paddy in forty-seven minutes, Smuggler was not hurt. Paddy was a good dog and if he had been properly trained it would have been a great battle.

Smuggler was then matched with a Frenchman’s dog known as Black Diamond, owned by Wilbur Ploutz. Diamond weighed forty-four pounds and Smuggler forty-one pounds, this battle was fought on May 16, 1917 at Montreal, Canada, in the American Silver Dollar Saloon. Diamond had won over some good dogs in Canada, he came from St.John’s Newfoundland. Smuggler outfought Diamond from the start but Diamond could take it and seemed to like it. Smuggler had a leg hold on Diamond and after fiftyfive minutes broke it, Diamond then made a turn and when his handler turned him loose for a scratch he tried to climb out of the Pit. Diamond died that night in the Silver Dollar Saloon on the St. Lawrence River.

Smuggler was next matched with a dog named Nick at Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. Nick weighed fiftytwo pounds and was owned by a Jap. Smuggler stopped him in twentythree minutes and was not hurt.

In 1918 Mr. Maguire decided to send Smuggler the long route. He was sent against a dog named Black Jiggs, a hard biting and game dog, weight forty-six pounds. Henry Waleford and Burke Breeding. Jiggs took old Smuggler for twenty minutes, he never