MR. W. S. SEMMES

MR. W. S. SEMMES

On another page will be found an illustration of Mr. W. S. Semmes of Sardis ,Miss. , and his famous dog, Jack. Mr. Semmes is one of the best known fanciers of Pit Bull Terriers in America and has owned, bred and fought many good dogs. He is in the game purely for the sport and the pleasure he derives in breeding and owning top-notchers. Three of his best dogs are Semmes' Jack, Semmes' Colonel and Semmes' Dolly. The picture of the Colonel will be found in Mr. Semmes' advertisement on another page of this book, and Dolly in Dr. Williams' page advertisement. He sends us the following descriptions of the three dogs mentioned:

Semmes' Jack was a 55-pound dog. Mr. Semmes called him the champion of North America at the weight. He was a combination of the Gas-House and Burke's imported Rafferty dog; was imported from W. J. Farren of St. John , N. B., Canada . Jack was a terrible punisher, in fact, old time dog men claim he was without doubt the greatest fighting dog of this age. He killed Farren's Tim in 47 minutes, killed Powers' Bob in 49 minutes, licked Poole's dog of Decatur , Ala. , in 16 minutes, stopped Rowdy of New Orleans, who had been expressly brought from Brooklyn, N.Y., to defeat him, in 18 minutes, stopped Faulkner's Duke at Tallahatchie in 27 minutes. Was open against all comers for any amount for four years without a taker.

Semmes' Colonel, 42 pounds in condition, was a son of Big Jack out of East Port Mollie, a Burke bred bitch. Colonel won a national reputation when he killed Green's Jack of New Orleans in 42 minutes. Green's Jack, after he killed Bowser's Crib in a fight lasting three hours and thirty-five minutes, was justly entitled to be called the best in the country. Colonel lost in St. Louis on a foul. Semmes' Dolly, claimed by her owner as the most perfect type of Pit Bull Terrier in the country, was sired by Lattimore's Dick, who won several times around Canada and was killed in his last battle in Boston . Dolly was darned by Harley's Dolly, the champion 22-pound bitch of Canada and the United States, having won her title by defeating Rogan's Mollie, who had previously held this title.