Turk II – 1881-1887

Part of the ‘Smith family history’ series

A brief note today, about what may initially seem like an inconsequential fact. During the years 1881-1887, I was able to find mentions of Robert Windsor Smith owning, showing, and breeding a mastiff named Turk II. While the details of Robert’s activities with his dog is somewhat interesting, it may be ultimately more important that it establishes his readership of Forest and Stream magazine during George Bird Grinnell‘s editorship. I’ll discuss George Bird Grinnell and his establishment of the first Audubon Society in the pages of Forest and Stream in a future post. To give an idea of what the contents of a typical Forest and Stream issue included, see the contents listed on the following title page.

This specific issue from November 17, 1881 included the following in the “Kennel Notes” “Names Claimed” section:

Turk – Claimed by Mr. R. Windsor Smith, Atlanta,Ga., for mastiff dog whelped Dec. 8, 1880, by Mr. Chas. C. Bull’s Turk out of Mr. Nelson Bogue’s Flora.

Forest & Stream, 11/17/1881. Note that technically the dog’s name was Turk II

I found a few notes from the December 19, 1883 bench show in New Orleans, including the following article from The New Orleans Times-Picayune, where Robert is mentioned, and Turk II was apparently “very highly commended.”

A write-up of the same New Orleans bench show in the January 3, 1884 edition of Field and Stream is somewhat more reserved in Turk II’s showing.

In the mastiff class, the first prize was withheld, there being no dog shown which the judge deemed worthy the place. Mr. Wade’s Europa, which took second, was shown too low in flesh. Turk II., belonging to Mr. R. Windsor Smith, of Atlanta, Georgia, is a very large dog, but is weak in loin and hindquarters.

Forest and Stream, 1/3/1884

Note that Robert’s ownership of Turk II predates the American Kennel Club which was established in Philadelphia in September of 1884. I was able to find two mentions of Robert and Turk II in volumes of The American Kennel Club Stud Book from both 1885 and 1887.

3275. Turk II. – Mr. R. W. Smith, Atlanta, Ga. Breeder, Mr. N. Bogue, Batavia, N. Y. Whelped Dec. 8, 1880; fawn and black; by Turk, out of Flora; Turk by Pluto

The American Kennel Club Stud Book, Volume II

Venus. – W. W. Carnes, Macon, Ga. Breeder, R. Windsor Smith, Atlanta, Ga. Whelped January 29, 1886; fawn, black points; by Turk II. (3275, Vol. II.), out of Belle, by Sir Walter Raleigh, out of Queen Bess, by Sampson, out of Sappho; Sir Walter Raleigh, by Austin’s Jack, out of Dido.

The American Kennel Club Stud Book, Volume IV

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I couldn’t find any later references to Turk II. So what do we make of all this? As I mentioned earlier, on the one hand this is arguably a tangential aside, but on the other it gives us a hint that Robert was very likely actively reading Forest and Stream during George Bird Grinnell’s editorship, during which there were clearly many ornithological notes.

Next we will look at a series of events in the late 1880’s that would ultimately lead to Robert and Mary leaving their home on Whitehall to a less urban environment, the village of Kirkwood.