Irish Wolfhound History

LOS ANGELES, SEPT. 9 (AP) - Rudolph Valentino bequeathed a third of his estate worth more than 1,000,000 to Mrs. Teresa Werner, an aunt by marriage, who remained loyal to him during a separation from Natacha Rambova, his last wife. The former wife, who is known in private life as Winifred Hudnut, is cut off with one dollar by the terms of the will.

That Mrs. Werner is to share equally with Alberto and Maria Guglielmi, brother and sister of the dead actor, in the final distribution of the Valentino estate was learned here yesterday when the provisions of the late screen star's will was made public by W.I. Gilbert, his confidential attorney. Gilbert has announced that he will file the document for probate tomorrow.

Mrs. Werner, an aunt of Natacha Rambova, is said at present to be in Nice with her sister, Mrs. Richard Hudnut, and her niece. Her home is in Salt Lake City. S. George Ullman, Valentino's manager, is named as executor without bonds.

Attorney Gilbert professed to have had no knowledge of the existence of the Will until he received word from Ullman in New York that the document would be turned over to him for filing. The Will was dated September 1st , 1923, and signed 'Rudolph Guglielmi'. It is said to have been drawn hurriedly at Valentino's request to supersede an earlier will made in New York in which Miss Rambova was named as the sole heir.

Valentino has left an estate worth in excess of $1,000,000 according to the estimate of Ullman. His real properties are appraised at a half million. This estimate does not include his rights in his last two pictures, "The Son of the Sheik" and "The Eagle", which are expected to result in a gross earning of more than a million dollars. A life insurance policy for $50,000 is included in the properties listed by Ullman.

"Falcon's Lair", Valentino's home in Beverly Hills, is valued at $175,000. A collection of armor and antiques is said to be worth $75,000. Another house here and a seven acre tract in Beverly Hills swell the total by $115,000. Three Italian motorcars are put down for $46,000. There are five other cars to be included in the appraisement.

Valentino's private stables are valued at $5,000. His five horses included an Arabian Thoroughbred and three Irish jumpers. Twelve pedigreed dogs are valued at $12,000. One is an Irish Wolfhound, the gift of Mrs. Glen Stuart (should be Glenn Stewart), of New York, and said to be worth $5,000.

 Rudolph Valentino and wolfhound
Rudolph Valentino with Centaur Pendragon
(bred by Mrs. Glenn Stewart, by Bally Shannon
ex Sinn Fein, wh. December 4th, 1924) 

The property list includes Valentino's $7,500 yacht, "The Phoenix", a pistol collection, a complete bird collection and two bird aviaries and his personal jewelry. His wardrobe is said to include many suits of clothes, 60 pairs of shoes, 300 ties, and 1,000 pairs of socks, exclusive of costumes used in his pictures.

Gastonia Daily Gazette, Gastonia, North Carolina. September 9th, 1926

(Valentino died August 23rd, 1926 in New York City; born May 6th, 1895)


Largest Dogs

The bureau of animal Industry says that the three largest breeds of dogs are St. Bernards, mastiffs and Irish wolfhounds. The largest dog of which it has record is Bally Shannon, an Irish wolfhound, size 180 pounds, owned by Mrs. Glen Stewart of Easton, Md.

The Pinedale Roundup, Pinedale, Wyoming Thursday, July 21st, 1927


IRISH WOLFHOUND
It Was Once Used in Battle.

hound on hind legs 
 Shanganagh, Champion Irish Wolfhound

This giant Irish wolfhound, reaching up eight feet as you see in the picture, can be found now only in dog shows or on estates of dog fanciers. Shanganagh, the dog in the picture, reaching for a lump of sugar held in the hand of his mistress the fair Mrs. F. Bonstcll of Oakland, Calif., is said to be the tallest dog in the world. ... But he would look small, effete, over-civilized, compared with Irish wolfhounds of the same breed that the great St. Patnck knew so well.

Many are familiar with incidents in the life of the good saint; how he defied and convened the pagan kings of Ireland, how he was kidnappcd as a boy and taken by pirates from his home on the mainland to the Irish Island where he lookcd after swine in herds, and patiently awaited his chance. Not everybody knows that when he made his escape the ship that carried him back to the mainland had come to Ireland to get a shipload of gigantic Irish wolfhounds like the one in this picture, but frightfully savage. They were used then in "war, trained to fight, protected with iron spikes around their necks, and set loose to harass the enemy in the midst of the battle."

The San Antonio Light, February 2nd, 1928


If it is size you want, the Irish wolfhound will do. It is just the thing to have in the home if you haven't quite enough room for a polo pony.

The Oakland Tribune, Oakland, California Wednesday, 29th February, 1928


Irish Chiefs once used.... 
Irish wolfhound

IN the fourth century a Roman consul wrote his brother in Ireland to thank him for his "generous gift of seven Irish dogs" which were to be used in fighting "lions, bears and Saxons" at the circus.

This is among the first mentions we have of the dog we know as the Irish Wolfhound, but there are other evidences that take the origin of the breed back to legendary times in Ireland. No one knows their exact origin.

Used in Warfare
There was a time when only Irish chieftains were allowed to keep them. Many ancient Irish kings carved their image on their royal crests with this significant motto: "Gentle when stroked, fierce when provoked."

These great hounds are frequently mentioned in Irish history. They are huge animals and were employed in warfare against armed men and for hunting.

Irish Wolfhounds were often sent as presents to monarchs of other countries. Cromwell finally forbade this practice on the grounds that the wolves were becoming too numerous due to scarcity of the dogs.

Gain Popularity
The popularity of the breed is on the increase. Many kennels exist in the United States today, but twenty years ago there was scarcely a pure-bred Irish Wolfhound in the country.

In general appearance the dog should not be quite so heavy or massive as the Great Dane, but more so than the Deerhound. Adult males should stand at least 31 inches at the shoulder and females within 2 or 3 inches of that. They should appear strong, muscular and graceful. In short, just the kind of an animal an old Irish king would take to battle with him.

The Capital Times, Madison, Wisconsin, Friday, August 10th, 1928


hound and girl
 English Dogdom's New Giant

NO street flirt will ever bother Miss E. P. Orpen, of London, when she walks down the Strand with her pet puppy, which is only nine months old. The pet's name is "Dubhgall Maic Somhairic," but, when he is not formally entered in a dog-show, his mistress calls him just Dub. At the Kennel Club Show in the Crystal Palace recently this Irish wolf hound won first prize and attracted a great deal of attention. His mistress-owner claims he is the largest dog in the world. When he stands up on his hindfeet he towers head and shoulders above her.

Her claim will be denied by an American woman, Mrs. Horatio Bonestall, of Oakland, California, owner of the marvelous Irish wolf hound Shanganagh. In his day Shanganagh was the champion of all wolf hounds. Standing on his hind legs he reared eight foot two inches into the air, measuring thirty-six inches at the shoulders. And he had by no means achieved his full growth, being then less than two years old. He weighed over 200 pounds.

While not so heavy as the St. Bernard, the Irish wolf hound is considerably taller, and easily outclasses all the other big dogs for size and bulk. The picture on this page gives an idea of how this dog looks. His immense size and shaggy, grizzled coat add greatly to his impressiveness. And, combined with these, the wolf hound possesses that rare union of great courage and bravery with a gentle and .affectionate disposition. He.was used as a guardian against wolves by the Irish shepherds of old.

The Irish wolfhound figures in many legends, the best known perhaps being that of Gelert, who has given his name to the Welsh village Beth Gelert. The hound was presented to Llewelyn the Great, King of Wales, by King John of England in 1205. The story goes that one day, the dog having left him in the field, Llewelyn returned from the chase in angry mood. When he reached the castle Gelert, covered with blood, rushed out from the chamber of his little son to greet him. The king entered and found the bed overturned and stained with gore. He called to the boy, but there was no answer, and rashly concluding that the dog had killed him he plunged his sword into Gelert's body. A further search revealed the child sleeping unharmed beneath the overturned bed, and beside it lay a dead wolf, which had been killed by the gallant hound.

It is said that remorse led Llewelyn to build a chapel in memory of Gelert and to erect a tombstone over his grave.

The San Antonio Light, Texas Sunday, December 2nd, 1928


BRIAN, a thoroughbred Irish Wolfhound, owned by J. G. MacKenzie, of Lima, Ohio, isn't the largest dog in the world - that is, not yet. But he is expected to grow into that honor within the next few months because he's only a year-old pup and still has several inches to go before he attains his full growth. At the moment, this monster canine, who is as gentle as a kitten, stands a full seven feet when his trainer holds him in an upright position. Before Brian is two years old, his owner predicts that he will be at least a foot taller than he is today.

The San Antonio Light, San Antonio, Texas. Sunday, December 1st, 1929


IT'S A GREAT DAY.... for the O'Sullivans as colleen Maureen leads her two Irish wolfhounds for a romp across the green on St. Patrick's Day. The charming Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer actress will soon be seen with Johnny Weissmuller in a new "Tarzan" film.

Maureen O'Sullivan & two hounds 
date unknown
 
 Maureen O'Sullivan M.G.M. Star and her two Irish Wolfhounds
The New Idea October 26th, 1942

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