This first one in a photo and article from El Paso Tx. 1917
The man in this photo is Hamilton P Rayner he was born 1859 in Raleigh North Carolina, died April 1932 El Paso. He started capturing wild Chihuahua's in 1901
when he was 42 This man lived a wild life being a 'Marshal in Dallas and Ft Worth, before moving to El Paso. His brother was in a bar in El Paso and was playing cards
with Wyatt Erupt a fight happened and his brother was shot and killed. I'm not sure but I would guess he was one of the first Chihuahua breeders. The Chi. in this photo is sitting on his hand.
This Chihuahua is a fine looking girl. El Paso Morning Times Sunday Jan 14 1917
"Chico" the little dog sitting in the man's hand, is worth more than his weight in silver and almost his weight in gold. He weighs only two and half pounds,
but his owner, Hamilton Rayner of 3330 Montana, El Paso, declares each pound in the makeup of Chico is worth $200.00
Mr. Rayner has been raising these dogs for nearly 15 years and has produced in Chico a super Chihuahua canine for the ordinary member of this family weighs
about four pounds, Chico outdoing his brethren, therefore, by a pound and a half.
Although small, these dogs are extremely vital and posses qualities that make them different from ordinary canines. They can climb trees and steep hillsides
almost like squirrels. When domesticated, they rank high as watch dogs, but require the care that one accords babies.
Mr. Rayner has attracted world-wide attention by some of the this species he has raised. At the St Louis World's fair, he took four prizes, and he has received
inquiries from noted English dog experts and foreign an American papers have devoted many columns to descriptions of his pets.
Foreign royalty and American millionaires have been attracted by Chihuahua dogs, Mrs. Rayner having sold his little dogs to the following; Princes Colorado
Mansfield, niece of the late Francis Joseph emperor of Austria-Hungary: William J Bryan who purchased two; H.H. Harges, partner of J P Morgan, who took tow; Mrs. Stuveysant,Fish, Two; J B Thomas;
president of the C & A; Mrs. Owen Wister: Mr. Phefer, a Michigan brewer; a daughter of Anheuser Bush; Rider Haggard, Mrs., Stoddard, sister of the president of the Rock Island Lines and
others.
At birth a Chihuahua puppy is but the size of a mouse and when he grows up his legs resemble a pencil.
As a native of the Mexican wild's, the Chihuahua dog has not entirely disappeared many of them being found. In fact, several have been located running wild in
the Franklin mountains. But the wild specimen needs development, and Mr. Rayner is an expert at this, as proven by his success in Chico, who is just a little more than half the size of his small
fellow Chihuahuas.