SHORTHORN BREEDERS' ASSOCIATION. 11)5 



iKituro. Did ever any of you know any business that was tioatecl on 

 the hiyh title of prosiiciMty forever witliout any reverses*/ If you did 

 and can give us tlic naiuc of tliat liusiness. 1 assure you that ere two 

 weeks have rolled aroimd. there will he enough competition in that busi- 

 ness to draw the cloud over that silver lining. I predict that we liave 

 almost, if not quite, dosccnded to the l>ottom of the hill on this side, and 

 that soon we will begin the .-iscent on the otlier. True, the momentum 

 gained from the descent may not caiiy us as high as we weie before, 

 Vmt 1 am sure that no breeder cares for that, as it is always better to 

 be on a sound hnancial basis than to have fictitious prices. So then let 

 none of us become discouraged, but let us all keep right on in the way 

 dictated by our consciences, for that is the l)esl advice to follow, pro- 

 viding we do not allow it to become dwarfed. 



Tavo years ago, Ix-ing impelled by the success attained tlie preceding 

 year, we decided to offer siiecial premiums on Indiana cattle at our State 

 Fair that j'ear, and your Executive Committee was instructed to re- 

 ceive subscriptions and make out the premium lists along certain lines 

 laid by yourselves. The committee started out with every encouragement 

 and hope of success until it came to receiving responses to our appeals 

 for subscriptions. Well, you all know the result of our elfoiis in that 

 direction, and as it is a delicate subject, 1 will not dwell on it. The only 

 consolation the Executive Committee got out of that year's work was the 

 vote of contideuce given it by a re-election at our last annual meeting. 

 We all hate to retire under tire, no matter what the occasion, ;uid I as- 

 sure you that when the present committee Avas elected that we deter- 

 mined, if possible, to retrieve our fallen prestige and went at it with re- 

 newed vigor, determined that the wishes of tliis Association with refer- 

 ence to these special prizes should be carried out if it were in otu- power. 

 The result of oin- efforts for this last year has already been attested at 

 the last State i'air. not only by the number of animals shown, but by 

 the high (piality of the same. Your (■<imniittee secured by subscriptions 

 from the mendjers of this Association ilie sum of ."frdiii. and alter lalioring 

 with the State I'.oaid of Agricultmc we udI iheui to duplicate the .-imttunt, 

 thus making the sum of .$l.(i()it offered on ludiaua Shorthorns aloue. This 

 sum was divided lietweeii ten dilTereiit classes and there were lifty-two 

 entries in tliesc dilfer.'ut classes and liardly an inferior aiuinal in the 

 Imucii. I 1U)W t;ike tliis oji|ioituniI y of l]iaid<iiig you ou beh.Mlf of the 

 comnuttee for tlie generous sulisciiptioiis to thai fund, and we desire 

 to say to you all who contributed to the success of that show, whetlier 

 as an exhibitor or contributor, th.-it hut for your assist.MUcc ilial part 

 of the late Indian:! St.ite Fair would have been as dismal a failure as it 

 was the year before, and no oiu- apiireciiites tliat mor(> than the com- 

 nuttee in charge of both. 



You will pardon me if I digress a little wlnle on this line of thought 

 to make mention of the splendid showing made by liidiiuiii Shorthorns at 



