286 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



corporate existence, and Messrs. C. M. Culbertson, W. S. Van Natta, 

 C. B. Stuart, G. S. Burleigh and T. L. Miller were appointed a com- 

 mittee to incorporate the same under the laws of Illinois, before 

 the next .annual meeting. 



The fifth meeting of the Association was held at the Sherman 

 House, Chicago, November 15 and 16, 1883, with President Cul- 

 bertson in the chair. The committee on incorporation reported 

 that they had duly made application for incorporation, as directed ; 

 that a certificate thereof had been granted them on the 10th of 

 November, 1883, and that the Association was now a corporate 

 body ; so it may be said that the present American Hereford Cattle 

 Breeders' Association was born at that time. 



Mr. W. S. Van Natta, now of Fowler, Ind., was made president 

 and a set of by-laws and rules were adopted. At that time, there 

 was, as before stated, something like eighty members of the Asso- 

 ciation owning in round numbers about 2,300 head of registered 

 cattle. 



From this brief narrative of the most important actions and 

 the principal actors in this organization of the early breeders of 

 Herefords down to the date of its incorporation, and its purchase 

 of the Hereford Record, but little conception can be had of the 

 difficulties and discouragements with which these pioneers had to 

 contend in laying the foundation of the imposing structure that 

 has since been reared thereon. In the first place, these breeders 

 were but few in number, less than a score being present at their 

 first meeting, and but a few more at their second gathering, with 

 a total enrollment at that time of only thirty-four members. In 

 the second place, they were, it might be said, in an enemy's coun- 

 try, surrounded by hostiles at all times. They could then get no 

 encouragement or favorable recognition from the agricultural or 

 live stock press, no tolerance at the hands of fair and fat-stock 

 show managers, and no decisions without manifest prejudice at the 

 live stock shows. It was no unusual occurrence in the early ex- 

 perience of these pioneers to have the judges at the live stock 

 shows award the prizes to another breed without ever examining 

 or coming anyways near the Hereford exhibits. In the great live 

 stock markets of the country, where now it may be said the friends 

 of the Herefords are legion, there were none to do them reverence 

 — not one to speak their praise. These conditions were such as 

 would have brought discouragement, with abandonment of their 

 efforts, to the most of men, but not so with these stout-hearted 

 pioneers. Defeat only stimulated them to greater efforts, and mis- 



