THIRD ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART XI. 635 



the great International Exposition it must of necessity be with animals 

 of identically the same type as that of their most formidable adversaries." 

 No doubt this is true, but Mr. Mitchell, if imitation is good and necessary 

 would not the real thing be better, for there is nothing so like a good Angus 

 as a good "Doddie?" I prefer the Angus because their breeding here is 

 carried on under similar conditions and with the same object under which 

 and for which the breed was originally evolved. Consequently after gen- 

 erations of breeding here the offspring fully retain the valuable qualities 

 of their imported ancestors. 



Two causes lead to peculiar sales here, namely: Dispersions of es- 

 tablished herds and surplus stock caused by rapid natural increase. Men 

 buy at these sales because they want the cattle and want them as low in 

 price as honorable and pair competition will allow. The female passing 

 through the ring for the first and last time on to their new homes where 

 their female produce is kept to increase the herd, the bulls sold to neigh- 

 boring farmers to cross on grade cows, raising steers and heifers that at 

 from twenty to thirty months old top the market as "Angus," that being 

 the Chicago name for 'Prime Scots." For the last fourteen years in un- 

 broken succession this breed has topped the Chicago Christmas market. 

 This business will last as long as corn or grass is grown in the northwest 

 and men eat beef, prefering the best as it is proportionately alike profit- 

 able to the breeder and the feeder, to the butcher and the consumer. No, 

 you buy at my sale today and I will buy at yours next week and so on. I 

 know cows, yes many, originall good, now with a few wrinkles on the 

 horn, but no live calf to credit (had no time for maternal duties), but who 

 can repeat the colonel's good jokes without looking at a book. The Angus 

 sales in 1903 were opened at Chicago January 6th and 7th by the disper- 

 sion of the Redwood Falls, Minn., herd of Tyson & Company, made neces- 

 sary by the death of one of the two partners when the estate had to be 

 closed out. Old and young, bull and heifer, 76 in number, averaged $347. 

 This herd had never been shown at a fair so far as I know, certainly not 

 at a leading fair. Tyson & Co. had never bought an animal at a public sale 

 and rarely attended one. I was not at the sale but from the published re- 

 port was astonished to find the name of every buyer completely unknown 

 to me, showing plainly, if such were needed, that the foundation of their 

 popularity rests on the farming community. He who owns the cattle upon 

 a thousand hills, has been graciously pleased so far to shield our chosen 

 breed from the "boomer" and the "scalper." The boom being more fatal 

 to the cow than the tuberculosis, hollow horn and worm in the tail all 

 rolled together, and at this time of prosperity more to be dreaded. We 

 fear that something smelling very like this terrible scourge has made its 

 appearance in a spot among us, but hope the authorities (common sense) 

 will stamp it out by quarantine until all is purged and purified just as 

 the proper authorities with the bubonic plague on the Pacific coast. An- 

 other reason for the faith and hope that is in me then I am done. If we 

 have to walk through the vale of tears it is less dreary to march with the 

 victorious. The Angus men say they have let their cattle hitherto do the 

 "tooting." But now they are going to get brass band and yellow chariot. 

 I don't care for the band but have my eye on the wagon in which they 

 sav will be many seats. 



