236 THE PORTRAIT GALLERY 



PLANTING SHARON ROSES IN THE BLUEGRASS 



92. Foremost in the first rush of emigration, seeking the grain 

 and pasture land of Kentucky and Ohio, in the early years of the 

 last century were two brothers, FELIX and GEORGE RENICK, of 

 Hardy Co., Virginia. By aid of the compass, they beat their track 

 across the mountains, and settled on large tracts of land near the 

 present site of Chillicothe, Ohio. They were representative of 

 the most influential type of these agricultural pioneers, accustomed 

 to breeding cattle for grazing and feeding purposes, and familiar 

 with the fattening of steers on "shock" corn in the open fields of 

 winter. Their first contribution to the agriculture of the region, 

 lay in driving to the seaboard the cattle grown out and fattened 

 in this rich prairie region. In 1805, GEORGE RENICK drove sixty 

 eight animals through to Baltimore and on arriving in good con- 

 dition very profitably disposed of them. Since this solved the 

 marketing problem, the cattle industry advanced with amazing 

 strides. In 1817, FELIX RENICK marketed 100 richly furnished 

 Shorthorn steers at Philadelphia, at an average price of $134 per 

 head. This experience so elated him that he rapidly became the 

 leading feeder of market toppers in Ohio, and with one exception 

 was the most extensive breeder and feeder of bullocks of improved 

 blood in the United States. In length of time, GEORGE RENICK 

 probably rendered greater service as a feeder, but he at no time 

 equalled the extensiveness of FELIX'S operations. 



The leading breed in the Ohio valley at this time was the Long- 

 horn, and considerable rivalry existed between the followers of 

 this stock, and the supporters of the Shorthorn. The Ken- 

 tuckians largely flocked to the first standard, and the Ohioans 

 to the second. Since in the shows the Longhorns usually landed 

 on top, the only step consonant with the pride of the Ohio men 

 was to secure animals of sufficient merit to defeat them. FELIX 

 RENICK became the initiator of a proposition to form a joint 

 stock company from among the cattle growers of this district to 



