194 A HISTORY OF SHORT-HORN CATTLE. 



position in the cattle trade, and they were men 

 of action. They had indeed already taken steps 

 to protect and promote their own interests by 

 the formation of the memorable 



Ohio Importing Company. Felix Renick, a 

 man deserving high rank in American Short- 

 horn history as one of the most intelligent of all 

 those who helped to place the "infant industry " 

 squarely upon its feet, was the prime mover in 

 a proposition looking to the formation of a 

 joint stock company to be made up of the lead- 

 ing contemporary cattle-growers of the Scioto 

 Valley and contiguous Ohio territory for the 

 purchase of English cattle. Nov. 2, 1833, ex- 

 Governors Allen Trimble and Duncan McAr- 

 thur, with the Messrs. Renick and others, 

 formed a company "for the purpose of promot- 

 ing the interests of agriculture and of intro- 

 ducing an improved breed of cattle," and they, 

 together with the subscribers mentioned below, 

 contributed the amount of money necessary 

 " to import from England some of the best im- 

 proved cattle of that country." 



There were in all about fifty shareholders, 

 but two of whom resided out of the State. 

 These were Isaac Cunningham of Kentucky 

 and W. H. Cunningham of Virginia. The fol- 

 lowing is a list of the other subscribers from 

 the several counties represented in this asso- 

 ciation: Ross Ex-Gov. Duncan McArthur, Fe-. 



