212 A HISTORY OF SHORT-HORN CATTLE. 



183) of the stockholders reaping "a large profit 

 on their investment," but this was not true save 

 in the case of a few of the minor members of 

 the association, who were not buyers of cattle.* 



Nearly ail the capital stock subscribed was 

 repaid in cattle at high prices. Had the ani- 

 mals been resold soon the shareholders would 

 have made a good profit, but most of them were 

 in the business as a steady pursuit and kept the 

 cattle until overtaken by the great depression 

 that soon afterward set in. George Renick in- 

 vested more liberally than any other one stock- 

 holder and had the largest herd, but his sales of 

 surplus stock were made at moderate prices, 

 and in 1846 he was obliged on account of ad- 

 vancing age to give up the management of his 

 landed estates and his entire herd was offered 

 at auction. "Hard times" prevailed, however, 

 at that period and but one-half the cattle were 

 sold, and those at ruinous figures. The other 

 Renicks, Gov. Trimble, Messrs. Seymour, Sulli- 

 vant, Vanmeter, Watts, et al., had also to be con- 

 tent with moderate returns until the revival 

 which set in about 1850. 



The prime object, however the providing of 

 material for the improvement of the Ohio and 



* Among 1 these was a well-known capitalist, Lyne Starling of Columbus, 

 who, when the agent of the company called after the last sale and paid him 

 more than double the amount of his investment, was amazed, a,nd told Mr. 

 Renick that he had intended the amount as a contribution for the improve- 

 ment of the cattle of the country and had never expected a dollar in re- 

 turn. How. T. C. Jones, in Breeder's Gazette, Sept. 7, J6'2. 



