SECOND PERIOD OF ACTIVITY. 248 



they were forced to pay 700 guineas the top 

 price of the sale. She was a roan, coming 

 three years old, sired by 4th Duke of York 

 (10167) out of Duchess 55th, and became the 

 ancestress in America of the far-famed Oneida, 

 Geneva and Thorndale branches of the Bates 

 Duchess tribe; the sale of which, at New York 

 Mills in 1873 proved the most sensational event 

 in Short-horn history. 



This Ducie sale was also attended by Messrs. 

 Samuel Thorne and F. M. Rotch of New York. 

 Mr. Thorne was in quest of Short-horns for his 

 father, Jonathan Thorne of Dutchess County, 

 and purchased Duchess 59th, Duchess 64th and 

 Duchess 68th. For these he gave 350 guineas, 

 600 guineas and 300 guineas respectively. Had 

 it not been for the bidding of Mr. J. S. Tanque- 

 ray and Gunter of Gloucestershire the Ameri- 

 can buyers would have taken all of the Duch- 

 esses. It was the competition between the Old 

 World and the New that resulted in such high 

 prices as compared with those made at Kirk- 

 levington three years previous. The six head 

 of cattle for which Earl Ducie had paid 955 

 10s. upon that occasion brought at Tortworth 

 2,052 15s. This sale, it may be said, fairly 

 marked the beginning of what is known this 

 side of the Atlantic as the great Bates "boom." 

 Duchess 55th at 50 guineas, Oxford 6th at 205 

 guineas, Oxford llth at 250 guineas, Oxford 16th 



