PROGRESS IN THE CENTRAL WEST. 339 



of the early Indiana breeders, and afterward 

 acquired international reputation for his herd. 

 He was a native of North Carolina, but removed 

 to Indiana about 1830. He was a man of no- 

 table physique, standing six feet seven inches 

 in height, and for a number of years was one 

 of the most conspicuous figures in the frater- 

 nity of American Short-horn cattle-breeders. 

 His entire life was marked by that same deter- 

 mination and perseverance that impelled him 

 when little more than a lad to make the toil- 

 some journey from North Carolina over the 

 mountains into the West on foot and after ar- 

 riving to work for $6 per month cutting wood. 

 He bought his first Short-horn bull in 1836, and 

 from that time until his death, which occurred 

 Oct. 21, 1875, he never lost his interest in the 

 breed. He was closely associated with the 

 leading breeders of his time, included among 

 his earlier Short-horn-loving friends being such 

 men as Samuel Thorne, Lewis G. Morris, Lewis 

 F. Allen and Robert A. Alexander. The foun- 

 dation cows for the Meredith herd were bought 

 mainly in Kentucky. The first notable pur- 

 chase of a bull was the Bates Wild Eyes imp. 

 Balco (9918), the highest-priced bull of his fam- 

 ily at the Kirklevington dispersion sale, men- 

 tioned on page 240. It was something of an 

 undertaking to transport him from New York 

 to Indiana in those days. A letter written by 



