PROGRESS IN THE CENTRAL WEST. 359 



are fond of calling him) was born March 20, 

 1834, in this State. In regard to his earliest in- 

 duction into the Short-horn trade we can do no 

 better than quote the following characteristic 

 account furnished by Mr. Pickrell himself: 



" The month of September, 1859, found me in Kentucky for the 

 purpose of attending the Bourbon County Fair at Paris (that was 

 then said to be the oldest continuous fair in the United States) 

 and the Kentucky State Fair, that was held in Lexington the fol- 

 lowing week. Arriving at Paris I took a room at the Bourbon 

 House, expecting to occupy it during the week. Reaching the 

 fair ground soon after dinner I found a large crowd in attendance. 

 An Illinois gentleman who happened to be visiting in an adjoining 

 county and had come to the fair recognized me and informed one 

 of the directors that the President of the Macon Co. (111.) Fair 

 was on the grounds. The Marshal was at once started around the 

 amphitheater to call me. I responded, supposing that he had a 

 telegram for me. He invited me into the ring and introduced me 

 to the officers, who no doubt thought that Illinois must have been 

 hard up for men when such a young one as I was should be chosen 

 for such a position. I was older, though, when I resigned after 

 nineteen years' continuous service. Whether they thought so or 

 not I was heartily welcomed and royally entertained during my 

 visit. At the close of the day's exhibition I was invited by two 

 or three directors to go home with them. I at first declined, stat- 

 ing that I had my room secured for the fair. After some good- 

 natured contention between them one of them remarked that he 

 had one of the nicest nieces in the world and that she was. going 

 to his home for the night. The hotel room was given up, and you 

 can guess which one of them I went home with. 



" The next week the fair was held at Lexington. As Hon. Bru- 

 tus J. Clay was President of both fairs and Mr. William Warfield 

 one of the chief managers of the State Fair ; and as the gentleman 

 who had charge of the Bourbon County Fair, together with the 

 young people I had met at Paris, were also in attendance, I began 

 to feel that I was not so much of a stranger after all. The young 

 ladies were nearly all daughters of prominent Short-horn breed- 

 ers and were of course much interested in the awards, and we all 

 indulged in guessing which would win the prizes. It was the 

 largest and much the best display of Short-horns I had ever wit- 

 nessed at a fair, and I had been quite successful in naming the 



