CHAPTER XIII. 



THE BIRTH OF A "BOOM." 



While the breeders of the Central West were 

 successfully extending the Short-horn power 

 in the Upper Mississippi Valley States, largely 

 through the medium of impressive show-yard 

 displays, operations were under way in Eng- 

 land and the East that were soon to stir the 

 trade to its very depths. Prior to the appear- 

 ance in the West of imp. Baron Booth of Lan- 

 caster the Duke of Airdrie- crossed cattle 

 mainly of Alexander, Bedford, Renick, War- 

 field, Van meter and Duncan origin practi- 

 cally held undisputed possession of the field. 

 Aside from Gen. Grant there were but few 

 great show cattle that did not carry some per- 

 centage of the blood and show more or less of 

 the character of the Woodburn Duke. Daniel 

 McMillan of Ohio had, it is true, headed his 

 show herd with the Canada-bred Plantagenet 

 6031, but that bull was got by Oxford Lad 

 (24713), bred by J. 0. Sheldon of New York 

 from imp. Duke of Airdrie's sire imp. Duke of 

 Gloster (11382) out of a Bates Oxford cow, so 

 that he also fell within the rule that the Bates- 



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