402 A HISTORY OF SHORT-HORN CATTLE. 



the opening gun in a most extraordinary era 

 of auction sales in America the event will be 

 noticed in detail. 



The McMillan sale. Mr. Daniel McMillan 

 of Oakland Farm, Xenia, 0., had for many 

 years been breeding Short-horns descended 

 from the Ohio and Kentucky importations. 

 He had been a frequent exhibitor at the lead- 

 ing fairs of the West, and the herd was one of 

 the best known in the United States. Indeed 

 Mr. McMillan was the first breeder north of 

 the Ohio River to cross swords with the Ken- 

 tuckians in their own show-yards. This event 

 occurred in 1869. The herd was at that time 

 headed by Plantagenet 6031, but Mr. War- 

 field's Muscatoon defeated this bull in the class 

 showing: In the herd competition, however, 

 the McMillan cattle prevailed.* The great 



The best of the McMillan show herds had been fitted by James 

 Lyall, a Scotchman, who had come to America in 1856 as an assistant in 

 connection with the ill-fated shipment of Short-horns made that year via 

 New Orleans by Alex. Barrett of Henderson, Ky. The ship experienced a 

 tempestuous passage, being nearly six weeks at sea, and all of the Short- 

 horns but two were lost, included among those that perished being the 

 famous Douglas show cow Queen of Trumps, by Belleville (6778), for which 

 500 guineas had been paid. 



Lyall's father was at this time herdsman in the old country for Douglas 

 of Athelstaneford, so that the young man had been reared to the cattle 

 business. He remained with Barrett four years, going to McMillan in 1863. 

 The show bull G-en. Grant was then a yearling. Mr. Lyall fitted the show 

 herds for their most successful campaigns, as well as for this closing-out 

 sale, after which he was identified with the noted herds of George Murray 

 Of Racine, Col. William S. King and others. 



Unfortunately the show bull Plantagenet and the great cow Louan 13th 

 had been lost shortly before the sale. Plantagenet was a very massive 

 bull of imposing presence, a bull of more substance than Gen. Grant, al- 

 though a bit rough at the tail-head, and not so good in his Quarters. 



