408 A HISTORY OF SHORT-HORN CATTLE. 



which latter proved to be the most profitable 

 cow ever owned at Lyndale. Such was the 

 foundation. These Sheldon cattle were shown 

 at the Minnesota State Fair of 1869 and at- 

 tracted much favorable notice although not in 

 high condition. Meantime the proprietor had 

 been a visitor at some of the important shows 

 elsewhere, and realizing that his stock could 

 not hope to cope successfully with the great 

 show herds of Illinois, Ohio and Kentucky he 

 determined to bring all the resources of large 



from dams of the Rosamond, or Mason blood. And thus began my Short- 

 horn purchases. Whether Gibson put up a job to have that Short-horn bull 

 appear on the stage at that particular moment I do not venture to assert, 

 but that his appearance at that time had much to do in shaping my future 

 course as a breeder is a solid fact. 



"When advised by telegraph that the boat on which the stock was 

 shipped frdm La Crosse would reach St. Paul at a given hour I was on 

 hand to receive them. When the passengers had disembarked the cattle 

 were led off, the Ayrshires first being unloaded. Among the crowd of 

 levee loungers who were ' watching out ' to see what was going on was one 

 tall, lank, uncouth-looking chap who eyed my little Ayrshires with great 

 apparent curiosity, and finally addressing me he broke out: ' I say, Mister, 

 what do you call them are critters there?' 'Young Ayrshires,' was the 

 short reply. 'Young wharf rats,' he rejoined, and added: 'I say, Mister, 

 you'll have to look out or them little critters will crawl through the cracks 

 of your barn floor and you'll lose 'em.' Too indignant to reply to this gross 

 insult put upon my beautiful young Ayrshires I turned away from the fel- 

 low just as the young Short-horn bull was being led off the boat, when my 

 tormentor, espying him, broke out again: 'I say, Mister, there comes a 

 critter something like what a critter should be. I know that kind myself.' 

 ' What kind of a critter do you call that? ' some one standing by inquired, 

 'Why,' said this expert judge of live stock, 'that's a Devon. I've seen 

 hundreds of them cattle down in Maine 'fore I ever came West.' Offended 

 pride and patience could stand no more, and sharply turning upon this 

 critic I said to him: ' Young man, that bull don't come anywhere as near 

 being a Devon as you do to being a natural-born jackass.' The fellow 

 turned a half-pitying, half-offended look upon me as though debating in his 

 own mind whether I was really as big a fool as he evidently rated me, or 

 whether it was his duty to resent in some effective way my ill manners in 

 thus characterizing his pedigree, but finally strolled off into the crowd 

 while I headed my young bovine pilgrims for Minneapolis, where I soon 

 had them safely and comfortably housed in their humble quarters," 



