THE BIRTH OF A "BOOM." 409 



means to bear upon the acquisition of animals 

 of such character as would enable him to 

 break a lance with the leading showmen of 

 the day. He had heard of Baron Booth of 

 Lancaster and of Rosedale, and following Mr. 

 Pickrell's example visited Mr. Cochrane's. 



The Lyndale show herd. At Hillhurst he 

 saw and bought the great Rosedale, imp. Queen 

 of Diamonds and Maid of Atha, of William 

 Miller's breeding. This was a grand founda- 

 tion for a show herd, but no bull of the requi- 

 site character could be found, and a two-year- 

 old heifer and yearling were also needed. The 

 Colonel's ambition was now thoroughly aroused, 

 and with characteristic enterprise and liberal- 

 ity he gave Mr. Cochrane and Simon Beattie 

 carte blanche to select and bring out from Great 

 Britain the best animals money could buy in 

 the United Kingdom to fill out the herd. About 

 this same time Mr. John Gibson (brother to 

 Richard, then at New York Mills) was engaged 

 to take general charge of the Lyndale Herd. 

 The McMillan dispersion occurred while Col. 

 King's agents were looking for show cattle 

 abroad. This was the first auction sale of cat- 

 tle he had ever attended, and like all others 

 who were present upon that occasion he was 

 fairly carried away by the excitement and en- 

 thusiasm of the day. It was here that he met 

 Lyall, McMillan's herdsman, and engaged him 



