THE BIRTH OF A "BOOM." 411 



they left either of these. at Hillhurst there 

 would be grave danger of meeting the other 

 later on in hostile hands at the Western shows. 

 There was but one safe thing to do ; buy them 

 both. No yearling had been bought, but hear- 

 ing of Rosedale's last calf, Rosedale Duchess, 

 her purchase was decided upori without the 

 formality of an examination ; the price being 

 $5,500. She proved a disappointment. In Col. 

 King's expressive language, " richly worth 

 about 5 per cent of the price paid." 



En route to Minnesota Scotsman developed a 

 case of foot-and-mouth disease, which necessi- 

 tated his being quarantined at Lyndale, and in 

 spite of the most careful treatment he was in 

 no condition to head the herd as the fall shows 

 drew T near. The Illinois State Fair was being 

 held the week before "the Great St. Louis' 

 Show, which was in those days the "Royal" of 

 America, and after loading the cattle (and 

 some imported Cotswold sheep) on board a 

 river steamer at St. Paul for St. Louis Gibson 

 was started post haste for Decatur, with in- 

 structions to buy a show bull, if there was one 

 on the Illinois State Fair Grounds, at any cost. 

 On Saturday before the opening the Lyndale 

 cattle were in their stalls at St. Louis, minus a 

 bull, but that same day Gibson wired that he 

 was starting with Scotsman's ocean companion 

 Old Sam. Mr. Cochrane had not sold the bull 



