THE SENSATION OF SEVENTY-THREE. 445 



him, and it began to be whispered that some of the females would 

 bring as high as $15,000 each. This seemed like a fabulous price, 

 however ; and as every one took great pains to conceal his own in- 

 tentions there were many persons loth to believe that this much 

 was to be paid, arid the probability of $15,000 being paid for a 

 single animal on the morrow was the staple subject of discussion 

 as long as the lobbies contained any people. Gradually they 

 thinned out, and soon after midnight they were entirely deserted 

 and Short-horns and Duchesses passed out of mind, save as the 

 anxious ones painted and pictured them in their dreams. With 

 the earliest streak of dawn the hotel lobbies began to fill, and the 

 probable events of the day engaged the attention of all. Before 

 the breakfast hour had passed it was evident something new and 

 startling had been discovered ; and soon it was whispered that a 

 delegation from Clark Co., Ky., was present with $60,000, which 

 had been raised for the purchase of three females, and the proba- 

 bility of $20,000 being paid formed the subject of eager discussion. 

 The sum seemed so enormous, however, that few believed- it, al- 

 though the minds of all were in a measure prepared for such an 

 event. 



By 10 o'clock the hotels were deserted and the crowds had 

 transferred themselves to the Mills, where they thronged the 

 stables or gathered in excited groups about the ample grounds. 

 At 1 o'clock Mr. Page announced the sale. Those in attendance 

 had gathered upon the stand with the seats ranged one above an- 

 other, and the reporters and clerks sharpened their pencils at the 

 tables. The first animal led into the ring was the 



2d Duke of Oneida, a deep red, calved Aug. 3, 1870, got by 4th 

 Duke of Geneva 7931 out of 13th Duchess of Thorndale by 10th 

 Duke of Thorndale (28458) . Mr. Alexander of Kentucky wanted 

 him, as did Mr. T. J. Megibben of the same State, and negotiations 

 had been pending between them all the morning looking to the 

 transfer to Mr. Megibben of Mr. Alexander's Duke of Airdrie, 

 which, if they had proved successful, would have taken Mr. 

 Megibben out of the competition and brought Mr. Alexander in. 

 These negotiations, however, were not successful, in consequeiice 

 of the price demanded by Mr. Alexander ; and making a final un- 

 successful effort to reconcile their differences, while the auc- 

 tioneer was making his preliminary remarks, Mr. Megibben 

 started the bull at $10,000. The English gentlemen were gath- 

 ered in a little knot at the left of the auctioneer and wanted 

 the bull also, and the opening bid fell among them like a bomb, 

 shell and gave them the first intimation of the character and 



