SOME STEPS IN LIVE-STOCK JOURNALISM 291 



bear a little fruit. There was one, and only one, 

 way of getting the attention of the great powers in 

 western cattle-breeding at that period. In some 

 way "The Gazette" office must be made a neces- 

 sary source of information. Our equipment for 

 answering pedigree questions and compiling herd 

 and sale catalogues must be made superior to any 

 other available. But how was this to be accom- 

 plished? I thought I knew. When GEORGE W. RUST 

 was forced by failing health to sell out of the 

 "National Live Stock Journal" and remove to 

 Colorado, he had taken with him a rare, and to us 

 at this juncture, infinitely valuable collection of 

 books, historic catalogues, manuscripts and docu- 

 ments of various kinds throwing a flood of light on 

 cattle-breeding operations in the United States 

 from the earliest periods. Would he sell the col- 

 lection, and if so, would it be within our reach 

 with our limited means? He was living quietly at 

 Boulder. In response to a letter he expressed a 

 willingness to sell, and in twenty-four hours I was 

 on a train bound for Denver. This was in Novem- 

 ber. The first "Gazette" was not to appear until 

 Dec. 1. I had not been among those precious 

 records fifteen minutes before I felt certain that 

 with that mass of original information at our dis- 



