382 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 



Kentucky had been creditably represented at the 

 show of 1878. Ben F. Vanmeter and the Hamiltons 

 had exhibited a quartette of aged Shorthorn steers 

 each weighing over 2,000 pounds and all belonging 

 to the famous family of Kentucky Shorthorns 

 known as " Young Marys " a prolific, and for a 

 long series of years, a useful and profitable dual- 

 purpose type, the cows milking well and the steers 

 growing into fine carcasses of prime beef. 

 . In the battle of 1879 another Kentuckian, Mr. J. 

 H. Graves, won the championship with the grand 

 roan steer Nichols, shown as a three-year-old Short- 

 horn weighing 2,060 pounds. Nichols came back the 

 following year as a five-year-old grade, of which 

 more anon. One member of the awarding commit- 

 tee in this champion contest was Mr. John G. Imbo- 

 den, Decatur, 111., who has seen continuous service 

 at American fat stock shows ever since as exhibitor, 

 judge or ring steward.* 



*At these early shows each entry wag carefully measured by 

 a committee appointed for that purpose. The tapeline was ap- 

 plied to no less than fifteen different points, taking- in everything 

 that was deemed worth noting- in connection with the length, 

 breadth and depth of each animal. This interesting but tedious 

 and not specially practical work was not long continued, for ob- 

 vious reasons. 



In the first place, some of the "untamed" beasts brought direct 

 from the pastures to the exposition building resented the un- 

 necesary handling, and committeemen had various narrow escapes 

 from personal injury. Besides, the show grew so rapidly in ex- 

 hibits that it soon became physically impossible to measure 

 everything in time for the judging. 



Mr. J. H. Sanders instituted another scheme by way of illus- 

 trating his reports of the show. He conceived the idea of com- 

 paring cross-sections of competing animals to develop the actual 

 contour of the body. By the use of lead pipe this was success- 

 fully accomplished, and the outlines thus secured were reproduced 

 by photography to show the difference in the arch of rib between 

 the Hereford cow Jennie and the Shorthorn cow Red Bettie, the 

 chief contestants for the female championship of the show of 1879. 

 From these it would almost seem as if Mr. Sanders' claim in his 

 report of that show, that the Hereford should have won, was 

 well supported. 



