650 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 



Randolph, of John Tudge's breeding, on the first 

 day for $600, refused an offer of $1,000 for him on 

 the following day. 



Mr. Cross was a prominent figure in the trade at 

 this time. He was President of the First National 

 Bank of Emporia, and a man of great enterprise, 

 deeply interested in good cattle. He had first en- 

 gaged in the business of breeding pedigree Here- 

 fords at a time when he secured valuable foundation 

 stock at beef prices. His relations with leading 

 breeders of the cornbelt, as well as with the owners 

 of the largest outfits on the western range, were inti- 

 mate, and he did a large business at private treaty 

 as well as at public auction. Shortly before his 

 phenomenal sale of 1898 he had sold one lot of 

 $3,500 worth of bulls, headed by the show bull 

 Climax, to go to Texas. Unfortunately, as was 

 afterwards developed, Mr. Cross had inherited cer- 

 tain burdens and responsibilities in connection with 

 the business of his bank which ultimately involved 

 him in such loss and humiliation that in a moment 

 of desperation in November, 1898, he took his own 

 life at Sunny Slope Farm, his death being deeply 

 mourned by the entire Hereford cattle breeding fra- 

 ternity. Fortunately Mrs. Cross had participated 

 in an active personal way in nearly all of his Here- 

 ford cattle transactions, having a herd drawn main- 

 ly from Sunny Slope sources. Mr. C. A. Stannard 

 succeeded to the ownership of Sunny Slope Farm 

 and became for many years a prominent figure in 

 the trade. 



