918 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 



above the general average. The top of this offering 

 was $505, given by A. J. Minish for the yearling bull 

 Dismora 2d. Thomas Mortimer topped the females 

 by paying $375 for Lady Peel by Disturber. Mr. 

 Cook of Montana got the show heifer Miss Laura B 

 at $300. Mr. McCray was also a buyer at this sale. 

 At Fowler, Ind., on Nov. 2 and 3 a disappointing 

 sale was made by the executors of the estate of Wil- 

 liam S. VanNatta, at which 114 head averaged $184. 

 Here, as at most other sales of the year, the bulls 

 did better than the females, 24 head averaging $263 

 and the top price being $1,005 paid by 0. Harris for 

 Donald Lad 7th. Messrs. J. H. & J. W. VanNatta, 

 relatives of the deceased who were breeding good 

 cattle independently at Lafayette, Ind., paid the top 

 price for a female $505 for Prime Lady 2d. Mr. 

 McCray was the most extensive purchaser, making 

 investments which subsequently returned handsome 

 profits. As the sale was to close the estate, no guar- 

 antee of any kind could be given, and this fact of 

 course militated against high prices.* 



*The well known herdsman, Tom Andrews, who had commenced 

 his career with the first VanNatta show herd, assisted in this sale, 

 and this therefore is a fitting opportunity to refer to his work in gen- 

 eral. Tom has had a long and interesting identification with the 

 fitting of show and sale cattle in leading western herds. Like most 

 of the other English boys who came into our cattle business in the 

 '80's, he was born in Herefordshire. This important event in his 

 career occurred on Oct. 6, 1861, in the parish of Dorstone. His father 

 was a farmer, who in 1869 leased a 450-acre tract at Winforton, where 

 he remained for seven years. In 1876 Mr. Andrews Sr. leased a 

 place of similar size at Weston Court, Pembridge. Reverses over- 

 taking his father in 1880, Tom felt compelled to get out and hustle 

 for himself, so .in April, 1881, we find him approaching that Mecca 

 of most of the Herefordshire lads in that day Beecher, 111. in 

 quest of work. 



He engaged with T. L. Miller, and in the fall of 1882 went to 

 Fowler & VanNatta to help George Waters in the fitting of the 

 show cattle sent out successfully on the circuit that year. After this 

 experience Mr. Andrews went to Earl & Stuart for twelve months, 

 and from there to Kansas City with Frank Crane, who was at that 



