1049 



keen mind and eye. While it was therefore not mere 

 chance that guided him in this selection, it is doubt- 

 ful if his vision was prophetic enough accurately to 

 forecast the youngster's brilliant future. Certainly 

 Gudgell & Simpson would not have let him go had 

 they been able to read the stars aright. They knew 

 he was one of the best yearlings they had ever bred 

 and really intended to reserve him for their own 

 use, but the trade was then passing through a period 

 of acute depression. Judge Watts apparently 

 caught Gov. Simpson napping one day and bought 

 the youngster for $125! Watts' own story of Beau 

 Donald's " discovery " and purchase as told to the 

 writer is substantially as follows: 



' ' Some time in April, 1914, I went to Independ- 

 ence and told Gov. Simpson I had come to select a 

 yearling bull to head my herd, and asked him what 

 he had on hand. He replied, ' Fifty-six as good year- 

 ling Hereford bulls as anybody in America, but they 

 are so d m cheap and low that I propose to make 

 steers of them rather than sell at prevailing prices. ' 

 We then got in his old spring wagon and drove out 

 to the farm. Going into the pasture where the bulls 

 were grazing, he said, 'Now, Watts, there's the lot. 

 Pick your bull, and I'll see if you know a good one.' 



* ' The Governor had certainly stated facts when he 

 said they were a good lot of yearlings; indeed, they 

 were exceptionally good. After looking over the 

 lot for fully an hour I finally selected two bulls, and 

 asked the Governor to show me their dams and give 

 me the sires of the two before I would determine 

 which calf I would take. We drove- over into another 

 pasture where the cows were quartered. He drove 

 close to a massive cow and said: 'This is Donna, the 



