70 THE MASSACHUSETTS SOCIETY 



The society had a portrait of the animal painted by a 

 celebrated artist.* 



The day was pleasant and the throng of spectators 

 very large. Among the guests were the Governor of 

 the State, Gen. Humphreys, president of the Connecti- 

 cut Agricultural Society, Commodore Bainbridge of 

 the United States navy, and Admiral Coffin of the 

 British navy. It had been intended that the public 

 exercises should take place in the Town Hall, but this 

 proved too small for the eager audience, and an ad- 

 journment to the Brighton meeting house was made. 

 This building is still standing at the corner of Wash- 

 ington and Market streets. In these exercises were 

 comprised an address by President Dexter, of the 

 society, and the reading of a report by Secretary 

 Lowell. During the day the society and guests dined 

 at Hastings' tavern, which was on the site of the 

 modern Cattle Fair hotel. The custom at the cattle- 

 show dinners of early date, was to provide a set of 

 regular toasts or sentiments, and persons called upon 

 responded, each with his own sentiment, and not with 

 a speech. Among the volunteer or responsive toasts 

 on this first occasion were the following: 



The ox — the richest domestic gift of nature to the 

 citizen and the farmer. 



The fine-wooled and coarse-wooled sheep — 

 Heaven's next best gift; may we remember their 

 merits, when the glass is below the cipher, and not lay 

 on their backs the folly of our own speculations. 



The best blessings to any people, a learned and 

 pious clergy ; may they practice what they preach and 

 learn to differ as though they differed not. 



* The whereabouts of the portrait is at present unknown to the 

 present trustees, who ask for information that will enable them to find 

 it. 



