168 



HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 



There is but one true standard of quality, 

 symmetry, weight, etc., and he who differs from 

 that is no judge. 



I honor the name of "Clay" as highly as any 

 other man, and I regret that I made the mis- 

 take of calling Mr. Brutus Clay's Mr. Cassius 

 M. Clay's. I fully understood that it was C. - 

 M. C. that took the prizes at Springfield. I 

 therefore transfer the remarks I made upon 

 that herd to where they belong, and will fully 

 maintain all I. have said in answer to C. M. C. 

 When we have both had a fair trial, I will leave 

 to the public, whose just opinion has most 

 weight in the scale of true judgment. 



HEREFORDS BRED BY THE REYNOLDS LAND & CAT- 

 TLE CO., CHANNING, TEX. 



My desire is to test this matter honestly, 

 and fear no man. 



If you publish this, I will accept Messrs. C. 

 and B.'s challenge in a fair way in another 

 communication. If not, I shall answer him in 

 other papers. 



I send you another letter from the "Mark 

 Lane Express," for your perusal and publica- 

 tion, if you choose. 



I am, sir, Your humble servant, 



WM. HY. SOTHAM. 



MR. SOTHAM'S ANSWER AND ACCEPTANCE OF 

 c. M. CLAY'S CHALLENGE. 



Owego, Tioga Co., N. Y., Jan. 25, 1857. 



Mr. Editor: In reply to Mr. Cassius M. 

 Clay's letter. He says, "The word of a man is 

 no more worthy of credit because he may go be- 

 fore a magistrate and make oath to the same." 

 I fully endorse this, Mr. Editor, and will say 

 still further : a man who is over-anxious to take 

 such a course is less likely to be believed and 

 trusted. 



I take it for granted (inside the rules of 

 gentlemen) that Mr. Clay had no self-interest 



in Shorthorns, but has more of it in Mr. 

 Brown's invitation to write for his paper. The 

 half of "Locomotive," and the whole of that 

 "robust family of Shorthorns'' ; the former 

 "beating the world," and the latter as good as 

 can be found in it, can have no "exciting inter- 

 est" to their owner, nor can there be the least 

 sign of "elevation" towards these valuable ani- 

 mals by such expressions from Mr. Clay. He 

 having "se//-possession," "se//-control," and an 

 "amiable disposition" rests composed and con- 

 tented with the increase as it surrounds him 

 (enviable position this !) He needs no demand, 

 has no desire to attract a man in the "habit" 

 of giving "high prices," or taking advantage of 

 his "amiable weakness." Mr. Clay has no such 

 intentions, his only "habit," object, and self- 

 interest is in writing for the Ohio Farmer, and 

 Mr. C. seems to think "that a Mr. Sotham will 

 'find out' these profitable advantages in time, 

 when the public become more familiar with 

 his character." I must say, Mr. Clay, that I 

 have no desire for this public "estimate," and 

 rather your "seZ/-interest" would rest where it 

 is. Neither have I any desire to excite high, 

 artificial prices in Herefords. I always sold 

 at reasonable ones, and it is still my wish to 

 do so. 



Now, Mr. Clay, I see plainly by- your letters, 

 you consider yourself a judge of cattle. You 

 have studied it practically, therefore you must 

 know that the herd that takes most prizes is 

 not always the best ; neither are the judges who 

 award those prizes. Excellent proof of this 

 was shown at Springfield, which every practical 

 judge must candidly admit. I met a Short- 

 horn breeder, whom I am well aware ranks "in- 

 side the rules of gentlemen," and who openly 

 confessed that Shorthorns there were miserably 

 lacking in quality, nor did he attempt to hide 

 the remarks from some of his own herd. A 

 white heifer belonging to Mr. Duncan was de- 

 cidedly the best female in that class and the 

 best in her own. There was another red and 

 white heifer that compared well with her, still 

 these two were beaten by one as hard and as 

 tight as flesh could be forced upon her third- 

 class of the lowest kind. The white heifer went 

 home prizeless, and, in my opinion, reflecting 

 much animal or "amiable weakness" on the ma- 

 jority of the judges. Hence, my minor report. 

 I have too much regard for my associates to 

 believe for a moment there was any self-interest 

 in this decision, for I feel assured they came 

 inside " the rules of gentlemen." 



Mr. Clay says that breeders of Shorthorns do 

 not deem it necessary to attack other breeds in 

 order to elevate their own, and further says, 



