HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 



181 



a bad impression, considered me an innovator, 

 and were determined to keep them in the back- 

 ground ; would not make a class for all breeds, 

 although I kept constantly urging it, on paper, 

 and at their meetings. They often insinuated 

 that the Herefords were far below the Short- 

 horns, and a portion of them puffed and por- 

 trayed Bates and his tribes beyond control; he 

 must have the ascendancy, above everything. 

 This brought me into a controversy with many 

 Shorthorn men, with whom I had to fight a 

 hard battle, to which the editors of the "Coun- 

 try Gentleman and Cultivator" must confess, 

 and their paper will prove. 



No person could be more kind to me than 

 Mr. Corning, and my endeavor was to recipro- 

 cate. He was much pleased with the cattle and 

 the same year gave me a draft on Baring Broth- 

 ers, London, to go and buy another lot. They 

 were similar to the first purchase, and being so 

 successful in bringing them out I did not in- 

 sure. Took the whole steerage and filled it with 

 cattle and feed. Just before we got to the 

 banks of Newfoundland a heavy storm came 

 upon us, shattered our bulwarks and swept off 

 our galley. This storm blew us back 300 miles; 

 the hatches were closed, and the waves sent 

 their foaming white-caps and heavy spray over 

 us in quick rapidity; no air could be conveyed 

 into the steerage, consequently the cattle broke 

 .loose, were jumbled up together and died in 

 their suffocation and confusion. Such a spec- 

 tacle I never before beheld, as each animal was 

 drawn up to be deposited in its watery grave. 

 I had become attached to several of the beauti- 

 ful animals that thus suffered and perished, as 

 I fed and nursed them on the voyage ; I thought; 

 of the kindness and liberality shown me by Mr. 

 Corning and felt that he would blame me for 

 not insuring. 



When the calm came I began to reckon on the 

 loss, and found that gentleman's would not be 

 less than $8,000. My embarrassment was most 

 trying, although I was not ashamed to meet Mr. 

 Corning, but his loss, under the kindness he 

 had shown me, weighed heavily. When we met 

 and he heard my explanation not a murmur 

 did I hear from him. He was so well versed in 

 this world's affairs, and the disasters belonging, 

 that he saw the situation at once. He never 

 hinted the loss to me. 



After this he became so beset by Shorthorn 

 breeders, who did everything they could to dis- 

 courage him, and they being men of capital and 

 influence, he listened. They tried to make him 

 believe that the Herefords did not amount to 

 anything, that I was only a braggadocio, that 

 there were no other cattle in the world like 



Shorthorns, and the fictitious prices they sold 

 for made him believe there was something in it ; 

 still, they could not get him to adopt them. 

 Between politics and his other extensive busi- 

 ness he found he could no longer stand the 

 worry of the special pleading of Shorthorn 

 breeders, of their abuses toward me and the dis- 

 paragement of the Herefords. He resolved to 

 become clear of it. 



I never was so kindly treated by any person 

 in the world as I was by the late Hon. Erastus 

 Corning and Mrs. Corning; had I been a near 

 relative they could not have treated me more 

 kindly. They did much to lead me into the 

 best society in Albany. I fully appreciated all 

 they did, and exerted my utmost to reciprocate. 

 I frequently went to his house to spend the 

 evening, and in one of those events he said to 

 me : "Sotham, I know your strong faith in the 



ADAMS EARL, "SHADELAND," LAFAYETTE, IND. 



(First Treasurer American Hereford Cattle Breeders' Asso- 

 ciation.) 



Herefords, and the strong prejudice that Short- 

 horn breeders have against you and them. I 

 like the Herefords and believe all you say of 

 them ; but I cannot stand the constant pleading 

 of that body of men to turn my attention to 

 their favorite breed. I know nothing of either 



