196 



HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 



ited, were good. They had fine limbs, very spa- 

 cious chests, round bodies, etc. Several of the 

 cows were very extraordinary. 'Perfection' is 

 one of the most massive cows of her age to be 

 found anywhere, and 'Aston Beauty' and 'Vic- 

 toria' 1075, for beauty and finish, can scarcely 

 be surpassed, if equaled. It is but justice to 

 SMV that no animals on the ground excited more 

 praise than these." 



I called upon this worthy and impartial edi- 

 tor (j[ 98) and thanked him for the high com- 

 pliment he had paid our cattle, and told him 



TOM. C. PONTING, MOWEAQUA, ILL. 

 (The first man to drive Texas cattle to New York.) 



that I thought he had told the truth. I asked 

 him why the Society would not allow me to 

 show against the" Shorthorns. He told me that 

 "it w-as impossible for anyone to say less of 

 them, for their superiority was apparent, but 

 the Shorthorns had become so strongly estab- 

 lished in this country that it was almost im- 

 possible to contend against them. Your letters 

 have been very pointed, although I publish 

 them. The Shorthorn breeders thought they 

 were very severe, and my son, who you know 

 has just returned from England, and is now a 

 partner, is averse to having them published. 

 He speaks so highly of Mr. Bates and the ho*s- 

 pitality he met with at his house, that he is 

 highly impressed in favor of the Bates tribes, 

 and you know how high they stand in this 

 country now." 



Whether the son had any influence with the 

 father I had not heard, but there has never 

 been an editorial in favor of Herefords since 

 that time. 



After my article was refused publication in 

 the "Cultivator," I met the junior editor, but 

 he looked cross-eyed at me. I began to joke him 

 about the Rotch Duke, but he made himself 

 scarce. A Shorthorn breeder, not of the Bates 

 clan, was present. I said I intended to 

 have asked him if he was going to take the 

 Bates clique with him to England to see the 

 bull take his fences in a style becoming his 

 action, as it was admitted by all of that clan 

 that they were "all stylish; that their heads 

 and tails were always up," and legs long enough 

 to get over the ground. No editor could be 

 more conspicuously situated than to be thus 

 placed, for all the Dukes, Duchesses, Lords and 

 Ladies in England would be there to witness 

 such a transaction, and the example would be 

 great for all such editors to follow. 



The poem of Wm. Carr, and the comic way 

 he described "view halloo" and "bull bellow," 

 was one of the most laughable productions of 

 the kind that was ever written. It stirred up 

 the wrath of all belonging to the Bates mania, 

 as the poem was founded upon my article. 



Auctioneers were more in demand, the ring 

 became more excited, sales more frequent, coun- 

 terfeit prices were obtained to make the Bates 

 mania popular. Pedigree was all in all. "Pedi- 

 gree, oh, pedigree, thou art my darling, we 

 praise thee, we worship thee, we give thanks to 

 thee with sincere affection. Bates, the great 'I 

 Am' is pure, he has no 'alloy,' he detests it, and 

 we, his devoted followers, endorse him." Such 

 were the views and actions of this devoted 

 tribe. 



Thus went on the battle. Shorthorn breed- 

 ers of Bates tribes were seen traveling all over 

 the country, to consult each other, as the Here- 

 fords must be kept down at all hazards, regard- 

 less of their true merit. The ring was contin- 

 ued and none admitted unless in secret. Bates 

 Shorthorns must go up above any other tribe, 

 and the Herefords must be put down; there 

 was no other alternative. Expense was no ob- 

 ject; the time had come for the Bates men to 

 be up and stirring; every man must be at his 

 post when necessary. Every flunky belonging 

 to the ring must do his duty. The editor of the 

 "Shorthorn Herd Book" must add flattering no- 

 tices to the preface of his book; Ambrose Ste- 

 vens' wits must be stirred up to aid him ; Page's 

 pencil and brush must be kept going, and, if 

 possible, in more flattering style ; nothing must 

 be left undone that can be done. 



Such was just the state of things when the 

 unexpected panic came. The Bates men 

 dropped off financially, one after another. 

 Imaginary rich men failed, on whom not the 



