292 



HISTOKY OF HEKEFOKD CATTLE 



breed, so the establishment of the "Breeders' 

 Live Stock Journal" cemented and systematized 

 the work. 



These movements were my individual and 

 personal enterprises, that brought returns with 

 them to a certain extent; but they contributed 

 largely to the success of all breeders. They 

 were a necessity of the hour, and the results 

 have shown the wisdom of the course pursued. 

 The publishing of the American Hereford Kec- 

 ord and the compilation of the work was under- 

 taken and carried through by individual enter- 

 prise, without any other aid than the payment 

 of a fee for entries that was thought sufficient. 



In thus reviewing the course of the Heref ords 

 during an eventful decade we cannot but feel 

 that the means used to advance their interest 

 was fairly well selected, and the results reason- 

 ably successful. That the movement was a 

 success there is no doubt. This is evidenced by 

 the character of the men called together at the 

 Hereford Convention; and another evidence is 

 found in the manner in which the Herefords 

 withstood the severe weather of the range win- 

 ters, which put the seal of permanency upon 

 the movement. Each step that was taken was 

 not in the beaten track of others, but on the 

 contrary, was independent of the movements of 

 other breeders. 



The placing of the cattle on the plains was 

 done in the confident belief that they would 

 stand the test to which they would be subjected, 

 and subsequent events have fully proved this. 

 The establishing of a journal for the advocacy 

 of a single interest, and without a general guar- 

 antee fund, is another experiment that is usu- 

 ally deemed hazardous, and one that usually 

 demands a guarantee from the interest which 

 it is to support, but the "Journal" became a suc- 

 cess without such guarantee. These ends were 

 obtained without other aid than the merit in- 

 herent in the movement. 



Another step was taken outside of the ordi- 

 nary methods pursued by breeders, and that was 

 the establishment of an exhibition at the heart 

 of this great cattle interest. A commodious 

 building- was erected in which to place speci- 

 mens of the breed, and there submit them to the 

 judgment of the practical cattlemen of the 

 world. The seeming necessity of such a move- 

 ment lay in the fact that the Shorthorn men 

 had for half a century been organizing state, 

 district and county agricultural societies, and 

 under these inaugurating fairs or live stock 

 shows, and under the management of these 



Shorthorn judges we must exhibit our stock, or, 

 if we were not satisfied, stay away. 



There was then a necessity for some means 

 by which we could place our stock before the 

 world of cattle breeders. We could have organ- 

 ized an opposition agricultural society, but that 

 would have required large expense, and would 

 'have been subject to the same drawbacks as po- 

 litical reforms, to-wit, all the dead-beats and 

 old fair hacks would have jumped on, and we 

 should have been little better off, and another 

 reform would soon have been needed. We es- 

 tablished a simple machine, and it was intended 

 it should be made the best exhibit possible, and 

 be at the same time self-sustaining. We be- 

 lieve it the best move that could have been 

 made. We thus brought our own cattle before 

 practical men. We had hoped had, indeed, 

 expected that the managers of the Union 

 Stock Yards would have gladly extended to the 

 Herefords accommodations for such an exhibit ; 

 but they thought it would be establishing a bad 

 precedent, and declined to do so. We were thus 

 obliged to take the most convenient location we 

 could get, using for a time such accommodation 

 as could be obtained, till the wisdom of the 

 movement was fully established. 



This could hardly be termed a new move- 

 ment, as John B. Sherman had had such an 

 exhibit of Shorthorns for several years, select- 

 ing the best specimens of that breed to place 

 in his show stable. Thus the two breeds were 

 brought together in comparison and this not 

 for one week, but for fifty-two weeks in the 

 year. The move was undoubtedly a good one, 

 and gave the world of cattlemen an opportunity 

 to examine the Herefords and compare their 

 merits with specimens of Shorthorns that they 

 were familiar with and can find in the yards. 

 At the close of the year 1881 we summed up 

 the situation as follows : 



"Keviewing the past, what is the outlook for 

 the future? The standing of the Herefords 

 is fully established, and the inquiry for them 

 was never so urgent as now. 



"The breeders of cross-bred and grade bulls 

 have sold almost their last animal, and if there 

 are any left they are in out-of-the-way places. 

 The number of thoroughbreds in the hands of 

 breeders is not large, and there would have been 

 none but for the fact of a late opening of 

 spring and consequent late demand for grades. 

 In conclusion, the past has been reasonably 

 satisfactory, and the outlook for the future is 

 very encouraging/' 



