HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 



495 



ciety has now entered its thirteenth year, and 

 its advancement has been, and is now, a high 

 source of gratification to its projectors; but 

 since the organization of the society, each suc- 

 cessive executive committee have failed in get- 

 ting full reports from the awarding commit- 

 tees. The simple fact published to the world 

 that a certain animal, article or implement has 

 received the first prize of the society, is shorn 

 of half the value to the public, unless the rea- 

 sons for the award are given by the awarding 

 committee, fully setting forth its merits and 

 the reasons for the award. If some plan can 

 be devised by which full reports can be 

 received from all the awarding committees, 

 I am satisfied it will add very much to the value 

 and usefulness of our annual exhibitions, and 

 also to the transactions of the society." Dr. 

 William Kile, on assuming the presidential 

 chair (1869), after referring to the great suc- 

 cess the society had met with since its organiza- 

 tion, says: "We should not forget that every 

 citizen, of himself or by his representative, has 

 the undoubted right to call in question the wis- 

 dom of any line of policy we may adopt, and 

 to criticize freely every act we perform. On 

 all questions, therefore, which admit of argu- 

 ment and diverse views, and especially every- 

 thing which affects seriously any interest com- 

 mitted to our fostering care, let us continue 

 to be circumspect and to act so that every step 

 we shall take shall commend itself to the sound, 

 reflecting judgment of all. As your presiding 

 officer, and as a member who has been identi- 

 fied with the society from its origin, I beg leave 

 to call your attention to the following points: 

 You are aware of the great and delicate duty 

 performed by the awarding committees at our 

 fairs, and have found that a full attendance of 

 those (the judges) originally appointed by the 

 Board is rarely secured. I have thought that 

 perhaps the system practiced in Indiana, of 

 paying committeemen by the day for their 

 services, would be attended with good results, 

 and respectfully ask that you will take the mat- 

 ter under consideration." 



We would call attention especially to this 

 recommendation of President Kile. We for 

 many years urged, and in this were joined by 

 all the more conservative and painstaking mem- 

 bers and exhibitors, that the procuring of com- 

 petent judges should be by selecting experts 

 and paying for their services. The objection 

 given was the extra cost of such judges. We 

 shall discuss this further on. 



At the fair held in 1871, Mr. Wm. W. Al- 

 drich, of Ohio, appeared on the show ground 

 with a herd of Hereford cattle, and in compe- 



tition with Shorthorns on the same premium 

 list. But besides class premiums, there were 

 offered for herd and sweepstakes $825, for 

 which the Herefords had a right to compete, 

 but must compete under judges in the Short- 

 horn interest, and often composed of leading 

 Shorthorn breeders, making their awards a dis- 

 crimination in favor of Shorthorns. 



President D. A. Brown, in his inaugural ad- 

 dress that year, says : "The state, gentlemen, has 

 confided the management of its institutions 

 to our peculiar care, and I feel bound by the 

 trust reposed in me to recommend for your 

 consideration the adoption of such rules for the 

 regulation of our exhibitions as will give to 

 them that high moral character their import- 

 ance demands." 



We have quoted from Presidents McConnell, 

 Kile and Brown, showing that they realized the 

 responsibilities in assuming the management of 

 the state's agricultural interest, and that they 

 were under obligations to so manage and direct 

 the operations of the State Agricultural Shows 

 as to bring forward the best, and see that such 

 awards were made as would command the re- 

 spect and confidence of the world. At this 

 time, 1871, a new act of incorporation was had 

 from the legislature of Illinois, creating a de- 

 partment of agriculture, the objects of which 

 should be the promotion of agriculture, horti- 

 culture, manufactures and domestic arts. See 

 "Transactions of the Illinois Department of 

 Agriculture, 1872." 



In 1872, Messrs. Miller & Powell were ex- 

 hibitors of Herefords under the same classi- 

 fication as in 1871. One of the awarding 

 committees in sweepstakes that year was com- 

 posed of John M. Milliken, of Ohio; John H. 

 Bacon, of Iowa; William M. Smith, of Mc- 

 Lean Co., 111.; J. H. Reese, of Warren Co., 

 and H. Russell, of Marion Co. ; a suitable com- 

 mittee to pass upon Shorthorns, a majority of 

 them being among the prominent and leading 

 Shorthorn breeders of the States. 



At the reorganization of the society in Janu- 

 ary, 1873, under the new constitution, a newly 

 elected president, the Hon. John P. Reynolds, 

 in his introductory address, reviewed the his- 

 tory of the old society in its twenty years' ex- 

 perience, calling the attention of the new Board 

 to what had already been done and the responsi- 

 bilities that rested upon them for the future; 

 and reminded them that the Board is placed 

 in sole charge of the agricultural department 

 of the state, and for the establishment of 

 county agricultural boards, and that whatever 

 the state might do will be entrusted to, or en- 

 joined as a duty upon, this Board. While recog- 



