" CLAYRABIA," AND " CLAYBEALE GRANT.- ,* 



saying with these old men that must have a reason. As breeders of 

 game-cocks and bull-dogs they had listened, observed, and verified to 

 their satisfaction. 



The illiterate man is the best-informed man in the world so far as 

 he goes, because he tests and proves what he cannot reason out through 

 reading and study. 



My inquiring mind would not rest until I could test, or in some way 

 precipitate this saying by these men. I hunted over all the books I 

 could get upon breeding, but in no place could I find the subject treated ; 

 so I. tested it in thoroughbred black-and-tan dogs and in game-cocks, 

 until I said Amen ! it is so. To test blood influences, one must resort 

 to small things of early maturity, — man's life is short. 



Later on, my position was such that almost nightly I listened to such 

 men as old Dr. Mott, the late Willard Parker, Dr. Simms, and men of 

 great research in the medical world as relates to life in man; also was 

 much in the New York hospitals, always a listener and thinker, as well 

 as student. 



I learned that few men were gifted in their professions; many 

 adopted a profession, but few had the calling. 



In those days we had much consumption and scrofula among the 

 young and middle-aged. It was a constant study and subject for dis- 

 cussion with these then young physicians. That scrofula and consump- 

 tion were inherited was asserted ; but what was (he cause, was the point 

 of study before treatment could be successful. 



Young mothers would often die of consumption after bearing one 

 or two children, and the children would grow up scrofulous, to die in 

 the end of consumption. 



In many instances these young mothers had been known as strong, 

 healthy girls, from strong, healthy parents, and the inherent cause was 

 imagined to be in some remote relative. 



Men forget to quote, "The sins of the fathers shall be visited upon 

 the children unto the third and fourth generation," or, "Be sure your 

 sin will find you out." No man or woman can violate God's law without 

 entailing a penalty. 



Through my interest in breeding, in connection with other occupa- 

 tion associated with life, I could never get over the feeling that there 

 must have been at some time printed matter upon the question ad- 

 vanced to me by these old cockers of fifty years ago, as to after-results 

 from first conceptions, and which saying has been continued with them 

 to the present day. If there were a cause for physical entailment of 



