STOCK. 189 



1822. This was entirely a different strain of blood from the 

 " Comet " brought from Boston by Col. Chapin. " Red Comet " 

 had been sold and resold, and was obtained by Mr. Sargent 

 from Mr. John Frink, of Stockbridge, Berkshire County, at a 

 cost of two hundred dollars. He was kept by Mr. Sargent 

 some years, after which he was sold for one hundred and fifty 

 dollars, and taken to Woodstock, Windham County, Ct., 

 where he was highly appreciated, and kept for service till he 

 died a natural death, being found dead in the pasture, at the 

 age of thirteen years. In Woodstock may be seen at this time 

 a grandson of his, an ox seven years old, weighing nearly four 

 thousand pounds. We believe it is no injustice to say that at 

 that time no better bull than " Red Comet" had been introduced 

 here, and some of the best grade animals are among his 

 descendants. 



About this time another infusion of improved foreign blood 

 was made by the Rev. Alexander Phoenix, then residing at 

 Chicopee. Mr. Phoenix purchased a bull calf from Judge 

 Iiigraham, of New York City. Many queries have been made 

 with regard to the origin and blood of this animal, and some 

 effort has been made to trace his descent, but without satis- 

 factory results. His color was yellow and white, and while in 

 general characteristics (except color) he resembled the Short- 

 horns, his stock almost invariably showed strong marks of both 

 Short-horn and Alderney. So striking are these marks, partic- 

 ularly the dun or mouse color, that they arc distinctly visible 

 in his descendants at the present time, although it is nearly 

 twenty-five years since he left the vicinity. The cows of the 

 stock were in general good milkers. Probably no more remark- 

 able animal was ever introduced to the county. 



In 1855, Phineas Stedman, of Chicopee introduced to his 

 native town a pure Short-horn bull and cow from East Windsor, 

 Ct., and laid the foundation of the choice herds now owned 

 by him and his brother Benjamin. The original bull of 

 the Stedman purchase was subsequently sent to the Sandwich 

 Islands. About half of the towns in Hampden have now one or 

 more representatives of this valuable Short-horn breed, whose 

 influence is silently but surely spreading. They may be chiefly 

 found with Messrs. Birnie, Demond and Moscley, of Springfield ; 

 Cols. Moseley and Root, of Westfield ; Holcomb and Stevens, of 



