24 ADDRESSES 



shipped out of Orrville in lyil. Farmers not only pay a high price for these 

 horses, but sell them also for top figures, $400 not being uncommon. 



Light harness and saddle horses came into the State with the early settlers. 

 There was much nondescript blood in the early days. Thoroughbreds, Morgans 

 and what later came to be known as standard-breds gradually secured a foothold. 

 In 1832 a trotter named Bell founder was brought to Ohio from New York, and 

 stood at Cleveland and elsewhere and sired many fine colts. Along in the forties 

 the Morgans received considerable attention. With the development of the light 

 harness horses came increased interest in the trotter and pacer. Race tracks were 

 established over the State and the race became a feature of the county and tsate 

 fairs. At Columbus at the present day, we have one of the celebrated fast tracks 

 of the country. Here Cresceus on Angus 2nd, 1901, reduced the world's trotting 

 record to 2 :02|, while Sweet Marie in 1907 reduced it again to 2:02. In 1909 

 at Cleveland, the mare Hamburgh Bell reduced the world's trotting record in a 

 race to 2 :01, and in 1910, against time, The Harvester reduced the world's trot- 

 ting record to 2 :01 at Columbus. The great Uhlan, the most noted gelding of 

 today, with a record of 1 :58f is owned by Mr. Billings of Cleveland. Independ- 

 ence Boy, 2 :01, one of the best trotting geldings on the circuit is owned in 

 Columbus by Messrs. Shepard and Valentine. Around Washington Court House, 

 much interest is shown in the trotter, and here Bobby Burns, a noted sire, has 

 long been in the stud here. These facts simply show that the people of Ohio 

 take more than a passing interest "in the speed producing horse. 



The last census shows Ohio well up among the horse producing states, with 

 total valuation of about $125,000,000. 



' Since Seth Adams found his way in 1807 from Dorchester, Mass., to Mus- 

 kingum County, Ohio, with the first Merinos brought west of the Alleghanies, 

 Ohio has ranked at the top, or nearly so among the sheep producing States. 

 Adams came to Ohio and began to breed and distribute Merinos over this and 

 adjoining states and beyond. The Merino interests rapidly developed, and W. R. 

 Dickenson, became a noted promoter and pioneer in the eastern part of the 

 State. The hills of Eastern Ohio became dotted with Merinos, and the flocks 

 developed in a very superior manner. James McDowell, Bezaleel Wells, Thomas 

 Rotch, and Adam Hildebrand contributed much to Merino development. Along 

 in the sixties and seventies, many fine flocks were established, and Ohio became 

 a powerful factor in the breeding of pure bred sheep. In 1870 there were nearly 

 5,000,000 sheep in the State. While the number has fallen off materially, the 

 13th census for 1910 giving the State 3,907,055 sheep and lambs. Ohio as a State 

 for stud flocks is pre-eminently the most important one in the country. In num- 

 bers, only Montana and Wyoming surpass Ohio, while for the states east of the 

 Mississippi River, no other state may be seriously regarded as in the same class 

 with Ohio. The sheep show at the Ohio State Fair each year is the most im- 

 portant even of its kind on' the American continent, for the largest and finest 

 exhibit of breeding stock is brought forward here. Here gather the most prom- 

 inent exhibitors and breeders, and many important sales are made at this show. 

 Men attend the show to buy for the South African a'nd South American trade, 

 and Ohio bred sheep are purchased for wide distribution over the United States. 

 The Merino is, generally speaking, the leading breed in the State, and the Ohio 

 Merino is known as the best produced today in America. The flocks of S. M. 

 Cleaver of Delaware, George Helser of Lafayette, A. T. Camber of Ada, Blamer 

 & Son of Johnstown, C. S. Chapman of Marysville, Uriah Cook & Sons of Peoria, 

 J. J. Deeds & Son of Pataskala, R. D. Williams of Xenia, W. M. Staley of Marys- 

 ville and many others, are well known. These men have bred sheep that have 

 been exported, and buyers of their stock have come from over a wide territory. 

 The prestige once held by Vermont as a Merino headquarter has been transferred 



