92 A HISTORY OF SHORTHORNS IN KANSAS 



the worth of a pure bred bull as compared with 

 a grade was not generally understood at that 

 time by farmers and cattle growers. Naturally 

 the neighboring farmers contended there was 

 little value to the pure bred feature and that 

 those engaged in fancy stock breeding were very 

 apt to lose out financially. One of these neigh- 

 bors who was something of a steer feeder 

 happened along one evening as the Tomsons were 

 loading a ten-month bull calf into the wagon of a 

 man who had driven over from another neighbor- 

 hood. After the calf was safely loaded the man 

 wrote a check for the amount agreed upon and 

 drove away. When he had departed the neighbor 

 said, "I'm curious to know what you got for 

 that calf." The check which called for $45 was 

 handed him. He read the amount and returning 

 it said, "By George, it does beat the steer busi- 

 ness, don't it." The amount, small as it seems 

 now, looked large at the time. Still the prices 

 kept advancing and in the course of a few months 

 thereafter the Thistle Top calves were leaving 

 the farm at prices ranging from $75 to $125 each. 

 When another bull was needed the elder Tom- 

 son and the youngest son, James, then a boy, 

 visited the Linwood farm in quest of the desired 

 herd-header. Leaving the train they walked to 

 the farm which was near the station and when 

 within one or two hundred yards of the buildings, 

 several calves came playfully around the corner 



