SOME AMERICAN BREEDERS. 249 



and numerous gold medals in competition with all-milk breeds, have been 

 awarded to him. 



At the last state fair (Sacramento) , 1895, he won first with a Holstein in 

 the ten-days' butter test, competing with the pick of the coast Jerseys, Ayr- 

 shires and Durhams, which victory is the more creditable as millionaire Henry 

 Pierce, whose herd of Jerseys was also in the test, has spared neither money 

 or pains to secure the best by repeated drafts from the Island of Jersey and the 

 East. 



While on this side of the Rockies Mr. Burke is only known through the fast 

 race horses bred by him, on the Pacific side he is given credit for using the 

 same skill in mating and handling his herd of Holstein-Friesians that has 

 brought his horses so often first to the wire. His ranch adjoining that of Hon. 

 Leland Stanford, at Palo Alto, is one of the show, places of California, and is 

 inspected by many visiting horsemen. 



Mr. Burke is not only one of the most popular horsemen in the state of Cal- 

 ifornia, but he is also one of San Francisco's most successful business men. Mr. 

 Burke was born in Milwaukee, Wis., but went to this state with his parents 

 while a babe, and is a thorough Californian. For years Mr. Burke was one of 

 the best-known road drivers in San Francisco, and naturally drifted into breed- 

 ing trotters, at which he had eminent success. He was fortunate enough to 

 secure Eros, 2:29i, by Electioneer, dam Sontag Mohawk, and, placing this stall- 

 ion at the head of the La Siesta Stock Farm, at Menlo Park, bred a number of 

 fast ones whose names are known all over the country. 



Mr. Burke was one of the organizers of the Pacific Coast Trotting Horse 

 Breeders' Association, and is at the present time one of its directors and chair- 

 man of the executive committee. As a member of the well-known real estate 

 firm of Madison & Burke, 626 Market street, he gives his personal attention 

 to the management of one of the longest-established and best-known business 

 houses in the city. As a business man Frank Burke is thorough and straight- 

 forward, and none stand higher in the community than he. As a lover of 

 "man's best friend," he is known from one end of California to the other, and 

 has done much to advance the breeding as well as the racing interests toward 

 that high standard which all true sportsmen hope to see them attain in 

 California. 



MR. WINTHROP W. CHENERY, first president of the association of the 

 breeders of thoroughbred Holstein cattle, was born in 1819, in Watertown, 

 Mass. He was descended from Lambert Chenery, who came from England with 

 Sir Richard Saltonstall, and settled in Watertown in 1630. At an early age he 

 sought occupation in mercantile life. He became clerk and bookkeeper, and 

 afterwards partner of Abel Phelps, importer and commission merchant, on 

 Long Wharf, Boston. At the death of Mr. Phelps he succeeded to the business, 

 and carried it on for more than twenty-five years. 



Early in life he purchased a small farm in his native town, where he 

 delighted in gratifying his taste for fine horses and stock of all kinds. In 1856 

 he established the Highland Stock Farm at Belmont, Mass., which soon became 

 famous for the display of'horses, imported cattle, sheep, swine and other choice 

 stock. 



Reasoning from the similarity of the climate of Holland and New England, 

 he conceived the idea that the cattle of that country, so famed for its dairy 

 products, would be a valuable acquisition here in the United States. His first 

 importation of cattle from Holland was made in 1852 a single cow, whose good 

 qualities encouraged him to make other importations in 1857, 1859 and 1861. 

 The cattle of these early importations were kept by the side of Jerseys, Ayr- 

 shires, Devons and Guernseys, and the comparison thus made soon convinced 

 him of their superiority as a dairy breed to any of these. The performances of 

 some of this stock are matters of record, and although not remarkable in com- 

 parison with some of the records of late years, were far in advance of anything 

 known at that time, and did much to first call attention to the merits of the 

 breed. 



Mr. Chenery possessed unbounded enthusiasm, energy and perseverance in 



the prosecution of any enterprise which he undertook" Like the pioneers 



in every good cause, he met with many discouragements, but his faith in the 



Holsteins as the coming stock was never shaken. In 1860, when he had just 



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