HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 



219 



enter." The sailors, with tools in hand, could 

 not keep straight countenances, and Mr. Hewer 

 began to suspect, and with one of his most 

 hearty laughs the Captain said, "So-ho, Mr. 

 Hewer, you are floating now." "Sold," said 

 William. "I'll pay the fine," so he handed out 

 a half sovereign to the mate to treat the sailors. 



Mr. Dickens invited all to dine with him the 

 next day, which we did, and had a very merry 

 time. AH through the trip, not one of us ex- 

 ceeded what Englishmen call "market merry," 

 which is just enough to become pleasant to 

 each other. 



When the cattle came in Mr. Hewer came to 

 the vessel to see them loaded, and as the bull 

 Major was dangling in the air m a sling, be- 

 tween heaven and the decks, a tear came into 

 his eye. When he was landed in the steerage he 

 went down and caressed his old favorite for the 

 last time, and so with all the others. He al- 

 ways disliked to see any of his favorites go 

 away. 



The vessel was hauled out into the river, Mr. 

 Hewer returned home, and the Captain and. 

 myself took train to Portsmouth. Here the Cap- 

 tain was informed that Mr. Dickens could not 

 leave until the next packet, so we were deprived 



of his company. 



* * * 



The old gentlemati (Mr. Sotham) has gone to 

 his rest, but not until he saw the triumph of 

 the Herefords, and the breeding of Shorthorns 

 started safely on the road to improvement, by 



rational breeding for practical results. The 

 Scotch, which but recently was rated plebeian 

 by Shorthorn breeders, and therefore utterly un- 

 fashionable, bids fair to revolutionize Short- 

 horn breeding, and is destined to do the breed 

 great good, if the breeders do not overdo it and 

 replace the "Bates mania" with a "craze for 

 Scotch." 



Mr. Sotham would rejoice to see the present 

 state of the Hereford breed of cattle. Coming 

 into their own has not addled the brains of 

 Hereford breeders ; they remain aloof from fads 

 and fashion m pedigrees ; they insist ever upon 

 a superior individual with a good pedigree, and 

 for such animals as embody a large degree of 

 perfection in this desired combination, splen- 

 did prices are readily paid. Like the veteran 

 champion and father of the breed, all influential 

 Hereford breeders ever bear in mind that the 

 end of every Hereford is the block, and they 

 deprecate any Hereford that would fail to give 

 a good account of itself in the butchers" hands. 



Mr. W. H. Sotham was a half century ahead 

 of his time : he made every sacrifice for the 

 Hereford breed, because he knew their true 

 value. His work must-be deemed successful, for 

 he blazed tne path that is essential to pioneer 

 work in every important movement. He laid 

 the foundation upon which the Hereford struc- 

 ture rests (II 112) and he laid that foundation 

 so soundly that, built up upon the same prin- 

 ciple of truth and merit, it will endure so long 

 as beef cattle are bred. 



OUT FOR AN AIRING. 

 (Scene at Shadeland Farm, Lafayette, 



Ind.) 



