HISTOEY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 



259 



against the methods of the common farmer." 

 We find this expression in the ''National Live 

 Stock Journal," and it was a common expres- 

 sion among the Shorthorn men during the 

 show. On what base does this claim stand? 

 Simply that the Herefords were the best cattle, 

 and they took this way of letting themselves 

 down easily. We are not disposed to find much 

 fault with the "National Live Stock Journal" 

 for using these terms. Their report was gener- 

 ally fair, as regards this show, but they might 

 have gone further and said that Cobb & Phil- 

 lips had a pair of yearling Shorthorns that they 

 had fed on gruel and milk from birth, and still 

 a Hereford grade of Miller's that had roughed 

 it all his life until two months before the show, 

 beat them on the sweepstakes. Let us see who 

 these simple farmeirs were, who came to the 

 show with their cattle, having used only the 

 methods of the common farmer. 



There was Mr. Gillette, a "common farmer," 

 not much of a breeder, not skilled (only having 

 had about forty years' experience, with only a 

 small herd to choose from — of about 1,000 bul- 

 locks), one should not expect much of him ( ?) 

 Then there was Wm. Sandusky of Catlin, 111.; 

 he was only a "common farmer," with "com- 

 mon farmer methods." Sure, he had been a 

 Shorthorn breeder ever since he was old 

 enough to do anything, breeding thorough- 

 breds, and an exhibitor of cattle, for we don't 

 know how long — perhaps not more than twenty 

 years. That is not much and he should not 

 have learned much in that time (?). Then 

 there is D. M. Moninger, of Albia, la., another 

 "common farmer," with a "common farmer's 

 methods." He claimed to have been breeding 

 and exhibiting Shorthorns for a quarter of a 

 century. But that isn't much; a man appar- 

 ently couldn't learn much in that time; he ex- 

 hibited a show of fat bullocks at the Iowa State 

 Fair, and the beauty of the show the press 

 extolled throughout the breadth of the land; 

 he selected only one out of the entire Iowa 

 show to bring to Chicago (?). There was John 

 B. Sherman, General Manager of the LTnion 

 Stock Yards, Chicago, another of these "com- 

 mon farmers," w^ho fed according to the 

 "'methods of the common farmer," and nothing 

 more. Scrub cattle only, they ought to have 

 said, still, Mr. Sherman had been picking the 

 choicest animals that he could find; had a 

 palace of a stable — large, roomy boxes, every 

 comfort and convenience, and employed an ex- 

 pert herdsman from Scotland to feed them; 

 just "common methods" — that is all (?). We 

 had forgotten: Mr. Sherman did buy three 

 yearling steers from Brown Bros., Sangamon, 



111. — "common farmers," with "methods of the 

 common farmer," whose cattle were numbered 

 by hundreds and acres by thousands. Bah! 

 This claim at this day is so utterly silly as to 

 be unworthy of notice, except to show what 

 lengths a subsidized organ could go in its ex- 

 cuses for the cause it advocated. 



Then there was Wm. Scott. How ridiculous 

 to term him a common farmer with common 

 farmers' methods. He bred Shorthorns and ex- 

 hibited, and sent a cow to be slaughtered, and 

 there is every reason to suppose that he had 

 graduated above any common farmer, but judg- 

 ing him by his cows and taking his organ at its 

 word, he must be nothing more. But then there 

 were J. H. Potts & Son; should nothing be ex- 

 pected from them from their almost uarivaled 

 experience in feeding and showing, boasting of 

 $40,000 in winnings with Shorthorns? Should 

 we have allowed them more time to learn that 

 by and by some- 

 thing might be ex- 

 pected from them ? 

 Messrs. Cobb & 

 Phillips, K a n k a- 

 kee. 111., were they 

 just new begin- 

 ners, without ex- 

 perience, used only 

 to "common meth- 

 ods" ? The veteran 

 experience of Amos 

 F. Moore, of Polo, 

 111., we were to 

 suppose must count 

 for naught, as well 

 as that of Mr. 

 Graves, of Ken- 

 tucky ; for, taking 

 the Shorthorn excuse-makers, we should not 

 expect much from a man living in that state 

 where they have only been using the improved 

 breeds of cattle a little less than a century. 



We might continue this sarcasm, and speak 

 of Mr. Dun, of Ohio, Mr. Bassett, of Illinois, 

 Mr. Higmon, of Illinois, Mr. Green, of In- 

 diana. Mr. Weidman, of Illinois, Mr. Taylor, 

 Mr. Wmn, Messrs. Willard & Son, Mr. Bidwell, 

 Mr. Ross, of Avon, 111. Here is a list of breed- 

 ers that may challenge the world for experience 

 and, we presume, in knowledge. All, with two 

 exceptions, breeders of thoroughbred Short- 

 horns for years. And of the two exceptions, 

 J. B. Sherman had an experience in cattle mat- 

 ters second to no other, and a reputation world- 

 wide. The other exception. Gen. Ross, a 

 breeder of thoroughbred Devons and of large 

 experience. 



J. WILLIAMS. 

 Llansannor Court, Glamorgan- 

 shire. Wales. 



