504 



HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 



his teeth were wrung, he says, when really it 

 was his back that made him a troublesome steer 

 in the ring to competitors — of the squealing 

 hind. 



" 'T will here state that at the Iowa State 

 Fair of 1880, when Tom Brown's show career 

 commenced, Hon. James Wilson, of Traer, was 

 superintendent of cattle. He selected for 

 judges on herds of fat cattle Hon. (J. CUarksou, 

 of Des Moines, agricultural editor of the Iowa 

 State Register; Hon. Oliver Mills, of Atlantic, 

 and C. W. Norton, of Durant, Iowa. These 

 gentlemen, as well as many other well known 

 stockmen, such as Col. Scott of Nevada; Robert 

 Miller, of West Liberty; Hon. W. T. Smith, 

 of Oskaloosa, now president of the Iowa State 

 Board of Agriculture, I might refer to, who 

 well remember my exhibit at the Fair, and espe- 

 cially the little yearling steer, since named Tom 

 Brown. 



" 'Grinnell, No. Ill, dropped February 7, 

 1880, was shown in my herds of one and two- 

 vear-olds at the Iowa State Fairs of 1881 and 

 1882. At the Fair of 1881 his weight was 

 1,370 pounds, age 19 months; at the Fair of 

 1882 his weight was 1,800, age 31 months. 

 The weights here given are home weights. This 

 steer was always shown in a herd of five steers 

 of remarkable similarity, and he is not so easily 

 distinguished from his mates. However, the 

 correctness of his age can be proven by a good 

 cattleman who has known and admired him 

 from a sucking calf up to the date of his trial 

 in the ring at the late show in Chicago. 



" 'The steer Iowa Champion, No. 112, 

 dropped late in November, 1880, was a prize 

 winner in my herd of yearlings shown at the 

 Iowa State Fair of 1882. This is his first ap- 

 pearance in the show ring. 



'' 'The steer Champion, 102, dropped Dec. 

 7, 1879, is the largest steer that I ever raised 

 for his age. He was first shown as a suckling 

 calf, with his mother, at the Marshall County 

 (Iowa) Fair of 1880; was winner of first prize 

 for best yearling at Iowa State Fair of 1881 ; 

 was next shown at Chicago Fat Stock Show of 

 1882 weighing at twelve months old 1,100 ; at 

 twenty-four months old, 1,700, and at a few 

 days under three years old, 2,200 pounds. This 

 steer, I believe, is not named in the protest. I 

 mention him here on account of his remarkable 

 size and growth. He was, however, beaten by 

 Mr. Gillette's steer Mammoth, 148, weighing 

 2,220 pounds at seven months younger, and I 

 do not question the age in the least in this ring. 

 However, Mr. T. L. Miller put in his usual 

 protest. As will be remembered, an examina- 



tion of the teeth of the animals in this ring 

 was made, and the awards announced as made 

 by the judges. This is the ring in which Grin- 

 nell referred to, was awarded the first prize. 



" 'In regard to my exhibit for the late show 

 I will state that they were fed for exhibition 

 from almost the date of birth. I am not one 

 of those who claim to have matured a steer of 

 1,845 pounds weight at a little over 27 months 

 old and only fed him 12 months preceding the 

 show, as I understand to be the age and care 

 of the steer Conqueror, shown by T. L. Miller 

 at the show of 1880. While I do not say it 

 is impossible in Mr. Miller, yet an exact state- 

 ment of the prize steer would be of interest to 

 many. As Mr. Miller in his communication 

 states the importance of "going forth to the 

 , world with truthful results," I would suggest 

 that your secretary, in editing these results, 

 make marginal notes of explanations where 

 needed, viz.: In the table on page 182, Vol. 18, 

 Report of 1880, in which Mr. Miller reports 

 sale of his show cattle at 12V^ cents per pound 

 live weight while Mr. Ross, Mr. Highmore, Mr. 

 Sodowsky and Mr. Scott fail to reach an aver- 

 age sale of 7 cents per pound for their prize 

 cattle, the price for choice Sporting cattle for 

 the week of the show not Ijeing over 614 cents 

 per pound. In Vol. 19, Report of 1881, Mr. 

 T. L. Miller reports sale of his show herd at 12 

 cents per pound, while Mr. Hunt, Mr. Nelson, 

 and others only reached 8 cents for their best 

 prize cattle. 



" 'A due regard for Mr. T. L. Miller's earnest 

 desire for "truthful results" might justify some 

 explanation of these tables for the benefit of 

 readers who may not know the superiority of 

 Mr. Miller's kind of cattle and the wherefore of 

 the great difi'erence of price obtained. I would 

 further suggest that these tables, which are val- 

 uable if correct, be published in the stock jour- 

 nals. Money is what we arc after and if Mr. 

 Miller's cattle will sell in the open market for 

 beef for from 4 to 6 cents per pound more than 

 other breeds of cattle, they are the kind, and he 

 can well afford to retire from — to him, the 

 trouble of the show ring, as he threatens to do. 

 "Truthful results." Truthful Results. Who 

 can better cry fraud than the man who has 

 "been there?" D. M. Moningee. 



"'I'. S. — A sworn statement from the man 

 who dressed the steers Tom Brown and Grin- 

 nell, is being prepared, and will be sent you. 

 ■ Also a sworn statement from me as to their ages 

 will accomj)any it. By the way, the steer Grin- 

 nell is going to come out the champion of any- 

 thing on record, dressing over 72 per cent. 



" 'To S. I). Fisher, Secretary. D. M. M.' 



