WEST OP THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 949 



paid to Merrill Bingham, and Jesse Hines $1,000 for seven head of pure 

 Merinos and took them via Panama. The cost of freighting them to 

 California was $85 per head, and but for Mr. McConnell's resisting the 

 demands of subordinate railroad offtcials for $450 for passing the sheep 

 from AspinwaU to Panama, the transporation biU would have reached 

 $1,000. His appeal to the chief officer, Col. Totten, however, procured 

 generous treatment. Mr. McConnell lives yet and has breeding sta- 

 tions at Camp McDermott, Fev., besides keeping a flock at his home 

 farm near Elk Grove, Sacramento Countj^, Cal. So also does Mrs. B. 

 M. Wilson, who was left a widow by the death of T. C. McConnell not 

 many years after the enterprise was begun, but who has kept up the 

 flock with satisfactory results ever since. This enterprise of the Mc- 

 Connell brothers, and others before mentioned, were the movements of 

 home-building men engaging in what was to be the principal business 

 of their lives. 



But the earliest movement which brought another less valuable 

 strain of Merino blood into California was by the Whitney brothers, 

 George and J. P. I insert here letters from both Mr. McConnell and 

 Mr. J. P. Whitney. Each letter in its way is full of instruction as to 

 influences now bearing upon the sheep and wool industry of California 

 and the entire Pacific slope, and shows the spirit of early enterprise. 

 Mr. McConnell's letter bears date of Elk Grove, Sacramento County, 

 Cal., February 11, 1892, and is as foUows: 



Sir: I imported from Vermont seven head of Spanish Merino sheep of the Infan- 

 tado variety from the flock of Jesse Hines — four ewes and three rams. The ewes 

 were bred to Edwin Hammond's celebrated ram Sweepstakes. They arrived in 

 San Francisco on August 28, 1856, at a cost of $85 per head for freight alone. 

 These sheep all descended from the Atwood flock, of Connecticut, as bred by Edwin 

 Hammond, of Middlebury, Addison County, Vt., who is acknowledged to have done 

 more to improve the wool-bearing sheep known as the "American Merino " than any 

 other man living or dead, and has made the Vermont or "American Merino" the 

 leading wool sheep of the world. 



This shipment of August, 1856, was undoubtedly the pioneer one of California If 

 not the Pacific coast. It was made under all manner of discouragements. Many 

 predicted they would all die before they could reach California ; that they could not 

 stand a sea voyage through the tropics ; and that they would not do well in a climate 

 like that of California. It is needless to say to you that this shipment of sheep 

 has been worth millions of dollars to California sheep-raisers. I have bred sheep 

 ever since from the same strain of blood. I have never done any cross-breeding. I 

 think all changes profitable to be made should be by selection. The improvement 

 made in this class of sheep since their importation from Spain is wonderful. 1 re- 

 member the time when it was thought to be a large fleece for a ram to shear 14 

 pounds and a ewe 8 pounds. Now ewes shear from 10 to 20 pounds and rams from 

 15 to 30 pounds in the grease. 



No one can tell what the future sheep will do. When men of brain like Edwin 

 Hammond, William R. Sanford, Victor Wright, Merrill Bingham, Jones & Eook- 

 well, and Col. Stowell devote their time and efforts to any particular object progress 

 is sure to be made. 



The next shipment made to this State was by John D. Patterson. They arrived 

 here in October or November, 1856, and were French Merinos. The sheep-breeders 

 of Vermont had given this class of sheep a good and fair trial and condemned them. 

 They were imported from France by George W. Taintor and were called Taintor's 



