436 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 



Accordingly a banquet was held at the Green 

 Dragon Hotel in Hereford, and after the usual com- 

 plimentary toasts and speeches the sum of 200 sov- 

 ereigns was presented to the guest of honor. Sir 

 Joseph Baily, M. P., presided, assisted by Messrs. 

 Duckham and Stephen Robinson of Lynhales. 

 Among those present were Lord Bateman and the 

 Earl of Coventry. With this fund a few cattle were 

 bought and maintained for some time afterward on 

 the farm at Beecher under the name of "The Testi- 

 monial Herd." 



Upon this same occasion George Morgan was pre- 

 sented with a silver cup, as an expression of the ap- 

 preciation in which his services, also, were held in 

 Herefordshire. * 



Clark's Anxiety 3d Imported. — ^In common with 



•Morgan was naturaUy a very prominent figure in the cattle 

 trade during the days when he was busy executing orders for the 

 purchase and importation of Herefords for leading lights in the 

 trade. He was big, brawny and bearded, a good liver, and fond 

 of a good dinner and all that went with it. Divers and sundry 

 bottles of wine are said to have been cracked when the Anxiety 

 deal was closed at Stocktonbury. He was nimble-witted too, and 

 many a good story is told to illustrate his fund of humor and 

 repartee — none better perhaps than his come-back at William R. 

 Duncan, one of the famous old-time Illinois breeders and exhib- 

 itors of Shorthorns. 



It happened at Indianapolis. Duncan had been expatiating on 

 the glorious traditions and the wondrous history of the Shorthorn 

 breed. He told of the Collings and of Bates, of the Booths, of the 

 great animals sold at fabulous prices, and of the just pride that 

 every owner of a Shorthorn must feel in the possession of some- 

 thing that had such an illustrious past. The Herefords hau no 

 such proud and ancient lineage, etc., etc., etc. 



When he had finished Morgan was called upon to reply to this 

 reflection upon the "white faces" as a breed lacking the charm of 

 historic interest. Getting on his feet and hesitating for a moment, 

 he said in bis usual impulsive manner: 



"I am not so sure I can quote ye the first of all references 

 to the Hereford cattle, but I know this — that when Jacob found 

 out that his old father-in-law Laban was giving him the worst of 

 it in the matter of wages, and when the old man finally agreed 

 to turn over to Jacob all the calves that came ring-streaked or 

 speckled he 'nipped' right otC, and bought a bunch o' 'Ereford 

 bulls." 



With this biblical shot he sat down amidst laughter and ap- 

 plause that fairly shook the building. 



