524 A HISTORY OP HBREPOED CATTLE 



possession show cattle equaling, if not indeed ex- 

 celling in some respects, the best showyard types 

 evolved in England. 



The Great Fight of 1882.— Let us start with a 

 reference to certain old-time exhibitions at impor- 

 tant fairs of the cornbelt states which gave a zest to 

 those events previously unknown — those foolish old 

 days of "picked-up" committees and breed com- 

 petitions, when the shrewdest "wire-puller" or the 

 most successful "bull-dozer" among the exhibitors 

 stood a good chance of obtaining results which in 

 these later times would be impossible. 



There was a time when the real battle of the 

 breeds began at two important district shows in 

 the state of Indiana, one at Lafayette and the other 

 at Crawfordsville. Liberal money prizes were pro- 

 vided for open, classes at both places, and this 

 chance to line up alongside the Shorthorns was 

 eagerly accepted by the zealous new champions of 

 the Hereford. 



At that date no American newspaper was making 

 any effort to report the contests at these events in 

 any detail, and noting the necessity for such a serv- 

 ice the newly established "Breeder's Gazette" un- 

 dertook the task, not however without serious mis- 

 givings. The story of the Lafayette show of 1882, 

 told in the issue of that paper for Sept. 14 of 

 that year, would probably bring a broad smile to 

 the seasoned reader of such reviews in these later 

 days, but it nevertheless suffices to reflect clearly a 

 decidedly tense situation. 



