158 THE PORTRAIT GALLERY 



his first winning show cow, and the dam of his champion Viola 

 4th, while another was Princess, dam of his immortal Fowler. 



During 1879 he also imported a few cows and a bull in con- 

 nection with Earl & Stewart. The bull proved unsatisfactory 

 so he journeyed to Maine to secure Burleigh & Bodwell's 

 Tregrehan, the foundation of Mr. Van Natta's success. In 

 1886 he participated in the famous "white-face invasion" of 

 Kentucky with Tregrehan's son Fowler, out of his original Prin- 

 cess, as head of the herd. Fowler was an extremely well bal- 

 anced animal and had an exceptional show career. His blood 

 proved a powerful factor in the upbuilding of Mr. Van Natta's 

 herds and was doubled back and forth in numerous pedigrees. 



The Van Natta triumph came at the Louisiana Purchase 

 Exposition where his aged bull. Prime Lad, and his aged cow, 

 Lorna Doone, both won championships. His closing years saw 

 a similar pair of champions, from Prime Lad's loins, sweep the 

 circuits of 1908 and 1909, Prime Lad 9th and Margaret. His 

 death occurred May 26, 1911. 



Mr. Sanders (12) pays tribute to the dogged persistency of 

 Mr. Van Natta during the days of the inter-breed conflicts bv a 

 fitting comparison to General Grant. "Wm. S. Van Natta 

 became convinced in the early 70's that the 'white faces' were 

 the best beef cattle of the day, and in their cause he enlisted, 

 not for 'ninety days,' but 'for the war'; and upon that line he 

 fought it out to a finish that not only brought fame to himself, 

 but honor to the Hereford name." 



