OF THE SADDLE AND SIRLOIN CLUB 253 



A SHORTHORN SOLON 



98. The romance of the early Kentuckians and Ohioans who 

 courageously risked their lives and fortunes to build up the 

 blooded cattle industry of America can never be adequately told. 

 The names of Renick (92) and Van Meter, Warfield and 

 Alexander (82), Cunningham and Combs, are now memories; 

 the strains they fought so earnestly to perpetuate are now over- 

 shadowed by the soggy rent-payers from the Northland, and the 

 manors that cradled their triumphs are now given over to the 

 most diversified of agricultural production. 



Almost alone of those mighty intellects survives Mr. Benjamin 

 F. Van Meter, now of Lexington, who during his active years 

 lived on the parental estate in Clark Co., about four miles from 

 the town of Winchester. Mr. Van Meter was born January 30, 

 1834, the fifth son in a family of fifteen. It was in this year that 

 Felix Renick (92) crossed the waters to import the first pedi- 

 greed cattle to come west of the Allegheny mountains. Both 

 Isaac Van Meter and Capt. Isaac Cunningham, father and 

 grandfather of Ben Van Meter, were heavy stockholders in this 

 venture. Bom thus into an atmosphere of pedigreed stock, it was 

 not surprising that in 1853 he chose to go to England with his 

 brother Solomon and Charles T. Garrard rather than complete 

 his college course. On this trip he first made the acquaintance 

 of Robert A. Alexander (82) and was fortunate to have the 

 opportunity of returning aboard ship as sole Kentuckian in the 

 company of this early master. 



The friendship here commenced, ripened into a permanent 

 asset for Mr. Van Meter. Due to the sharp practice of a neigh- 

 bor. Squire Duncan, he was cheated out of the service of the 

 bull Lord John, of Woodburn breeding, for which he had bartered. 

 So firm was Mr. Alexander's interest, however, that he permitted 

 the young Van Meter to use for four months, the undefeated 

 Second Duke of Airdrie, then billed for shipment to Scotland. 



