286 THE PORTRAIT GALLERY 



A BATTLER FOR BETTER CATTLE 



112. S. F. LocKRiDGE shares with B. F. Van Meter (98) 

 the honor of linking the generations of the Booth and Bates 

 days of Shorthorn breeding with the present. "Sim" Lockridge 

 was born in Putnam Co., Indiana, January 23, 1846, not far 

 from the town of Greencastle where he at present resides. His 

 education was received in the village school, but his earliest 

 surroundings associated him with Shorthorns. In 1853 Dr. 

 A. C. Stevenson made an importation of the breed from Eng- 

 land, bringing them to Greencastle. Young Lockridge became 

 vitally interested in these animals, but his parents overruled 

 any desires he had for a close association with them by requir- 

 ing a strict attendance at the public school. 



The outbreak of the Civil War called him to army service, 

 and he served in the 78th and 133rd regiments of Indiana vol- 

 unteer infantry. In 1868 he graduated from Indiana Asbury 

 University (now DePauw), and traveled and read law for three 

 years. In 1872 he began breeding Shorthorn cattle, and for 

 the following two years was president of the Putnam County 

 Agricultural Society. He laid his Shorthorn foundations 

 slowly, visiting many of the fairs of the early 70's to study 

 both the Kentucky and Central West types before reaching his 

 decision. His first Shorthorns were bought at the Hughes & 

 Richardson sale of June, 1872, just across the road from head- 

 quarters of the later-developed Elmendorf (68) estate. He 

 picked a half dozen females of excellent individuality, but of 

 rather plain breeding, for which he paid an average price of 

 well above $600. The sale of Breastplate to Mr. Pickrell in 

 1863 for $6,250 caused Mr. Lockridge to lean rather strongly 

 toward the Booth cattle. He was unable to perceive why the 

 Booths with wonderful backs, broad crops, thick flesh and 

 straight lines, were to be condemned for their supposed failure 

 in lineage. In 1874 he proceeded to Canada to attend several 



