A RANCHMAN'S RECOLLECTIONS 



been commercial, but I am sure that Mrs. Funk- 

 houser's part of the work was deep-seated in the 

 joy of hospitality. 



Mr. Funkhouser had the rare gift of being able 

 to pick a great sire as a calf. Hesiod 2d made him 

 famous. I have heard it called luck, but I believe 

 that most men who have developed great sires have 

 had the "picking gift." 



As the result of their initial intimacy, Mr. Armour 

 and Mr. Funkhouser made their first joint sale in 

 Kansas City in 1898, using the old stockyards horse 

 auction ring. At that time Truelass from the herd 

 of Queen Victoria topped the sale at $1,025. Lady 

 Laurel brought $1,000. The imported heifer Lalla 

 Rookh, a two-year-old, brought $1,000, and the bull 

 Kansas Lad Jr. $1,000 — new records after the slump 

 of years. The 113 head averaged $385. 



It was at this sale that Geo. W. Henry fell ill 

 of pneumonia, and died at the Midland Hotel. He 

 had been a liberal buyer at the sale, taking among 

 others the young bull Kansas Lad Jr., a bull that we 

 made a mistake in selling, as his after-history affirms. 

 Our decision was made because he had practically no 

 white on his crest, and Mr. Armour loved ideal 

 markings. We all regarded him as otherwise the 

 most beautiful calf dropped up to that time. 



Kansas Lad Jr. was the sire of Prime Lad 

 1089 1 1, whose dam was Primrose 80150, brought 

 over by Kirk B. Armour in his third importation, 



[34] 



