THE FRENCH STORY RESUMED 219 



and heavier farm implements manufactured at that 

 period in the United States. This gave to our 

 breeders the opportunity to prove to the world the 

 remarkable versatility of the Percheron horse, and 

 friends and foes alike found that we could produce 

 the real heavy, drafty type without sacrificing that 

 high quality for which our product has always been 

 famous. It was a crucial test in the history of our 

 breed, but the breeders of the Perche rose success- 

 fully to the occasion. 



"This new demand for a larger horse was taken 

 up also by James B. McLaughlin, who came into 

 prominence in the Perch© after the Ellwoods had 

 ceased to buy. Mr. McLaughlin was for years one 

 of the most active of the American importers and at 

 one time probably purchased as many horses as 

 any other one importer. Indeed, a Paris or Nogent 

 show without the presence of Mr. McLaughlin 

 would be like Hamlet without the title character. 



"From 1880 to 1891 trade was very brisk with 

 Americans in the Perche, but in 1892 it fell off 

 and from 1894 to 1898 there were practically no 

 exportations to the United States on account of 

 the financial depression in that country. From the 

 latter date up to 1905 the average annual exporta- 

 tions of Percheron stallions was about 700 head, 

 but in 1906 the enormous number of 1,300 stallions 

 and 200 mares were purchased by American im- 

 porters. One of the prominent buyers during these 

 busy years along with J. B. McLaughlin was James 

 M. Fletcher, who followed Leonard Johnson and 

 bought for the firm of Dunham, Fletcher & Cole- 

 man. Afterwards quite a small army of American 

 importers and breeders came to scour the Perche 

 every year, and such men as "W. S. Dunham, George 

 Crouch, J. Omer Singmaster, Bell Bros., Eobert 



