322 A HISTORY OF THE PEECHEBON HOKSE 



tiou, and bred a few during the following 20 years. 

 In La Salle.— In La Salle Co., 111., M. C. Hodgson 

 and W. E. Pricliard, the leaders, have already been 

 discussed. Richard Wolf began in 1882 and bred 

 some good Percherons, though his operations were 

 limited. E. Nagle & Sons, Grand Ridge, 111., in 1883 

 bought some of the best mares Mark W. Dunham 

 imported and secured Confident 3647 (397), the son 

 of Brilliant 1271. Mr. Nagle later bought some of 

 Mr. Ellwood's best mares. Confident was a show 

 horse in every sense of the word and a sire of the 

 top rank. Had the members of this firm developed 

 the colts and advertised the stock they would have 

 been among the leading American breeders; they 

 were poor feeders and bad caretakers, however, and 

 the colts were stunted in growth and the stock was 

 never in fit shape for show or sale. The real worth 

 of the blood manifested itself whenever animals 

 bred by Nagle & Sons were given a fair chance, and 

 every man who has been interviewed who bought 

 stock of this breeding declared that the animals 

 grew out and developed into marvelously good draft 

 horses; but the profit went to the purchaser instead 

 of to the breeder, as the animals were so rough and 

 stunted while in the hands of the breeders that no 

 one could be persuaded to pay a decent price for 

 them. It is most unfortunate that conditions devel- 

 oped as they did ; but R. Nagle was old and within a 

 few years after staiiing could not give the horses the 

 attention they deserved. The sons could not be 

 made to realize the need of developing the colts. 



