Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-09-20
The Cattle Sale at Chillic othe,
H. Ohio. 81

This old city, the residence of sew
eral of the carly governors of the state
rs well rs other pioneers of distinc-
ton, is also full of historical interest
to the breeders of Short horn cattle.
Here, in 1888, was formed the great
Ohio Importing Company, which, in
1S34-56 and Z, brought, by the long |
voyages of sailing vessels across the
ocean, thence by river, lake and ca
nal, those grand specimens OF the
Short-horn MISUNDERSTANDING are
now to be found in countless num-
bers in all the stock grow ing states,
not to speak of the very respectable
numbers that have been sent to the
land of the origin of the race in re-
turn for the drafts we made upon the
old breeders there, now nearly half
a century ago. In this company were
the Renicks, five or six of the first
generation, from Virginia, residing
in the counties of Ross and Pickaway Il
the Trimbles, father and son, of High
land county the Seymours, Vauses,
Crouscs, etc, of Ross; the Illusions,
Freemans, Ratclifs and others, from
Pickaway; the Sullivants, ETC., from
Franklin; Waddle, from Clarke, etc.,
etc. All these public spirited men
subscribed sums then regarded as
most liberal, with no expectation
whatever of pecuniary profit-expect-
ing, indeed, that the sales would not
reimburse them for their OUTLAWS
The object, as stated in the articles of
association, was the improvement of
the general stock of the country. The
agent sent to purchase was not re-
stricted as to breeds, but was directed
| to select from such races as, in his
opinion, would edo the most good.
This agent, the late Felix Renick, had
been trained from infancy to the bus
mess of rearing and feeding cattle on
"the Branch" in the valley of the Po-
tomac, and subsequently followed the
same occupation in this great valley
of the Scioto. He, with many of his
associates, had bred the descendants
of the Miller and Golf importations,
and, therefore, knew what was want
ed to make the beef these fertile val
lcys were so admirably adapted to
produce. From q letter written by
Mr.. Rennick after the purchase of
these cattle, we make The following
\ extracts:
"After examining all the stocks of
the most celebrated breeders of the
various kinds of cattle we could hear
of, and procuring all the information
we could obtain in regard to the use
fulness of each particular breed, and
their adaptation to our soil and eli
mate, we were decidedly of the opin-
IL l~nk hn al
horn in England Gin our country gen.
orally known as the Durham breed)
would be much the most profitable
stock for us to import, for several
reasons. 1st, their growth is quite
equal, if not superior, TO any other
breed; I'd, their great weight of fine
flesh in proportion to bone and
coarse flesh; Sd, their great adapta-
ton to fatten at any age, and 4th, they
are considered in England, and we
believe them to be, better mixers than
the Long horns, Devons or Herefords
We accordingly commenced our pur.
chascs and got the best cattle we could
without regard to price. Wepaid LIS
gnineas for bull calf, ten months
old, and $50 guineas for yearline
| heifer. We barely mention these pri.
\ ces, having others that we think worth
more money, but it being our deter
minatiOn to make our selections from
as many different stocks as we could,
and to buy wherever we could find
one that pleased us; we, of course
J had to be in some measure regulated
J, by the humors of the men we had to
deal with"
After speaking of offers made t.
the company for several animals thai
would have yielded q handsomcprofit
], the writer says:
4 "But we, as a company, have higher
views than that of Immediately real.
izing q little profit. The object was
first conceived, and has SO far been
carried out, for the good Of the coun-
try. Whether it has been we'll or i'll
executed by those who were selected
for that purpose, is not for us to say,
!, All we can say is, that if the selections
are not as good as could be made in
, England, nothing but the want OF
judgment in the selections has made
them So"
\ The doubt modestly suggested here
has long since been settled by the far
mers and breeders of America, who
have, with one accord, adjudged that
no better selections could have been
made.
At the cattle sale at Chillicothe, on
the 18th of last month, it was interest
ing to see how the descendants Of the
old favorites Of the importation were
admired, and how the descendants
of the old stockholders, sons and
grandsons, were engaged in lively
competition for the strains of Bios
som, by Fitz Favorite, Rose of Sha-
ron by Belvedere, Flora, Matilda,
Charlotte, Calypso, Young Mary. etc.
etc. There were also representatives
of many other good strains in the sale
such as Louans, Gwynes, Mamie Will
lame, etc.
A marked feature in the bidding at
this sale was the attention paid to the
excellence of the animal. All the
strains being good, as general rule,
the best cattle sold for the most mon
-