Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-05-17
History OF - ShOrt.HOrns.

| OHC nuIOI6u anU uIIy years ago lev
if any shOrt-horns were to be found Oh.
OF the counties of Northumberland
| Lincoln, Yorkshire, and Durham, Eng
land. The best were located in the
| valley of the river Tees, in the last
named counties. There is no authentic
history that any progenitors of the cattle
were imported into England, and SIS the
soil of the countries above named Was
rich, well adapted to the growth of the
best grasses, perhaps our blue grass, and
aHording the very best pasturage for
cattle, the climate favorable, etc, it is
altogether probable that these natural
advantages rapidly developed the best
| qualities of the cattle of that locality,
which enhanced their marketable value
greatly, and which doubtless induced
| their owners to adopt careful system
of breeding, and prompted a generous
| supply of food for winter and summer,
whereby they had acquired great dis
tnctlon as early as l770, when a new era
dawned on the history of short-horns.
About that time two brothers, Robert
and Charles Colling, young men, en-
barked in the business in Durham
county, England, who by skillful breed
ing and management, brought their
herds to such state of perfection that
it is doubtful whether any herds have
exceeded them, even to this day. They
accomplished this by judicious system
of in-and-in breeding, and it is a well
known fact that the best herds in Eng
land and America are descended from
progenitors bred by them. Mr.. Charles
Colling bred the celebrated Durham OK
about 1870. He was a roam in color, and
in his fifth year weighed 1924 pounds.
He was exhibited in nearly all of the
agricultural counties in England, was a
prize winner wherever he was exhibited,
and his owner refused $4,000 for him.
The brother, Mr. Robert CoIling, in
1906, bred the white cow called "The
White Heifer That Travelled" because
she was exhibited in all of the agricul-
tural counties in England and won prizes
wherever she went.
AS early as 1885 Messrs. Cough &
Miller imported from England some
short-horns to the south branch of the
Potomac, and tradition says some cattle
descended from these and from some
other importations we're bred and
brought to Clark county, Kentucky, and
were there kept, and the bulls bred on
native stock in that section of the State.
They were the first imported cattle
brought to the State, so that Clark
county was the first in the State to en-
gage in the improvement of cattle which
some of the citizens have kept up, and
now there are number of very fine and
large herds owned in said county.
Among them is that of Mr.. Abram
Renick's herd of Rose of Sharons not
surpassed, certainly, and perhaps not
equaled by any herd on either conti-
nent. He has recently received a medal
from England as the breeder of the best
short-horn COW of her class in the King
dom. He has sold many cows to English
purchasers.
In 1S47, Col. Lewis Saunders, of Grass
Hills, KY, a gentleman of fine education
and very general information, attracted
by. the high prices realized for TIE short
horns of Mr.. Ghas. Ceilings sale in 1910,
imported eight head of short-horns from
the valley of the river Tees, England
four bulls and four heifers, all reds.
They had all the characteristics of su-
perior short-horns, and came from the
locality of the best of the breed, and
great care was observed in the selection
of them. But they came without written
pedigrees, because there were no herd
BOOKS at that day in England. The
bulls were bred on the heifers, and
number of very fine animals were pro-
duced, and in 1880 their progeny were
numerous in Kentucky and Ohio, and
very highly priced. No other importa-
ton was made to Kentucky directly
Mr.. Walter Dun, of Fayette county, i'm
4oI hill a,,1 In 1923
Mr.. Dun, in connection with Mr.. Sam
Smith, made second importation OF
three bulls and four cows, and in 1888
Mr.. Dun imported two COWS with bull
calves. These cattle, or greater par
of them, were sold off at high prices
among farmers of that section.
In 1886 importation of shert-horns
were made to Ohio from England by
company of gentlemen living near Chilli
cothe. Some of the bulls and cows of
these importations were purchased and
brought to Kentucky.
In 1880 Rev. R. l. billiard and Mr.
Nelson DUDLEY were sent to England
by the Fayette county (Ky.) Importing
Company, and purchased about 40 head.
which brought remunerative prices al
their sale in Lexington. Numbers of
cattle were imported 10 henJucky De-
tween that period and 1856 directly from
tie late r. A. Alexander, OF
Woodburn, Woodford county, having
more than any one man.
After these impOrtatiOns and their de-
were dfspersed'among breeders
and unjust detractions were
published and circulated against Col
Saunders importation of'1817. By whom
these detractions were originated know
not, but doubtless by some who hoped
to benefit themselves by eliminating
their neighbor's stock. The cry was
that they had come here without pedi.
grees, when at that day the sires and
dams of their own herds were in the
same condition. They were, however,
but too successful in their persistent de
traction in placing the IFS on level
of high grades in Kentucky, by which
means some other breeds without their
intrinsic merits have Eeen puffed into
fictitious and even fabulous prices, be-
cause some interested parties would
declare they were fashionable.