The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-10-18

An Old-Fashioned Merchant Who Prosrered
in Whatever He Undertook.

i'll Whatever He Undertook.
New York Sun.
The funeral of the late Jonathan Thorne, ST..
who died on the 9th inst, was held Yesterday
morning at the home of the deceased merchant.
Jonathan ThOrne was borne in Washington,
Duchess county, on April 20, 1901. His great
grandfather, Isaac Thorne, was one of the earli-
est settlers in the county. having moved there
from Long Island in 1920. Jonathan's father,
Samuel Thorne, was a country merchant IL
Washington when Jonathan was born, but in
1914 he purchased the farm of four hundred
acres, since known as Thorndale, and moved TO
it for the purpose of educating his boy as a
farmer. Six years of farm life gave the boy an
ambition TO become Il merchant, and he was ac-
cordinclv established as \ downtown dry goods
dealer III this city in $50. While IN business
here he became acquainted with the daughter OF
Mr.. Isaac Corse, a leather merchant in the
Swamp, and married her. After three Years in
the dry goods business he was persuaded by his
father TO sell out and return to the farm, where
he remained until 1880. He then returned to
the city and succeeded to the leather business Of
his father.in-law. For just fifty years lie fol
lowed l it with almost unvarylng success.
1t was his habit in the early days of trade tc
20 to his Office before breakfast and draw checks
for all obligations falling due on that day, and
thus open trade. He made it a point to see THAI
the purchaser of his stock was better pleased
after the goods were delivered than before. Ii
1S47 the firm of Thorne, Watson, Corse & Co
was established, and the partnership remained
uQOfOk1n nntli MI, 1lOrnG reTlfeQ, IN IoSU. Al
of the other members of the firm are now living
The death of Mr.. Thorne1s father, in 1919, lef'
the old homestead in Duchess county wholly II
his hands. He at once began to fit it up for
summer residence. The few months pasedther'
in 1850 served to impress on him strongly The
lack Of enterprise among his neighbors an,
farmers in general. 1t was a subject on which
he had thought much after leaving
the farm, in 1880. With a view
of at once teaching and assisting
HE ro;cbIopc 1a 1a+apIuina1 ~ ha~ip reaVinpr
blooded cattle of the best breeds to be obtained
in the world. Early in 1851 Mr.. ThOrnes son,
accompanied by Mr.. Francis NJ. Rotch, o we'll
known Judge of cattle thirty years ago, went to
England to buy the nucleus for the new herd.
The first purchase made was the bull Grand
Duke, for whom 1000 guineas were paid after
prolonged negotiations. This was at that time
the greatest price ever paid for such an ANIMAL
and his subsequent arrival IN this country with
the three DUchesses, 50, "a and 6S, created a
sensation among farmers and stockmen which
has probably never since been equaled. Stock
in great quantities had been imported before that
by spectators, but these four, with half a dozen
less famous COWS, were the first imported for the
purpose of supplying America with the best
blooded cattle in the world.
In 1854 the son. Samuel, took the charge Of
the herd, and imported ten more Of a like grade,
and the next year brought over Second Grand
Duke and Neptune, In 1887 the Mount Ford
ham herd. including the Duchess bull, Duke of
Gloster and the Thorndale herd became not only
the best, but the most valuable, in the world.
This was conceded in Great Britain, as well as
in ether countries. For the first time in the his
tory of the country, stockmen came over to
America from Great Britain to get stock to i'm
prove their herds. The first sale-that of a bull,
Our American Cousin-was made to an Irish
gentleman in 1861, and fifteen other sales were
made in the year following. The traffic thus
started created an interest in fancy stock, which
drove prices to a fictitious figure. After the
Thorndale herd was sold TO Mr.. J. @. Sheldon,
of Geneva. a COW was sold at auction for $i0,-
600. and quite a number brought more than
$50. 600.