The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-02-20

JOHN p. RAYS ADDRESS BEFORE THE
sHEEP-BREEDERS' ASSOCIATION.


JOHN p. RAYS ADDRESS BEFORE THE
sHEEP-BREEDERs' ASSOCIATION.
The following is the full text of the
paper read by Secretary Ray of the
New York Sheep. breeders association
at the annual meeting Of the Vermont
Merino Sheep-Breeders' association,
Jan. Is, 1885:
Great men in all ages of the world
have left their stamp and impress on
the ongoing events of their day and
generation. Such men are men of gen.
ius, pc .sessing in marked degree that
Unborn quality that constitutes real dit
ference in men. Fate may tor time
tetter and compass them on every side,
yet destiny comes sooner or later with
its opportunities to give full scope to
their powers and capabilities. Such men
We're Alexander, and Napoleon, and
Wellington, and Won Motkc of Old
World military fame; and Washington,
and Warren, and Ethan Allen and their
other iIlustriOus compatriots whose
military prowess drove out the armies
of Britain and dedicated this far land
to freedom and freemen; and Grant,
and Sherman, and Sheridan, and Far
ragut, and Porter, and others who led
the Union armies through the baptism
of fire and blood that saved to us our
glorious heritage, the American Union,
and blotted out forever the accursed in
sutution of American slavery These
men have held the destinies of nations
within their grasp, and at whose bid.
ding empires have arisen and fallen. II
we scan the pages of history that re-
cords the achievements of the worlds
great diplomats we find gliding its
brightest pages the names of Bismarck,
and Gladstone, and GortSchakoh, and
Seward and Blaine. And yet there are
other fields in which men have worked
out difficult problems and builded for
themselves monuments of enduring
greatness, including men of letters, i'll
ventors and others. The names of
Howe and Singer, of sewing machine
fame, will long live in our American
households, while those of johnson and
Appleby, and Robinson, and Bel, and "a
long list of the name OF those whose
inventive genius has ightened the
Il
and blessing to the race. And vet
there are still other fields where
men have achieved marked success and
become great public benefactors, aud
made their names to be held in grateful
remembrance. 1t was Bates and Booth
who, in marked degree, created the
short.horn breed of cattle, and Webb
and Eelman, and Others who cultivated
the downs and English long wooled
sheep. And what shall we say to
properly honor the names of Atwood,
Jarvis, Blackeslee, Nettleton, Bailey,
Rich and Beedle, who preserved the
purity OF blood of the old Spanish i'm
portations to hand down to Robinson,
Hammond, Rich, Stickney, Stowell and
sanford and others who set in motion
the grand march of improvement that
has given us the matchless American
Merino of to-day, the reigning king
among the tine-wooed sheep of the
world, unapproached and unaproacha-
BILE. As | stand here in your midst to-
day and mingle with the men who lived
amid these scenes and were eye-wit-
nesses OF the great problems wrought
and pupils OF these great teachers,
shrink from the task assigned me. Up
on whom has their mantle fallen who
possesses their courage and unfaltering
determination, their high ambition and
advanced ideas Of quality, and their
skill IN selection and mating? Shall
We not yet erect monument TO their
memory carved from the marble OF
their own Green Mountain State
When we enter the field of our domes-
tic animals we find individuality as
marked and as great as in the domain
OF man, where great sires have appear
Ell from time to time who possessed the
power OF transmitting and handing
down the qualities which they possess
ed, which has often been the great in
ylgoratlng leaven which has revolution
ed the race or breed. Such were Nor.
gan. and Black Hawk, and Daniel Lam
bert, and Hambletonian, and Mambri.
no Chief, and Alexander, Abdallah and
Volunteer, aud George Wilkes, and
Almont among our American trotting
sires, each achieving success, marked
and widely recognized, and establishing
an their own right and name a family
OF great excellence and renown. While
no less marked was the success of the
famous stock rams Robinson, Sweep,
stakes, Golden Fleece, Deans Wrinkly
Eureka, Fremont, Comet, Silver Horne
Bismarck, Eureka third, STANDARD, Mag
net. Young Grimes, Centennial anC
Others whom space forbids me tc
mention, whose fame will re
main as undying as the race which they
improved. | ask you this question
gentlemen, what is the great want il
our special department of stock hus
bandry? You recall the reputation anC
prominence which Robinson brough