The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-07-31

| me tSnlblllbH VI ItIthtIou MUSES. AT ANp
geut-le- Rotrou, which is the business centre
# the Percheron region.
There were In the neighhOrhood OF
| 400 stations and mares in the show, and
! we. n .ne history q. the PerChe had there
| zen such NJ exhibition either as 70 mum,
Der or quality. As the horse has been the
| lie aud wealth of the region all the eHer
.ies o NOgent.le Rotrou were eXerted tOd,
m louur on thls gasOn. The entire bu
,iurss Of The old town Of 1000 iuh abiMnt>
as suspended, aud thousands of francs
were expended in the decorations of the
streets and public auU lrNaIe residences
The principal streets We're Spawned with
.riump hal arches, backed with French and
American flags DOR II is especially for the
American market that these horses are
ored), and above one arch was the amiable
inscription;
Holueur a la RepuO,ique Americana.
At testimonies Of the principal streets
we're o,nameued with branches Of ever
green planted like trees, only four or 1--WE
yards GDrrt On either side Of the street, and
rurp these evsrgrecus We're wires hearing
Chinese lanterns two feet apart while the
.uusrs were similarly strung with lanterns,
On three or four of the principal .quues
laauy cart loads OF sand had been dumped
,u! shipped into artificial flower beds in
which pots OF flowers We're planted here
.nd t"nre The enthusiastic decorators
uourived fountains with beautiful sprays
If water playing over the sham flower
beds. Sunday afternoon the French Min
isier de'Agriculture arrived, and was re
ceiyed at the station by woregiments of in
,antrN and cavalry escort with eight
hlca5 or ;.Ua.c. He was conducted to the
SHOW, az. tie y'ize horses we're led out be
lpre Inn, and then IN the evening he was
bauGueled at the Hotel DE Vile
There were about 800 mea at the ban
Duet (no ladies', including tie Minister of
Agriculture, the Project OF the Department,
who ranks with tie Governor of State in
America, the scuS,prefect, Senator, and
several other State officials. At the table
Of Americans ! noticed the following well
known importers of French horses: Messrs.
Case of Minnesota, johnson (the buyer for
Mr.. Durham of IliinOiS), Degen of Illinois,
Bowles of Wisconsin, Ritter of Springboro,
Pa, Peterson OF Minnesota, Jolidon and
Fulton OF Illinois, Eenuet of Topeka, Kas.,
Farpham of Michigan, and others The
barquet was given ut the expense (by no
IT, cans sii gn,J oi Tie PeiUneron Society.
These great breeders and buyers of
French horses are still "dived in bitter
contest" over the question Of the old Perch
eron stud book and the new French stud
book. AT present there is but one stud
book, the Percheron stld book, which has
been in existence between two and three
wears. No horse is eligible 10 registry in
this book unless it mas been actually born
within the Percheron district, of Percheron
sire and mare. Even if Percheon mare
should fosl rhile outside the PercherOn
district, and the colt was known to pe by
Pe-cheron registered stallion, that colt
could not be registered in the Percheron
stud. book. Therefore, only horses actually
born in Perche can have regularly regis
tered pedigree, for there exists no other
French stud book. This confines the buy
ers who desire 10 ship authentic stock to
America to percne, and gives to that region
fame beyond all the rest of France.
This has made the fortunes of Percheron
breeders and excited the jealousy of the
breeders of Normandy and Boullonais
horses. who now are beginning to be arous-
81 in their interests. Finding that their
,.;,n,or,,,p 70 be admitted to the Percheron
stud. book is of no avail they are striving TO
start rival STUD book, Hence the con.
{ oyersy.
She Minister of Agriculture completely
ignored the new book and praised In high
terms the wonderful Improvement which
the show demonstrated has been effected
in the Percheron horse, especially since the
breed has been Kept within itself by the
rules of the Percheron stud book. This is
,. great victory for the Parcherons. In this
contest the fight is Perche against all the
rest of France united.
A coed Percherop brings from 81 900 to
AS high as $4,000. The rivals of the Perch
eron Stud book make the claim that, while
there are as good horses 10 the Perche as
in any other part of France, and even bet
ter ones than in any other part, yet there
are not enough 10 supply the demand In
America, aud by reason Of the exclusive.
hess of the PerCheron stud book and the
limited supply of the rercheron horses,
buyers ale cump,li-d 70 pay double ana
treble for Percheron horse what they
must pay for an equally good horse born
outside of PercLe They claim that all
French horses come from exactly the same
breed, and that these local names signify
u-,h:ng These cluus are not disputed
by the Percheron, except AS to the latter.
The Percheron theory of breeding rests
/, p,., tha tinhraaIiptr - ,S ,npouad 10 ,r,su