Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1903-02-12
BIG CATTLE.
Gloucester County Cattle in the 80

Gloucester County Cattle in the '30s.
: We Of the present generation, farmers
mechanics, business men, ct al, are so prom
to the idea that we are 1t, that it is wei
for our vanity to occasionally view some o
the accomplishments of the generations
that have gone In another place III Iii
paper reference is made to the presentation
to the Gloucester County Historical Societ,
.of pictures of pair Of big cattle raised b,
Mr.. Edward Tonkin, father Of Mrs. j. III
Broadway. Mr. Geo. E. Persons curios
ity was thereby aroused, and he went to thu
old files of the Constitution to learn more
of these cattle, and he finds in that paper
dated March IA, 1887, this:
/ GREENWICH TOWNSHIP AGAINST
| THE WORLD Mr.. Edward Tonkin,
near Clarksboro in this County, has q
pair OF cattle believed to weigh each
$500 lbs. They are of the short horned
breed, and thought by judges to excel
any ever known before, not even except
ing the great OK of Tyler.
THE CONSTITUTION, Feb. Is, 1888, con-
tanned this article:
! Few objects of curiosity to farmer
are more worthy his attention than fine
Estock. In this respect the large oxen of
Mr.. Edward Tonkin, living few miles
below this place, challenge competition.
They have been visited by large num-
Der of people, many of whom are judges
of matters OF this kind, and all unite in
describing them as being the noblest
specimens of the OK ever raised. They
are of beautiful symmetry and are esti-
mated to weigh from $500 to 1000 EACH
These two oxen, however, are not the
/ o,,l 81 10 81 r..
Tonkin. His whole stock, which is very
quality. A number are fine Durham,
and the balance a cross of the Durham
with the native. The advantage Of this
cross can thus be seen, and a comparison
made between it and the pure blood.
Since writing the above, we learn that
Mr.. Tonkin has sold his oxen to some
gentlemen in Washington City, for $500.
As they will be taken to Washington as
soon as the river affords a safe passage,
those wishing to see them had better
do so Immediately. The Camden and
| Woodbury. Railroad affords pleasant
and cheap passage to this place, whence
visitors will find no difficulty in procur-
| ing a mode of conveyance to the farm of
Mr.. Tonkin. The Committee on Agri-
culture in the State Legislature ought to
make it their business and pleasure to
look at these fine cattle.
This article appeared in the issue Of
| The CONSTITUTION OF Feb. 9th, 1898:
TONKIN'S BIG OXEN. AGAIN
These boasts of Gloucester County were
taken to Philadelphia on Saturday last,
(Feb. "a, 1885,. and will be exhibited in
that city for few days previous to their
removal to Washington City. Seldom
have our citizens been more highly graft
fed with spectacle than they were
with this. The oxen were mounted on
an immense wagon body, prepared ex-
pressly for the purpose, resting on four
log wagons, and drawn by fine team of
eighteen mules and two horses, four
abreast. A more ingenious plan could
not have been devised. The road being
smooth and hard, and the gait of the
mules very regular, the oxen appeared to
suffer no more fatigue than when resting
in the barn yard.
We are pleased to see the interest taken
on the occasion by the citizens, large
number of whom were in attendance on
horseback and in carriages Some of
our best farmers and grazers participated
in the arrangement, among whom we
recognized Messrs. Benjamin NJ. Howey,
John G. Gill, Joseph Kay Jr., Paul Scull,
Josiah Reeves, Charles Reeves, Joseph
Doron, Edmund F. Garrison, Joseph H.
Moore and others.
While making this notice we might
record a specimen of New Jersey enter
prise and expedition. 1t was first in
tended to take the oxen to Philadelphia,
in steamboat from Billingsport, but the
ice in the river presented SO strong an
obstacle, this mode was abandoned.
The plan above pursued was then
adopted, and Mr.. Josiah Reeve, OF
Salem County, carried it into execution
On Thursday, at II O'Clock, Mr.. Reeve
left Mr. Tonkins, and had then to travel
twenty miles home Part of the timber
used in the construction of the body was
sawed after he arrived. The body was
completed and the whole put together by
Friday evening. On Saturday morning,
between 5 and O'Clock, the wagon left
for Tonkin's, the oxen taken in at 8
O'Clock, were in Woodbury. little after
5, aid reached Camden at 9, when the
tide was too low to let the steamboat
come up, so that the wagon might be
put on board. Mr.. Reeve and the other
gentlemen who assisted, deserve all
praise for the manner in which they
managed the whole business.
This paragraph appeared in THE Con-
sTTrUTIoN Of the issue of May s, 1888:
Tonkin's Oxen have been taken to
New York, and are being exhibited at
No. so Bowery.
The latest public reference was found
in THE CONSTITUTION of the issue of May
Is, 1898, as follows:
WEIGHT OF THE GLOUCESTER
|OXEN-We are authorized to state that
the following is the exact weight Of the
celebrated oxen of Mr.. Edward Tonkin
respectively
Earl of New Jersey (pied OK 1898.
Duke of Gloucester (red OK 3040.