Mexico weekly ledger., 1917-10-11
HIS HIGHNESS 6ERST,
DALE JONES ARRIVES
Famous Poland China Sire. Purchased
BY LEGAL Fsneien for SSsoa
Reaches New Home
MET BY MANY AT A
Animal Brought the Highest Price
Ever Paid for a Hog in the
Worlds Some Animal

AaEA@E@ L. a. A1AN~An MS -@AN vas
Deveuter ana William Van Deyeuter
who receatly paid $500 for him the-,
were n&ay others at the station L
greet the King Of Swlnedom. Tbs
animal viii be CHARTERED or Z. Il.
Carriers farm, north Of this city, AM
vii make Mexico and AudrAin county
the center ot the Poland China breed.
ing world il the fzrs.
n speaking Of GerstdAle, the Pc.
l&G China Journal, Of Kansas City
has the following 70 say Of him and
lis purchasers:
Al price records for the POLAND
China breed were smashed to smith,
Greens at the Peter Moaw retirement
sale held at Orange City, Ia, Friday.
September q, when GerStdale Jones
was sold for $500, seven-months.
old pigs selling up to s1,7O0, sow:
bred TO him as high as S755, and 4
general average Of SS06.s4 on 10t
head. It viii unquestionably 90 down
in history as the greatest sale Of mod.
ern times and the distribution Of Sc
many high-priced individuals will hav.
its effect on the breed for years to
come.
Interest had been at fever heat I
month prior TO the sale. Speculation
was rife regarding the price Gerst-
dale Jones would bring. Breeders
the country over had predicted prices
all the way from $500 TO 5000, the
latter figure seeming to be the con-
sensus Of opinion. Rumors came
from all sections that such and such
a man would give $1,000 for him. That
figure seemed TO be an assured price,
and as the sale drew near few breed
ers felt that would be the minimum.
It is only natural then that the largest
ind most representative crowd of
breeders that has attended a Poland
China sale in years was on hand to
try and buy the boar or his get. The
first bid on his was $1,000 which was
rapidly raised TO $4,000. Above TINT
figure the competition settled down
between four or five men. W. B.
Wallace, Of Buneeton, Mo-, who had
purchased King Joe for a record price
two years ago, was in on the boar at
5000. The Gerstdale Jones Com
pany Of Nebraska, comprising such
wei known breeders as Ferguson, Me-
Gath, Wagner, Hather, Wade, Baum,
Franzier Bros, Meyer e. Sons, Her.
ring Diffy and Arps dropped out at
the $1,000 mark. The battle for this
great boar then lay between f. II.
Carter & Son and W. H. Van Deven-
ter, Of Mexico, No, and A. D. Sc
we're, Dows, Iowa. Bids above $4,000
were made at sos at a time and the
prize was landed by the Missouri
breeders at $4,000. 1t was a thrilling
moment and q great cheer went up
when the buyers names were an
nounced.
The announcement Of the new own
ers came as a surprise to the hundreds
Of breeders assembled, for while the
senior partner of the firm, E H.
Carter, is well known to the Poland
China fraternity, the name of Van
Deventer was little known. Howeve-,
Mr.. Van Deventer has in a quiet way
been laying the foundation for a top
herd at Mexico and Piggott, Ark, for
some little time and had expressed
his desire to own such a boar as
Gerstdale Jones. Characteristic of
the man vas the courage with which
he carried out his wish and he was
the coolest mar of all those who were
risking thousands on a single hog.
Mr.. Carter deserves the credit for in
.teresting Mr.. Van Deventer in Poland
Chinas and it was through his wise
counsel that Mr.. Van Deventer made
so many worthy purchases of sows
and gifts previous to this sale. Mr..
Carter is well known for his progress
i've work in the interest of the breed
in his State and these two men can
not be given too much credit for their
e%ndeavors in boosting the breed in
Missouri. Missouri has come to the
forefront the past year or two as has
no other state and her reputation as a
Poland China center is due to such
men as E. H. Carter and Billy Van
Deventer who had the interests Of
their breed and their State at heart
and were willing to back up their in
terest with cool, hard cash. That
Missouri will be the axle Of the Po-
land China business more than ever
goes without saying.
A great share of the credit for the
purchase Of this boar goes to a wom-
an. Neither Mr.. Carter nor Mr..
Van Deyenter had made a bid until
the price had reached $4,000. Mrs.
Van Deventer had accompanied her
son TO the sale and at the 5000 mark
Mr.. Van Deventer stepped to his
mothers side and asked her what he
ehould do. Without any hesitancy
she advised her son to buy the boar.
After the boar had been sold Mr..
er's Van Deventer called his mother
in front Of the auctioneer's stand and
announced that It was through her
encouragement and interest that the
purchase was made possible and un-
selfishly gave her full credit.
After Gerstdale Jones had sold for
the highest price ever known for a
boar or any breed at public auction it
was only natural there should be a
wild scrambel for the many boars by
him in the sale. Paul Wagner, Of
Pierce, Neb., well remembered for
his purchase Of the SLIPS Smooth
Big Bone A in the Sievers sale last
fall, secured the top spring pig by
Gerstdale Jones at s1,700. This pig
was lot 80, of March - farrow, out Of
a litter of eight and has for dam
Mouw's Miss Queen by Great Jumbo,
second dam Long Queen I'd by Samp-
son. Speculation as I'd which of the
young boars would top that section
Of the sale was manifest, a great
many picking lot 80 and others ia
voring lot 101. The latter was sold
first and went to j. B. Roberts, also