: \ @ ee vista. | OF TE = Saas 3 i TAPS Bhs LEE Ta LeR ATE AIS: AUP ina tsetse tot te tasks FPRFLOR MARAIS 2 fet’ Cae Sk x i a : fs FIRST IN WAR, FIRST IN PEACE AND FIRST IN THE HEARTS OF OUR COUNTRYMEN. A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE Including hitherto unpublished data concerning the origin and development of the modern type of heavy draft, drawn from authentic documents, records and manuscripts in the national archives of the French Government, together with a detailed account of the introduction and dissemination of the breed throughout the United States, - to which is appended a symposium reflecting the views of leading contemporary importers and breeders touching the selection, feeding and general management of stallions, brood mares and foals. Compiled under the personal direction of ALVIN HOWARD SANDERS, D. AGR., LL.D. Editor “The Breeder’s Gazette,’ author of “Shorthorn Gattle,” “At the Sign of the Stock Yard Inn’ and “The Story of the Herefords.”’ In collaboration with WAYNE DINSMORE, M. S. A. Secretary of the Percheron Society of America. GHIGAGO BREEDER’S GAZETTE PRINT 1917 COPYRIGHT, 1917. if SANDERS PUBLISHING CO. oA All rights reserved. ms Z . PUBLISHER’S ANNOUNGEMENT. This volume has been compiled in response to a wide- spread demand for information touching the origin, evolution, development and distribution of the modern heavy draft type of Percheron horses. It was under- taken originally by Mr. Sanders as individual research work along lines similar to his well-known histories of the Shorthorn and Hereford breeds of cattle, but press of work incidental to the conduct of ‘‘The Breeder’s Gazette’? made it necessary that assistance be secured in tracing the long story beginning with the early days in the Perche, and ending with the Chicago International Live Stock Exposition of 1916. A determined effort has been made to throw new light upon the foundation history of the type in the Perche itself. Mr. John Ashton, Continental European corres- pondent of ‘‘The Breeder’s Gazette,’? was commis- sioned by Mr. Sanders to search French agricultural literature from the earliest periods for references to the Percheron horse, and if possible secure permission from the French authorities to examine all books, records and documents contained in the Government archives at Paris, including the official entries detailing the registra- tion and inspection of stallions bought for the Govern- ment stud at le Pin, together with lists of stallions offici- ally approved and subsidized by the Government prior to the Stud Book period for service in the region in which the modern Percheron was evolved. Fortunately this extensive and painstaking inquiry met 3 4 PUBLISHER’S ANNOUNCEMENT with the hearty cooperation of French librarians and the Ministry of Agriculture, every facility being extended, even to the point of permission to photograph original entries of great historical importance. The condensed results of months of patient investigation along this line are presented in this volume; and it is confidently be- lieved that this portion of the work constitutes one of the most valuable contributions made in many years to the history of any of the existing improved breeds of live stock. It is demonstrated that the Percheron horse has existed as a distinct type from very ancient times, and that much that has been accepted—on insufficient evi- dence—in the past relating to the development of the breed since the beginning of the nineteenth century must now be discarded as mere tradition. The facts, brought to ight here for the first time, seem to contradict flatly the part so long alleged to have been played by Arabian blood in the production of the latter- day Percheron; and while this diligent study of old records—apparently never heretofore examined by those assuming to write early Percheron history—may be re- garded as destructive to that extent in its operation, the student will not fail to note that in place of what now goes by the board as unsubstantiated there is supplied a complete, constructive, tangible, authentic official set of facts that place underneath the foundations of the Perche- ron Stud Book of France the solid rock of verified Gov- ernment records, indisputable and convineing. If any doubt has heretofore existed as to when, where and by whom the increase in weight of the Percheron horse was undertaken, such questions need no longer be raised. This portion of the story should be of absorbing interest to all students of the development of Percheron types, and represents a sincere and exhaustive effort to get at the PUBLISHER’S ANNOUNCEMENT 5 truth regardless of what the facts might show. Breeders and owners of Percheron horses not only in America, but in France as well, will no doubt welcome the results of this study. Mr. Sanders’ own personal recollections of the Ameri- can Percheron trade go back to his boyhood days on an Iowa farm, his father, the late James H. Sanders, having been one of the earliest introducers of the blood in the trans-Mississippi country, and subsequently compiling the initial volumes of the Percheron Stud Book of America. In the work of gathering material for the early American period the aid of the late James H. S. Johnstone, author of ‘‘The Horse Book’’, was asked and obtained, many interesting facts relating to the pioneer breeders, importers and equine celebrities of the old days being developed as a result of extended traveling in various parts of the United States. As the present day was approached the services of Mr. Wayne Dinsmore, Secretary of the Percheron Society of America, were invoked, and with the permission of the directors of that organization he utilized the records and the facilities of his office to collect, analyze and arrange a great mass of important and interesting data detailing the wide expansion of Percheron breeding in America during the past forty years. It will of course be understood that this work is com- piled primarily for the benefit of American readers. Con- sequently the details of French production since the establishment of the Percheron Stud Book of France in 1883 have not been extensively discussed. The authors are aware that their work is by no means perfect. Errors of omission and commission are bound to creep into any volume of this sort, involving as it does explorations in new fields, and the handling of an almost 6 PUBLISHER’S ANNOUNCEMENT bewildering array of names and figures. It has been the intent and purpose throughout, however, to present the facts exactly as found; and if the work shall be regarded as adding somewhat to the general store of knowledge concerning the most popular draft horse type in North America, the compilers and publishers will be pleased and gratified. eOTTTTTTTINQOUQUUUUUUIIUUNTTNTUUUUUIUUOINNUUUUUUULICOLIOUOTTUULLUULLLLLLIHVUULUULLLLLUULLLOHUUUULLLLLLUULLOLULELLLLLLUOOLLLOATUUULULULLULUOCHAOUULULLUDLLUDLLOUOOUOUOLLULLUCLOOOOUUUULUDLOOOOOOUUOLUULLLOLOOOOUeUUUUULOLIL TOOT FOUR CYCLES OF PERCHERON HISTORY. PUQUUITOUNTUUUCUN UCU TOUTE ETAUA TEEN DTD The following pen picture covering four distinct periods in the evolution of the breed of which we write, present- ing first the famous French ‘‘chargers”’ of the middle ages, their successors on the heavy coaches of the ante-rail- way days, the demands of the plow for a weightier type as the arts of peace advanccd, and now the “ton horse” of modern commerce is taken from the sketch of the late Mark W. Dunham, written by Mr. Sanders and pub- lished last year in his book “At the Sign of the Stock Yard Inn.” It is republished here by request. “Under a gray old castle’s frowning walls a drawbridge falls across the moat. The trumpets sound. A glittering cavalcade emerges. Pennons gay and guidons flutter in the breeze. Steel and silver—corselet, hilt and morion— glisten in the morning sun, and noble chargers, mostly white and gray, prance proudly, bearing out into the medieval world brave belted knights and their retainers faring forth to meet what ere betides. “Generations pass: in the far distance the rhyth- mic beating of heavy hurrying hoofs! It is a highway builded by the kings of France. To the sound of the horn and the sharp note of the lash, the great diligence bearing the royal mails and laden deep with passengers and their gear comes into view. A rush, a roar of wheels and the great freighted coach is gone. “Agriculture calls: down the long furrows see the shining plowshares deeply driven. The mellow earth awaxens, and lo, the stored up riches of a fertile field await the seed. Long is the journey and repeated oft. From ‘early morn to dewy eve’ the living shuttles travel, back and forth; but weight that wearies not is har- nessed. “And yet again, last scene of all: a busy modern city street. Huge vans and trucks are rumbling ever on the granite blocks. Big grays and blacks march proudly to the music of a nation’s commerce. Power, patience, dignity personified. Glory be to men who can produce such prodigies!” PUQQQUUOUUUUVEEUAAAAUAUO EEE EAA AAA TTY CT TTT PUQQAUCUONNNAA 00 N0NU UT EATU AUNT ESTUITUUUITITUTHTULTUCOTTCUUOUHH UOC UIUOUAHLUUUGAUODL ESI UIUIMIHTIVUNUUUUUUULLITTOOOUUUULUCLLLDOTOOOOUUUUUUUCOLOOOOOOUUOUUUDUUOOOOONOOUUUUUUUUUDLOOOOOOUTUUUUUUDLOOOMOOOOOUUUUULLUUOMNSOCOUUUUUUCCDCOOOOOUUUUUUUULLUOOMONUUCUUUUDLUDLLAAOUUUUULULLLLOLL COC CUUUULLLLCDLOL A CULULULLLLDLEL Or sy a TABLE OF GONTENTS. CHAPTER I—THE ANCIENT PROVINCE OF THE PERCHE. Topography of the District—Geological Formation—Water Courses—Climatiec Conditions—Ancient History—Rotrou and the Counts of The Perche—Modern Records Begin— Live Stock Husbandry Important—Under the “Grand Monarque’—The Highteenth Century—Long Famous for Its Horses—A People Devoted to Their Own—The PET CeO tO Ga yeolreie te sy vo ahecsial a oreo cucise nicl cree eu ai aay oie ees orate CHAPTER II—PERCHERON PROTOTYPES. Some of the Fairy Tales—The Saracenic Rout—Mounts of the Crusaders—War Horses of the Middle Ages—The Probable Foundation—Normandy Invades The Perche— Whence the Percheron?—The Arabian Tradition—An Historic Discussion—‘‘The Legendary Kadischi’”—Mod- ern Arab Crossing Not Mentioned—Is the Percheron a PP UPTIITUCIVS Va Circe: ste ors evar ebsveleletal eh erciene ey artews cae cy oh aucvenetenowoietieierca 17-33 34-54 CHAPTER III—THE RENAISSANCE FOLLOWING THE REVOLUTION. Delestang and His History—Lamagdelaine’s Prizes—A -Draft Type at Montdoubleau—Unverified Tradition Hx- ploded—Godolphin an English Saddler—Gallipoly a Small Turkish Saddle Horse—Error Easily Perpetuated —Jean-le-Blanec—The Evidence Summarized—The Breed “Modifies Itself’—M. Fardouet Was Right—The Goy- ernment Stud—First Draft Stallions at the Haras du Pin—Official Notes—Directors and Inspectors Disagree CHAPTER IV—EVOLUTION FROM WITHIN. Prizes Stimulate Effort—The National Archives in Evi- dence—First Approved Stallions Near Nogent—Grand Pierre, Bijou and Le Coq—Liberally Patronized—Big Horses in Service—Le Coq Goes to Belgium—More Big Gray Horses—Others in Nogent District—In the De- partment of Orne—Service for 12 Franes—At Mort- agne in the Harly ’30’s—In La Sarthe—Loir-et-Cher— A Broad Constructive Policy Continued—Outcrossing Hxaggerated—As to Color—Passing of the Diligence Type—Some Conclusions.................e+e00% Soutien 55-81 CHAPTER V—FIRST FRENCH HORSES IN AMERICA. Authentic Records Begin—Alexander’s Norman—First Im- portation to the States—Ohio Importations of 1851— Normandy, or Pleasant Valley Bill—A Great Career— The Holman Horse—Louis Napoleon—Taken to Illinois —Acquired by the Dillons—Maryland Importation of 1853—Rollin Imported in 1856—Darby Plains Importa- tion of 1857—Kentucky Importation of 1859—Massachu- setts Importation of 1864—Gray Duke—Hastern Imports of 1866—First Direct Importation into Illinois—Ohio Ac- THRE) Thay USO Gabsonocdepogdao0e 70 ohoosodouopabcdgvo cn oolWT=la7 10 TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER VI—THE IMPORTING RECORD TO 1870. A Profitable Business—Activity in Ohio—The Walters Percherons—Old Success Imported—M. W. Dunham En- ters the Business—Napoleon Bonaparte—A Lull in 1869 —Across the Continent—Good Buying for Illinois—Duke de Chartres Brings $4,000—First of the Blood in Wis- consin—Dillons’ Big St. Laurent—Recapitulation...... 138-158 CHAPTER VII—MID-WEST PIONEERS. Leaders of the Period—Oaklawn in Front—Home Breeding Emphasized—Some Celebrities Described — Drawing from the Fountain Head—The Dillons—Ohio Breeders of the ’70’s—The Fast and the Far West—On the Pacific Coast—Dr. W. H. Winter—Daniel Dunham—Eli Hodg- son—Stubblefield Importations—Percheron Breeding in Other States—James H. Sanders—A Campaign of Edu- cation—Foundation of the Stud Book—The Peoria Con- VETULONWOLEUST/ Side ca ceeteiete sie 6 brevsicnese euavalicnene Dieratelteontecoenotetene ..- 159-187 CHAPTER VIII—THE FRENCH STORY RESUMED. Practical Promotive Work—More Pre-Stud Book Records— M. Cheradame—Toulouse, “The Magnificent’—Chocolat —The Ducoeurjolys—Pelletier—Moisand—Jouset and Mitau—Old Records Brought to Light—Fardouet and Caget—Michel Fardouet—Celestian Caget—The Chou- anards and La Touche—The Perriots—The Tacheaus— Charles Paul Aveline—Credit Due These Pioneers— Founding of the Stud Book—Meager Data at First Available—The Case of Jean-le-Blanc........ PRR iectdisc 188-232 CHAPTER IX—THE GREAT EXPANSION OF THE ’80’S. Distribution by States—Oaklawn Breeding Operations—The Brilliant Blood—The Story of Old Brilliant—Brilliant 1271—Prepotency of Brilliant Blood—Developments at Oaklawn—Results Despite Difficulties—Great Mares of Oaklawn Stud—Oaklawn Influence—Oaklawn Sales of *80’s—Mr. Dunham’s Influence—Ellwood Green—Sires Used by Mr. Ellwood—Cheri and Seducteur—Mares in Stud—Influence on Other Studs—Noted Sires Sold— Summary of Ellwood Operations—Daniel Dunham's Work—The Dillons—Sires Used—Dillons in the Show- ring—Mark Wet COad tec siitoeiovatuane a ceeecsnle beter wrote sie omens 233-270 CHAPTER X—OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD. Log Cabin Farm—Edgewood Farm—John W. Akin—Minne- sota Breeders—Leonard Johnson—Founding Maple Point Stud—Leading Sires Used—The Johnson Mares— Showyard Record—Minnesota Percheron Horse Company —George E. Case—Wisconsin’s Leaders—Wauwatosa Farm—Kellogg Stock Farm—The Kellogg Stallions— Noted Mares—Influences on Other Studs—Reserve Forces in Illinois—Stetson & Sons—Mares Owned and Colts Raised—The Stetson Sires—Valuable Brood Mares —Degen Bros.—George S. Hanna—EH. Hodgson & Son— Ohio Breeders—Jones Bros.—Samuel Kendeigh—M. V. Bates—E. J. Condit—Iowa’s Percheron Breeders—lIowa Breeders of the ’80’s—Maplehurst Stock Farm—J. H. TABLE OF CONTENTS 11 Barnett—Other Breeders—Further Consideration of Illinois—Pre-eminence of McLean Co., Ill.—In Taze- well—In lLaSalle—Other Minnesota’ Breeders—Other Breeders in Wisconsin—Other Michigan Breeders— Other Breeders in New York—Percheron Breeding in Pennsylvania—Progress in Indiana—In the Sunflower State—In Missouri—Other States....2..............05- 271-337 CHAPTER XI—AN ERA OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION. What the Figures Show—Oaklawn Farm—Brilliant—Other Oaklawn Sires—Oaklawn Mares and Colts—Oaklawn Sales and Leases—The Great Leader—Other Illinois Breeders—New Blood—Progress in lIowa—Lakewood Farm—Developments in Ohio—Pleasant Valley Farm— Other Ohio Breeders—In Minnesota—Belleview Farm— Willard & Fuller—In Wisconsin—In Kansas.......... 338-384 CHAPTER XII—THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY. The Actual Increase—Pedigree Publication Suspended—New Association Formed—Old Records Acquired—Influence of Dealers and Importers—The Development by States —In f{[llinois—Important Illinois Dispersions—New Studs Founded in Illinois—Progress in Iowa—Ohio’s Contributions—Progress in Kansas—Progress in Minne- sota—The Hoosier Horsemen—Wisconsin’s Workers— Work in Nebraska—North Dakota’s Great Range Project—Progress in South Dakota—In Other States —Michigan—Missouri—Pennsylvania—Virginia—O. HE. Jordan—sSelma Farm—California—Colorado—Montana— Washington—New York—Growth of the Percheron So- ciety of America—A Canadian Association—Percheron SVE COIN Sy oi | CANA Gan cue rerers cvere cre.sic ce che sus alsps 28 sv enaeraye cis © 385-475 CHAPTER XIII—DISTRIBUTION AND STATISTICS OF PRODUCTION IN THE UNITED STATES. Percherons in the South—Horse Stock of the United States —Percherons the Leading Draft Type—War Exports— French Embargo on Exports—American Breeding Stimulated—Commercial Market for Draft Horses— Geldings at the Show..... c50D0GCOsS Sceecoutasd DIK OIG DION 0.0'0'S 0 476-508 CHAPTER XIV—SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT. Edmond Perriot—James M. Fletcher—W. EH. Prichard—E. B. White—J. L. DeLancey—J. O. Singmaster—W. S. Dun- ham—J. B. MeLaughlin—W. S. Corsa—A. L. Robison & Son—Lee Brothers—Dan Augstin’s Story—U. L. Bur- dick—On the Northwestern Range—Management of Foals and Yearlings—Feeding Alfalfa—Importance of Soundness—Growing Purebred Percheron Fillies—Buy- ing, Feeding and Selling Draft Geldings—Permanent WithRS aoe IreNerOn3, soodadeogavdabocoooDCbOoCOCUGObS 509-588 CHAPTER XV—BLOODLINES IN THE SHOWRING. The Breeding of Leading Winners—Breeding of Prizewin- ners at French Shows—Breeding of International Prize- AVANT IS eeevererieueveleieieielelsicselais einelalers) sie lellaleleis PEO OL OO OTTO 589-602 INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS. American buyers in the Perche, 385. Amorita 61314, 587. Armour six-horse team, 505. Augstin, D., 381. Aveline, Charles, 224. Aveline, Charles, residence at La- Touche, 228. Aveline, Joseph, colts at pasture, 102. Aveline, Joseph, 232. Aveline, Joseph, farm at Dorceau, 198. Aveline, Louis, 224. Aveline, Louis, farm at La Croch- etiere, 226. Avery, Henry, 333. Ayres, M. L., 368. Bamboucheur (62018), 407. Bar U Ranch, 473. Beckett, James D., 288. Belléme forest, 21. Bell, Samuel, 467. Bell, William, 467. Besigue (19602), 395. Bigelow, Timothy C.. 116. Bigelow, Timothy L., 116. Big Jim, 499. Bignon, A., farm at Aulnays, 192. Bonheur’s studies of Voltaire, Ju- piter and Confident, 246. Bonheur’s study of Brilliant 1271, 242. Boullay-Chaumard, M., 190. Bourdin, E., 230. —~ Bowman, T. B., 333. Branding irons, 583. Briggs, H. A., 260. . Brilliant 1271 and group of get, 240. Burdick, U. L., 497. Calypso 25017 (44577), 393. Carnot 66666 (66666), 411. Castile 78956 (64553), 513. Chappels, Anatole, 232. Chappels, A., farm at La Plessis, 202. ; Chouanard, Charles, 210. Chouanard, Charles, farm at La Bretonnerie, 226. Chouanard, Emile, 210. Chouanard, Jules, 210. Chouanard, Maurice, 210. Chouanard, Maurice, residence at La Roustiére, 194. Colegrove, Arthur, 497. Coleman, C. R., 315. Cook, A. W., 315. Corsa, W. S8._ 415. Crouch, G. R., 441. Crouch, J., 441. Curtiss, Charles F., 415. Danforth, William, 497. DeLancey, J. L., 260. DeLancey, T. L., 260. Delehester Farms, mares in hay- field, 509. Diligence, 110. Diligence horses of 1830, 17. Dillon, Ellis, 136. Dillon, Isaiah, 136. Dillon, Levi, 136. Dorothy B. 122455, 521. Dragon 52155 (63516), 425. Ducoeurjoly, D., farm of, 228. Ducoeurjoly, Desiré, 196. Dunham, Daniel, 164. Dunham, Mark W., 160. Dunham, W. S., 160. Ellwood, I. L., 256. Ellwood, W. L., 256. Erica (68318), 407. Fair Hope 117379, 577. Fardouet, Alphonse, 72. Fardouet, Michel, 72. Fardouet, M., farm at Le Bois Joly, 206. 14 INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS Feeding colts, rack for, 567. Feuillard, Ansbert, 196. Fletcher, James M., 164. Fullington, Charles, 128. Fullington, James, 128. Gallipoly entry in Government records, 62 George P. 82495, 529. Georgiana 28622, 451. Girard, Alphonse, 230. Godolphin entry in Government records, 62. Government certificate of 1822, 87. Gray Billy, 118. Grenat 80714 (71632), 553. Guy, Henry, 126. Helen Helix 97206, 521. Hamelin, Adrien, 196. Haras du Pin, chateau and court- yard, 76. Haras du Pin, stallions in service, 88. Harris, Edward, 108. Hermine 102198 (76134), 587. Hodgson, Bli, 130. Hodgson, M. C., 130. Hodgson, William, 130. Holbert, A. B., 415. Horace 7884, 359. Huisne, pasture on the, 19. Humbert, L. H., 415. Hurt, C. W., 321. Hurt, William, 321. Huston, John, 381. Hysope, 573. Ildefonse 79307 (83004), 521. Imprecation 79304 (79214), 425. Indivise, French prize-winning mare, 480. Intime 87219 (831538), 399. Ivan 108146, 545. Jalap 80583 (85614), 601. Jasmine 88573 (85983), 589. Joan and colt Julie, 112. Joie 105878 (83942), 518. Johnson, Leonard, 164. Jones, C. M., 126. Jones, Milton E., 321. Jones, Thomas, 126. Keiser, Charles, 495. Keiser, S. I., 495. Keota Insight 107242, 577. Keota Jalap 106186, 545. Kontact 87277 (95804), 529. La Belle 34982, 451. Lactine 101472 (100912), 559. Lagos 99093 (102389), 589. LaFerté 5144, 347. LaFerté Bernard—Place Saint Ju- lien, 55. Lane, George, 471. Lee, J. H., 3388. Legitime 98978 (99389), 537. Louis Napoleon, 120. Lycee 1059384 (102746), 589. Mack, 499. Martin, Erastus, 126. Mauldin, James, 363. McCormick, L. J., 288. McLaughlin, J. B., 467. McMillan, H. G., 389. Mortagne, roadway at, 55. Moulinet (68017), 480. Moulin, L., farm at La Grand Champrond, 206. Moulin, L., 232. Nave, A. P., 381. Nicodemus, Ed, 467. Nogent-le-Rotrou—army officers inspecting horse stock of dis- trict, 58. Nogent-le-Rotrou—C hateau de Saint Jean, 21. Nogent-le-Rotrou, market day, 80. Nogent-le-R otrou—Rue de la Charronnerie, 66. Nogent-le-Rotrou—Rue Saint Hil- aire, 66. North, C. M., 333. Oakley, Charles, Orr, W. C., 363. Pabst, Fred, 288. Palmer, T W., 272. Paul Potter’s “Great Horse,” 36. Pellitier, H., of La Bernuche, Orne, 92. Pelleray, C., 196. Perche, a farm home in the, 32. 122. INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS 15 Perche, typical village in the, 29. Perche, mares at work in field, 82. Perche, scenes in the, 96. Eeass mares at work in hayfield, 338. Perche, two-year-old colts at Ed- mond Perriot’s, 344. Perche, map showing modern boundary lines, 25. Perche, two snapshots by Mr. San- ders in the, 220. Percheron mare and colt Illinois pasture, 359. Perriot, Edmond, 212. Perriot, Edmond, chateau of La Ronce, 104. Perriot, Ernest, 214. Perriot, Jr., Ernest, 214. Perriot, Jr., Ernest, farm and res- idence at L’Archie, 194. Perriot. Edmond, farm at Cham- in an peaux, 216. Perriot, Ernest, residence at L’ Orme, 218. Perriot, Louis, 212. Perriot, Louis, residence at La Borde, 218. Phillips, G. W., 495. Pink 24765 (47513), 399. Pink Brilliante 57897, 573. Pleasant Valley Bill, 114. Poindexter, P. H., 363. Powerful 6670 (Bayard 7519), 347. Prichard, W. E., 260. René, Charles, 190. Richard, E., farm at La Géro- merie, 100. Rigot. M., 230. Roseland 87467, 537. Sanders, James Harvey, 176. Seducteur 8850 (7087), 258. Selma Farm, mares at work, 461. Singmaster, C. F., 315. Singmaster, J. O., 315. Slack, Louis, 497. Stetson, Ezra, 272. Stubblefield, George W., 389. Stubblefield, L. F., 381. Suzanne (81567), 395. Tacheau, A., breeding farm at La Pellois, 198. Tacheau, Auguste, 222. Tacheau, Jr., A., residence at Le Burin, 200. Tacheau, Jr., Auguste, 222. Taylor, Charles R., 321. Thibault, M., 232. Thibault, M., farm at La Bourdon- niére, 202. Tonnac Villeneuve—director of Haras, 74. Turquoise 110346, 559. Vallé, M., farm of, 107. Vendome 116151, 553. Villette-Gaté, M., 230. Walters, W. T., Percherons, 140, 142, 144, 146, 148. Walters, W. T., 138. War horses of the Middle Ages, 38-40. White, E. B., 471. © Wilson, J. E., 288. TONVEA “SOTTIT ‘WOndINOS ‘AHIOL NVAC W AM CATAGOW0Est WO HONADITIG HSHOH-AATL V GAAP TER a: THE ANCIENT PROVINCE OF THE PHERCHE. One of the smallest provinces of old France, the district known as The Perche, derived its name from the ancient forest, Perticus Saltus, which originally covered almost the entire region. Vestiges of this great wooded tract exist today in the forests of Belléme, Reno and Du Val. What is now known as The Perche Forest in Normandy was also once a part of it. During the time of the Gauls the province was too thickly wooded to permit of much settlement. Some time about the beginning of the ninth century the monks are said to have made clearings in the forests; but long before this period it is probable that restricted tracts had been brought under culti- vation in some of the more favored valleys. Topography of the District.—The Perche really comprises a region lying between Normandy on the north and west, Maine on the southwest, Vendome and Dunois on the south, and the Beauce country, the so-called granary of France, on the east. If viewed from an aeroplane, one would observe that the relatively prominent relief of the district, com- pared with the level countries that surround it, helps to solve the problem of how the Percheron breed eame to be evolved within such a comparatively 17 18 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE small region. The lowest point of the territory is at Theil on the Huisne, about 270 feet above sea level, _and the highest town is Mortagne, at an altitude of about 750 feet. The shape of The Perche is that of an ellipse, the dimensions about 53 by 66 miles. Within this elliptical tract there are now fifty can- tons. Only foals which are the progeny of regis- tered dams and sires of the Percheron breed and born in one of these cantons are eligible for registra- tion at the present time in the Percheron Stud Book of France. Geological Formation.—Geologically speaking, this territory is characterized essentially by creta- ceous formations of the Cenomanian Stage, and is a part of the Secondary Aureole Period, circumscribed by the Tertiary deposits of the Paris Basin. This Cenomanian Stage, which dominates all over The Perche, is subdivided into sand and Rouen chalk. It is the Rouen chalk that plays so important a roie in the geological formation of the region. It forms all the length of the broad valley of the Huisne, as well as that of the Sarthe in its upper reaches. Of course the bottom-lands of all the valleys are com- posed of alluvial soils and are very fertile. Going westward from Mortagne and Belleme, Jurassic for- mations are encountered, and it is a curious fact that on these soils we are apt to meet with Percheron horses having lighter frames than those raised in the Huisne and Sarthe valleys. While the soils of The Perche vary somewhat in the various districts, they are chiefly of clayey and clayey-loam texture. Sandy DOULOY-ALINGTSON UVGN “ANSINH WHA GEL 10 SHNVE GAL No ae sine ina re THE ANCIENT PROVINCE OF THE PERCHE 19 soils are met with occasionally. In color they vary from black to a ruddy chocolate. Near Belléme a limestone suitable for building purposes is found. Free-stone or sandstone is quar- ried at various places in The Perche. A consider- able quantity of marl is also available, and it has been a custom for hundreds of years for the farmers to spread this over their fields. Formerly there were many iron mines, chiefly at Logny, but they are now exhausted. The sandstone quarries of Reg- malard and Logny are still worked, this stone being used for building purposes. Lime-kilns are operated in some districts. Water Courses.—The Perche is especially well watered. It is rare that one encounters so many flowing streams in such a small country. This fact contributes in a great measure to the excellence of its pastures. There are six rivers: The Huisne, which rises to the north of Belleme, and flows into the Sarthe, near the town of Le Mans, is about 77 miles long; the Sarthe empties itself into the Loire, after a course of 165 miles; the Eure is 82 miles long, the Avre 41 miles, the Iton about 60 miles, and the Loire about 123 miles. Not all the mileage of these rivers is in The Perche. There are no less than twenty-seven small tributaries or rivers of the second class. Many of these streams would be designated merely as creeks in the United States. It is the Huisne, in its meandering semi-circular route around Belléme, Pervenchéres, Corbon, Nogent-le-Rotrou and La Ferté Bernard, which serves as the chief col- 20 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE lecting medium of the waters that descend the green hills of The Perche. A study of the map will reveal - the tortuous course of this river; it receives many rivulets in its passage, and after it leaves Nogent its volume increases perceptibly until it empties itself - into the Sarthe. : Climatic Conditions.—The surface of the land is considerably broken, being traversed by numerous valleys, chief of which are the basins of the Huisne — and the Sarthe. There is some timber along the banks of the streams and on the numerous low hills. » The forests which border the rim of The Perche serve to condense the atmospheric vapors, and con- . sequently the precipitation is abundant. The climate is rather humid and conducive to the growth of grass. The mean precipitation is 884 millimeters. The mean annual temperature, according to the Scientific Commission of the Department of Orne, is 49.1° Fahrenheit. The wooded area forms 16 per cent of the total land, a proportion which corres- ponds to the average of all the area of France. The natural ‘‘prairies’’, where most of the horses are pastured, occupy the bottom-lands of the valleys. Ancient History.—The records of the first settle- ments of this region, Belleme, Mortagne and Nogent- le-Rotrou, are lost in remote antiquity. The most ancient Count of The Perche was Agombert, who lived during the time of Louis the Debonair, about 830 or 840 A. D. When the Romans overran Gaul The Perche was conquered by one of the lieutenants of Caesar, who in his ‘‘Commentaries’’ mentions es) Sears I ; s NOGENT-LE-ROTROU—CHATEAU DE SAINT JEAN. IN THE FOREST OF BELLEME, ORNE. THE ANCIENT PROVINCE OF THE PERCHE 21 particularly the warlike character of its inhabitants under their chief, Veridiouix, who caused the Roman generals no little work. In the middle of the ninth -eentury the Norsemen invaded The Perche and laid waste the country. In 1135 Nogent, at that time built of wood, was destroyed by fire. About 1358 it fell into the hands of the English, but the Treaty of Bretigny on May 8, 1360, gave the town back to the French, and in 1361 it was turned over once more to its seigneurs. Once or twice after that date the English obtained pos- session of it. It was not until the year 1230 that The Perche came under the French crown. From the end of the sixteenth century up to the time of ° the French Revolution—a period of about 200 years —the province enjoyed a profound peace, and agri- culture and stock-breeding made much progress.* -Rotrou and the Counts of The Perche.—The Counts .of The Perche were first known under the title of Seigneurs de Belléme. During the Middle Ages the history of the province was characterized by contin- uous strife and bloodshed. During a part of the eleventh century there was internal warfare waged by Robert II of Belléme against the Rotrous, Counts *The Abbé Fret, the best known historian of The Perche of mod- ern times, in his “Antiquités et Chroniques Percheronnes” relates that after about two centuries of profound peace an insurrection took place at Mortagne, the capital of The Perche, on the 28rd of July, 1789, the mob taking possession of all the registers of the excise and burning them in the market place. He then relates how a handful of rioters did terrible things at Nogent, destroying by fire, among other articles in the public square, precious manuscripts and authentic documents, charters and other matter indispensable to the history of the town. He affirms that the origin of Nogent goes back to the greatest an- tiquity, and every other historian of The Perche corroborates that statement. 22 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE of The Perche and Mortagne. According to Odo- lant-Desnos, the Rotrous, Seigneurs of Nogent, date from before 853. The chief of these was Rotrou III, whom the historians call Rotrou Il. He was first - Count of Mortagne and Seigneur of Nogent, became later Count of The Perche, and has been surnamed The Great. As a warrior he distinguished himself by his feats against the Saracens in Spain, conquer- ing several cities and taking many castles in the year 1089. In 1095 he left for the Crusades with Robert III, Duke of Normandy, who left his duchy in pawn with Henry of England for the sum of 10,000 silver pounds. Rotrou commanded the tenth corps of the army of the Christians at the siege of Antioch. On the 15th of July, 1099, he took part in the siege and capture of Jerusalem. The following © year he returned to The Perche. When Rotrou III came back he soon got into trou- ble with his mortal enemy, Robert of Belleme, known later to history as ‘‘Robert the Devil.’’ In spite of the fact that Rotrou had allied himself with Henry, King of England, by marrying one of his daughters, he could not avoid falling into Robert’s hands on two occasions. Later he went once more to fight the In- fidels in Spain. When he returned in 1109 he founded the Abbey of Tyron, which became in 1140 the cele- brated Abbey of La Trappe. He founded other re- ligious orders in The Perche. Fighting in Nor- mandy, he was killed at the siege of the Grosse Tour of Rouen. The body was brought to the church of St. Denis at Nogent, and buried. This ancient town, Sere H Vow’ = j oe e Harve\ 4/2 _—_A y _oRouens Beauvels Ol Ee {/ U / / cS Seas Wey Bérmay | \ . Calais ETORIEN Elise Gar Romorantin MAP OF A SECTION OF NORTHWESTERN FRANCE, SHOWING LOCATION OF NOGENT-LE-ROTROU AND THE PERCHERON COUNTRY IN REFERENCE TO THE SEACOAST AND THE CITY OF PARIS. THE ANCIENT PROVINCE OF THE PERCHE 23 now known as Nogent-le-Rotrou, is, and for years past has been, the Percheron capital. Charles Du Hays, Master of Horse to Napoleon III, in his ‘‘ Le Cheval Percheron,’’ quoting from the Abbé Fret, the author of a history of the province of The Perche, and accepting as correct the state- ment that Rotrou and other nobles participating in the Crusades brought back stallions from the Holy Land, asserts that they were largely used. This may be true. Indeed, it is by no means improbable, and yet a careful reading of the ‘‘Suite Chrono- logique des Seigneurs de Nogent-le-Rotrou’’ by Odo- lant-Desnos, published in 1785, which includes a de- tailed account of the homecoming of that knight, yields no reference to his having brought back Ara- bian horses. Indeed, we have searched in vain in early French literature for any specific statements to substantiate the generally accepted dicta on this point. Modern Records Begin.—As war gradually ceased to be the chief business or diversion of the great nobles and landed proprietors the gentler arts of agriculture naturally received more attention, and it followed, as a matter of course, that efforts were finally made to increase the value of the horse for farm purposes. Louis XI (1461-1483) first curbed the power and fighting spirit of the great feudal barons and war lords who had for so long made France a hotbed of internal strife, and he asserted the majesty of centralized authority. Although we have made diligent search through 24 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE a great variety of old books and manuscripts relat- ing to the past history of The Perche, we have only been able to find occasional definite references to agricultural operations as related to horse-breeding. There is an original manuscript in the National Li- brary entitled ‘‘Memoire sur la Comté du Perche en V’année 1698,’’ from which we may quote as follows: “‘The meadows and pastures are very good, espe- cially in the following places: Oirs, Couilimert, St. Quentin, La Mesniére, St. Julien and Barville on the Herinne and the Sarthe; and Regmalard, Dorceau, Conde, Condeau, Mesle and Theil, several of which are on the river Huisne. But the high lands are not very good. . . . These lands, however, are not altogether useless, for in some cantons sheep are fattened on the higher lands, while in other cantons such as those of Logny, Lemage and Neuilly, where this rough land is better than in the other cantons, cows and oxen are fattened thereon. The sheep and eattle fattened in The Perche are driven to Paris, to the markets of Sceaux and Poissy.’’ ‘“‘The county is so ancient that its origin cannot be found. It was one of the first provinces to be established by our kings after the conquests of the ‘Gauls. - ‘“‘The Election of Mortagne comprises almost all of the province of the Perche; it was created by Charles the Ninth, King of France, Aug., 1572. ‘“‘The Manors of Belléme and Nogent.—Belléme has 57 parishes. Nogent is composed of a large borough and 40 parishes. There are 1,300 men in the borough. There are in all the parishes of the Elec- tion of Mortagne 62,692 souls.”’ Live Stock Husbandry Important.—On page 386 ene Ap em NE ORR eal s ye eS v PHEOINS ‘SHTNU GHL AX GHYWAOD ANYOLIVMAL INGSaYd GAL SMUVIL ANTI GUY AHI—MNVUA 70 MOOd GAIS GEHL NI AULSIDTY OL GELIINGY GUY SNOYWHHOUAd HOIHM WOU SNOLNVO ALWIL GL ONIMOHS Sd VIC ros a = Se. € hy bi . pa ha \ h Wie < J i AES ° i ff > \ Re ea z) TA x RS 7 SG Lo S 2 4 a f BI 5 3S) ’ A n q i SM: = i ‘ i: 5 alt ims J 4 \ 4 2 ZA) Ih 1 V i x 2 J e fs \ S - » \ J} SS l S “a ee Z 7 Z 2 -_% N Oo A \ 7 2 r zi . \ 5 “ a \ ; \ ; RY Ses > zs ae J . 4 MPO \ i y ote Eh <7-— e \ Z ioe 2 fi ey ‘ Ny g 4 . UTR ra = a re | re, iH. Ys ey poe oa Baia seston’ uy ‘ i a a - as Cie ane ES oe ‘ ee SD IR PA ce io nents iia otra Te te I = et LE J Suess cau Naf Net al Na Wwe OK OOK LOIS a mK) SOO. ENTRANCE TO THE HARAS DU PIN. Is THE RENAISSANCE FOLLOWING THE REVOLUTION 81 inspector’s note recommends that these draft stal- lions be kept only as work horses and should not be allowed to serve—this in spite of the high recom- mendation of certain horses by the director of Le Pin, who was best able to judge their merits. The truth is, that the government inspectors discounte- nanced the use of draft horses. They wanted all the mares in the country to be served by blood horses. They were always obsessed by the necessity of finding cavalry remounts. However, we find that the director continued to use these Percheron stallions for breeding purposes just the same, despite the inspector’s recommendations. It is amusing to observe the director’s note, year after year: ‘‘I wish to keep this horse,’’ and then the inspector’s note under it: ‘‘T'o be used as a work horse only; should not serve mares.’’ Then the next year we read that the stallion had served mares and done work on the estate besides. And so it continues year after year. The obvious fact is that the farmers were pleased with the colts they were getting from this draft blood. They were increasing the size of their horses, which were doing good service in the fields and probably bringing better prices at this period than army horses. GHAPTER VY: EVOLUTION FROM WITHIN. We have seen that about 1809 the government began adding draft stallions to the coach and saddle types maintained in the Haras du Pin, and that these did considerable service as well as the heavy hauling about the establishment. Work was apparently about all that the army officers thought they were fit for, and from their standpoint the inspectors were doubt- less right enough. The farmers of The Perche, how- ever, were not to be turned from their now clearly apparent determination to produce a bigger horse. Normandy might breed all the army remounts she hiked. The Perche had other plans, seeing which the departmental and central government authorities set forces in motion that soon brought important results. This aid took the form of government inspection and approval of certified stallions and a bonus to the owner. We find the first reference to this epoch- marking step in 1818. Prizes Stimulate Effort.—The ‘‘ Annuaire Statis- tique et Administratif du Dept. d’Eure et Loir pour 1819,’’ after reciting the fact that ‘‘formerly, from the province of ancient Perche, horses suitable for the dragoons and hussars were obtained, and also excellent cobs for the stage-coach service,’’ refers to 82 AGED PERCHERON MARES IN A FIELD NEAR LA MESNIERE. EVOLUTION FROM WITHIN 83 the desire of the authorities and intelligent breeders to ‘‘improve the species of horses natural to the country, suitable for withstanding prolonged fatigue, and on that account very much in demand.’’ We quote: “The Count of Breteuil has taken effective meas- ures to improve the horses in The Perche, and, in- eidentally, to better the breeding establishments. His decree of the 27th of August, 1818, approved the 16th of September following by His Excellency the Minister of the Interior, empowers an inspector to visit all the stallions destined for service and to in- dicate those having the necessary qualities rendering them fit for the purpose, and also to see that only those mares suitable for coupling with such stallions are allowed to be covered. Each stallion owner will receive a booklet containing the names of his horses. The list of entires appropriate for public stud work will be published and exposed at the prefect’s office.’’ In the same publication for 1820 we find the fol- lowing: ‘‘The excellent breed of Percheron horses belong- ing to the Department is appreciably improved since a selection of the stallions has been practised and prizes awarded to the finest brood mares. Owners of approved stallions receive from the government, for each year the horses are kept at stud, 100 to 300 franes as a pension, according to the quality of the stallion. ‘‘At the Courtalain fair, held on the 25th of No- vember, and at the Nogent market on the Saturday preceding St. Andrew’s Day, prizes are awarded to the farmers possessing the best brood mares that have been served by the stallions approved by the government, or by stallions owned privately, pro- 84 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE vided they have been declared suitable for public service. M. Barré, farmer at Maintenon, has just re- ceived a medal from the government in recognition of his great care given to his horses. ‘‘Nogent-le-Rotrou has four fairs, which attract great gatherings. Many horses are sold there.’’ Notice should be taken of the fact that in these original inspections not only had the stallions to be certified before being permitted to serve, but the mares offered for service had also to be approved. This brings us to the presentation of the incon- trovertible proof of the correctness of M. Fardouet’s statements already quoted. The National Archives in Evidence.—Clearly the original manuscripts in the National Archives at Paris are not to be disputed, and they reveal a story of splendid service rendered to The Perche by the government of France in the days when the horse- loving people of that province were seeking to lay the foundations of an industry that was destined to add millions to the wealth of French and Amer- ican farmers. In these archives the detailed story of the creation of the Percheron horse of heavy draft, so long untold is revealed, and we need not say that it gives us much pleasure thus to be able to clear away misconceptions heretofore handed down, substituting fact for fiction, and authentic records for mere traditions; thus placing underneath the records of the Percheron societies of France and the United States the data that anchors their founda- tions in the bed-rock of an official registration dat- mg back now nearly one hundred years. EVOLUTION FROM WITHIN 85 It will be shown in the following pages that the splendid work of the French government in giving bonuses or prizes to approved stallions of the Per- cheron breed dates simultaneously from about 1820 in the Departments of Kure-et-Loir (Arrondissement of Nogent), Orne (Arrondissement of Mortagne), and Loir-et-Cher (Arrondissement of Vendome)—the very cradle of the Percheron breed. Later, the De- partment of La Sarthe entered upon the same good work. We have already shown that the beginning of Percheron breeding at the Royal Haras du Pin com- menced about the same time. We quote now exclu- sively from the original documents (manuscripts) in the National Archives at Paris, covering the for- mative period of the modern Percheron. First Approved Stallions Near Nogent.—The first three approved stallions in the Nogent district were Superb, Le Curieux, and Le Percheron. Superb be- longed to M. Debray, Margon, just outside of No- gent. He was a dapple-gray, and was approved on the 14th of August, 1820. His bonus was fixed at 300 franes a year, and he was considered the best stallion at that time. In 1822 he served 42 mares, from which 29 foals were born. In 1823 he had 58 mares. Five of the mares were described as ‘‘Per- cheron-Norman,’’ the others were ‘‘Percherons.’’ Le Curieux was owned by M. Chevet, Coudray. He obtained first prize as an approved stallion in 1821. He was four years old, and is described as a ‘‘Percheron suitable for draft purposes,’’ dapple- gray, with a light-colored head; he was got by a 86 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE horse called Bonhomme, ‘‘out of a mare of M. Cochin.’’ These particulars, besides others, are given on the certificate issued to the owner. In height this horse was about 16.1 hands. Le Curieux was again approved in 1822 and in that year had 60 mares. In 1823 he served 110 mares, 23 of which belonged to one owner, a M. Leméme. Five Picardy mares were served by Le Curieux in 1823; there were also several Normans, but about. five-sixths were Percherons. In 1824 he served 47 mares in the com- munes of Bazoches-Gouez, Chapelle-Royal, Charbon- iéres, St. Bomert, Souance, Bethonvilliers, Vich- eres, Coudray, Etilleux and St. Lubin, all in Eure- et-Loir. In addition he served 74 mares in the De- partment of Orne (communes of Masle and Ceton) in the same year. From the 47 mares served in Eure- et-Loir, 31 foals were born; 19 of these were gray in color. In 1825 Le Curieux served 101 mares in all; 34 were in Eure-et-Loir, and of these 13 were gray, 7 black, 6 red-roan, 2 brown, 4 bay and 2 chest- nut. In 1825 Aubert, belonging to Cottereau of Coudray, not far from Nogent, served 90 mares, 25 of which were gray, 8 black, and 19 bay. This stallion ob- tained an approved bonus of 240 frances. Le Percheron was approved on Aug. 14, 1820. He is described as a seven-year-old bay, of the Per- cheron breed. He belonged to M. Guillemain Conie, and served only two years. He received an annual bonus of 100 franes. In 1821 he served 47 mares. Grand Pierre, Bijou and Le Coq.—We next come ‘el ores ; " f Wy, AVIVIOUISH GUHdVHOOLOHd— 2181 NI Gutvour ‘INGIWNYAAOD HONWHAT aL WO NOISSINUGA AA ANATOA Sit WOA ‘JOUTHOUTd AVUN-GWIddvVad V ‘Norlad WO TVAOUddY WO MLVOIMILUG) TVYOIIGO GH FO NOLLONGOUdAH WITNISOVAL Loe ee 2S ee ; oe eS nwarinA7 Me : oy 4 * Ze VA ae foo 5 De ses docipats) Co Dla fees . A CCL 907 ee ; lees sa $? Peg ge a <2 “By/ pit TZ ones < ; = opp og tot Feg wpe sere, Gs . A : Pf DPLAIC PIS: ee 5g aipeas q Core PT IO LS rie ? IPP?OO I) 7 “Mae | * sit] “saatixa suonvoynsn{ say sp. ted raas Suntd ayabry touvatidord ne ureyooid uy tanoye v ound vy soutay , : j yy? yay Nay 1eSPIINIVSUOD suv buio jurpuod ‘ ausisop SNssop-19 I dtiassip eat: oho ss ? ELS bg { DUG TS: J I ay - y Hour) supp woped amutod aKojdura a.t19 anod 4aiUus JeAayS Up AANOUdA VY SDIYHI P73 YP wuourazirdap : prey ~y) +p iuauiassipuo.te | suep aoadsay t91cnyourn be : irlane dan spyyenb 4: SMONN y, Becerno Me) Vapor vaspu aah y juruonieddy ‘(auc 189 WoUtajPusis op wop) ser y xatps 3p anh rormrstiss soos . Qe op sain sop uauae anazadsuy tS bade sted ey, '4 “IN op wrodides oy Ing \ vary ow ve f F 3 snimngont® ye WOME ap juomoanedap MY AVLG. ANIVISUOTS ANLSINITY ary : : ; SIANOUddY SNOITVLA - Se gees ge 7) 4 ye \ ity (oe Y) TOPVE ee i Oe Pasi oes SFYFH nee we CF CRIP Te INTASICR ONS EVOLUTION FROM WITHIN 87 | to Grand Pierre, owned by Dieu, of Coudray. This horse was born in 1818 and was a dapple-gray. He served 60 mares in 1824, among them one belonging to M. Ducoeurjoly, a probable ancestor of Ducoeur- joly, one of the first members of the French Per- cheron Society. The mare was a gray and she bore a filly foal, also gray. Grand Pierre got 37 foals from the 60 services. In 1825 he had 61 mares and in 1826 he served 64. We next find Bijou, owned by M. Vasconeelles, Houssaye (commune of An- verre). In 1824 he had 54 mares, and the result was 36 foals. Then comes Le Coq, a great stallion be- longing to Benoit, Illiers. In 1824 he served 101 mares and 70 foals resulted. In 1825 and 1826 he served 75 mares each year. This stallion was dap- ple-gray, and stood a little over 16 hands. Bijou was also dapple-gray, but only 15.14% hands high, though he is described in the certificate as ‘‘Per- cheron, heavy draft.’’ He was evidently in great de- mand, in the years 1825, ’26, and ’27 serving 116, 124, and 135 mares. Liberally Patronized.—In 1827 we find that a letter was sent from the Minister of the Interior (Bureau des Haras) to the Prefect of Eure-et-Loir ordering 1,070 franes to be paid to the following stallioners: Benoit (2 stallions), 400 franes; 240 francs to Cot- tereau, of Coudray; 100 franes to Dieu, Coudray; 180 franes to Monnier Vasconcelles, Anverre; and 180 franes to Maréchal (sometimes written Marchal), St. Germain-le-Gaillard. Aubert, one of the horses already mentioned, was 88 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE a strawberry-roan born in 1820 and standing slightly over 15.3 hands. He served 90 mares in 1825 and 91 in 1826. He belonged to Cottereau. In 1827 he had 77 mares. Lecoeur belonged to Benoit. He was a light-gray, about 15.3 hands high, and was born in 1819. In 1825 he had 65 mares and 115 in 1826. There were many blacks and grays among the mares served by this horse in 1826. Maréchal owned a horse called Le Percheron (not the one previously mentioned). He stood about 16.2 hands high, a dap- ple-gray. In 1825 he had 108 mares, among them being 8 belonging to one Labiche. In 1826 he served 117 mares and in 1827 he had 88. According to the Minister of the Interior’s letter, dated 18th of June, 1828, we find that Cottereau’s stallion Aubert was not allowed to serve mares after that date. In 1827 he had 88 mares. Mention is made of an approved stallion, Le Braillard, which served 73 mares in 1826. Maréchal’s Pierrot, a dark dapple-gray born in 1822, was approved the 25th of November, 1826. Pierrot got 82 living foals in his first season out of 113 mares. Big Horses in Service.—That the big stallions were popular in those days is instanced by the list of mares served by the ‘‘heavy draft’’ stallion Le Grand, that stood 17 hands high and was dapple-gray in color. He was owned by Toutay, of Coutretot, and served in the Nogent district. In 1826 he had 112 mares, and in 1827 he served 91. In the list of mares served by the approved stallions about this period we find that the dapple-grays are becoming more numerous and bays occur less frequently. In 1829 le Grand had i t TRITON, TYPE OF PERCHERON STALLION USED AT THE GOVERNMENT STUD. PERCHERON STALLIONS AT LE HARAS DU PIN. EVOLUTION. FROM WITHIN 89 60 mares, and in 1830 he had 63, 16 of which were dapple-gray and 9 of other shades of gray. There were also 9 blacks among the number. Toutay had another stallion, approved the 18th of November, 1828, called Charles, dapple-gray, and described as ‘“‘heavy draft.’’ He stood 16 hands high. Beausang (Madame Toutay) and |’Eveille, (serving. in the Chateaudun district) are two other stallions men- tioned at this time. Beausang stood 15.3 hands high, and was dapple-gray. L’Eveille was also dapple- gray, measured a little over 16 hands, and was born in 1823. He served 109 mares in 1828. In 1830 he had 78 mares, ‘‘gris pommele’’—dapple-gray— greatly predominating among these colors. He was authorized, but not approved at this time. In 1831 he had 85 mares. We next hear of Cottereau’s 16-hand white-gray stallion Franconni. He had 82 mares in 1829 and 101 mares in 1830. Bijou, already mentioned, served 120 mares in 1829 and a still larger number in 1830. We note also that Le Cadet, born in 1824, dapple-gray, 16 hands high, served 117 mares in 1829 and 136 in 1830. Margot, a dark gray of about 15.3 hands, belonging to M. Facheux in the Chateaudun district, served 53 mares in 1828, 54 in 1829, and 64 in 1830. Benoit had a stallion at this time, Le Robuste, a 16.2-hand dapple-gray born in 1823 that served 107 mares in 1829 and 111 in 1830. Le Coq Goes to Belgium.—In 1829 the fine stallion Le Coq was purchased by the director of the St. Paul Riding Academy, Brussels. This is the horse that 90 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE was owned by Benoit. According to a letter found among the documents relating to the approved stal- lions, 2,540 franes was offered for Le Coq at the fair of St. André before he was approved. The letter is written by the Prefect of Eure-et-Loir to the Min- ister of the Interior. In 1828 Le Coq served 154 mares and in 1829 had 116 mares. Bijou had 130 mares in 1828. Cottereau’s stallion, Braillard, served 64 mares in 1828 and the same number in 1829. At the end of the 1829 season this stallion broke his thigh while serving a mare, as attested by affidavit made out at Coudray on the 7th of October, 1829. Le Grand had 81 mares in 1828, 60 in 1829, 72 in 1830, and 52 in 1831. The owner of Le Grand (Toutay) had also another approved stallion at this time, called Le Veau Rayé. He had 60 mares in 1828, 61 in 1829, and 55 in 1830. This stallion, born in 1824, was dark gray and 16 hands high. In 1831 the owners of the approved stallions in Kure-et-Loir were Benoit, Madame Toutay (Beau- mont), Guillaumin, Gaubert, Cottereau, Toutay, and Maréchal. Toutay and Maréchal had each three stallions. Benoit had two stallions; one, Le Cadet, served 120 mares in 1831 and 145 in 1832, while the other, Le Pommelé, born in 1827, and standing 16.1 hands full, had 95 mares in 1831 and 108 in 1832. More Big Gray Horses.—Maréchal’s Le Bijou (an- other Bijou, probably a son of the first), born in 1826, had 112 mares in 1831 and 61 in 1832. The same owner’s Le Pierro, a dapple-gray of 16 hands, born in 1826, had 106 mares in 1832. Maréchal’s EVOLUTION FROM WITHIN 91 third approved stallion was Le Courtois, dapple- gray, born in 1828. He served 68 mares in 1832. There is also a stallion mentioned at this time, Le Devé, 16 hands in height and a dark dapple-gray, born in 1828, that served 61 mares in 1832. Gaubert’s stallion, Largneux, served in the Chartres district. He was dapple-gray, 15.2 hands high, and had 57 mares in 1831, 50 in 1832, 53 in 1833, and 51 in 1834. Guillaumin had also a stallion named Le Coq (not the Benoit stallion) that served at this time. He had 101 mares in 1831 and 111 in 1832. Toutay’s Le Grand, the 17-hand stallion previously mentioned, that served near Nogent had 59 mares in 1832; he was then ten years old and Ducoeurjoly had a gray mare served by him in that year. Toutay’s Le Charon, a 16-hand dapple-gray born in 1828, had 63 mares in 1832. The same owner had another stallion, Dorchéne, which died from colic. This fact is attest- ed by the mayor of the commune. One of the wit- nesses was a M. Chouanard (8th of June, 1832), a probable ancestor of the well known Chouanard family of breeders near Nogent. Dorchéne served 60 mares before he died in 1832. Franconni had 64 mares in 1831, the same number in 1832, and 55 in 1833. Others in Nogent District.—In 1835 the amount of bonuses given to approved stallion owners in Eure- et-Loir was 1,580 frances, as follows: 400 franes to Toutay (2 stallions), 340 to Benoit (3 stallions), 200 to Guillaumin, 150 each to Maréchal and Dieu, 120 each to Cottereau and Gaubert, and 100 francs to 92 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE David, making a total of 10 stallions, the majority of them in the Nogent district. Toutay’s stallions this year were Le Grand and Le Percheron. In 1833 Le Grand had 72 mares, and in 1834 he served 60 mares. Benoit’s Le Pommelé served 109 mares in 1833, and 111 mares in 1834. The same owner’s Le Coquet had 82 mares in 1834, while his third stallion, Le Cadet, had 107 mares in 1833 and 68 mares in 1834. Guillau- min’s Le Coco received a prize of 200 franes and was probably a very fine stallion. In 1832 he had 90 mares, in 1833 he had 91 mares, and in 1834 63. Largneux served 53 mares in 1833 and 51 in 1834. Dieu’s Le Poulet had 53 mares in 1833 and 56 in 1834. We should have mentioned also Le Bijou, belonging to a M. Thion, that had 60 mares in 1833. Cottereau’s Franconni, now deseribed as ‘‘white’’ in color, had 50 mares in 1834. David’s stallion (name not given) served 82 mares in 1834, and from his services in 1833 we are told by the records that he got 49 living foals. In the Department of Orne.—F rom the documents relating to the Department of Orne the splendid work of these early approved stallions runs coneur- rently with those in Eure-et-Loir. We first hear of a dapple-gray stallion belonging to M. Launay, Mau- vaisiniére, near Mortagne. This horse got 23 foals from the 1824 season. Louis Pelletier, tenant farmer at Corbon, had a stallion, Le Bijou, that made the 1825 season, serving 38 mares. Just as in the case of Kure-et-Loir the full list of mares is given together with date of service, height of mare, color, age, the 16 eda aia Be i oe sal reas EIN s H. PELLETIER OF LA BERNUCHE; ORNE. EVOLUTION FROM WITHIN 93 name of owner, etc., certified correct and stamped with all the seals of the mayors in the several com- munes in which the mares were served. All the mares, with hardly an exception, are de- scribed as ‘‘Percherons.’’ The first list will give a correct idea of the colors prevailing at that period. Among the mares served by Pelletier’s horse in 1825 there were 13 grays, 9 bays, 1 brown-bay, 4 blacks, and 3 chestnuts. The mares were not so high as those in the Nogent district; hardly any were over 15.2 hands. Some mares were served in Eure-et-Loir by Launay’s horse, and he also served mares in La Sarthe. Launay’s old stallion book is found among the records; it is bound in sheepskin, with a raw-hide lace attached to close it. On every page appears the stamp of the mayor of the different communes. That is why we can state that his horse served a few mares out of his own department, as we find the mayor’s stamp of Buissaye (3 mares) and Reveillon (1 mare), both places in Kure-et-Loir. It seems that Launay’s horse began serving in 1822, but the list is lacking. We find, however, a statement that he got 26 living foals out of 31 mares. It should have been men- tioned that the first full list of Launay’s mares was in 1823—91 mares—but the observations made re- specting the colors apply to 1825. It is a very simple matter to find the colors of any given year, however, if greater detail is deemed necessary. In 1823 all the mares are described as Percherons except 9 Brittany mares, and one Normandy mare. We find the name of Aveline for the first time in 94 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE 1825 at Mont Gaudray. He had a brown-bay mare ‘served by Launay’s horse. Service for 12 Francs.—In Launay’s notebook for 1822 we read the following interesting detail: ‘‘ Mares to be served three times, after which payment of 12 franes for the service shall be made, and 1 frane, 50 centimes for the groom.’’ Several of the farmers had two or three mares served. Some of these men are described as land-owners, while others are tenant farmers. Launay’s horse received a bonus of 200 franes a year, as shown by a letter from the director- general of the haras at Paris to the Prefect of Orne transmitting money to be handed over to Launay. Pelletier’s horse got 33 foals from the 1825 season, and 32 from the 1826 season. This horse was a dap- ple-gray, standing 17 hands high, and his prize money was 150 frances a year. M. Lefort had a dapple-gray, described as ‘‘ Percheron, heavy draft,’’ born in 1821. In 1826 he served 26 mares, and in 1827 he had 32 mares. He stood 16 hands high. At Mortagne in the Early ’30’s.—In 1830 there were three approved stallions in the Arrondissement of Mortagne. Two belonged to Pelletier, and the other to Jacques Geru. Geru’s horse, Hercule, was a dapple-gray, 16-hand, heavy draft, born in 1825. He served 52 mares in 1830, and 58 in 1831. Pelletier’s stallion, Le Bijou, born 1825, was dapple-gray; he served 35 mares in 1830, and the same number in 1831. Most of the mares were under 15.2 hands at this time in that part of The Perche. They are, EVOLUTION FROM WITHIN 95 however, all described on the stallion sheets as ‘‘ Per- cherons.’’ In 1833 the approved-stallion owners in Orne were Pelletier (2 stallions), Dutheil of Kperraix, Herrissay and Guerrée. Guerrée’s horse was about 15.3 hands high and dapple-gray in color. Dutheil’s horse was described as ‘‘heavy draft,’’ standing 16 hands high, a gray—slightly dappled. In 1834 he served 51 mares, and in 1835 he had 35 mares. There is also another stallion mentioned, Bijou, which served 30 mares in 1834, and 38 mares in 1835. He was 17 hands high, was born 1829, and was dapple-gray in eolor. Herrissay’s stallion, born 1830, a 16-hand dap- ple-gray, served 34 mares in 1834 and 32 mares in 1835. He had another horse, described as ‘‘white’’ in color, which served 35 mares in 1854 and 32 in 1855. _ The owners of approved stallions in Orne in 1834 and 735 were Leconte, of Veuville (2 stallions, 350 _franes); Pelletier, Corbon (2 stallions, 400 francs); Herrissay, St. Germain de Martigny (200 frances); Guerrée, Fremongéne (100 franes). Herrissay’s Bijou served 53 mares in 1835, and 60 mares in 1836. Bijou (Guerrée’s) served 60 mares each year in 1835 and ’36, while L’Ami (Pelletier’s) had 32 mares in each of those years. The mares served by Herrissay’s horse measured from 15 to 16 hands. Already there seems to be an improvement in the size. Leconte’s Cuirassier was not a Percheron. He is described as a heavy coach horse, dark chestnut in color and served in the coach-horse district—around Argentan, that part of Orne lying in Normandy. He served 56 96 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE mares in 1836. The other Leconte horse was a sad- dler, and served only 19 mares in 1836. All of these stallions had to serve a minimum of 30 mares in order ‘o obtain the bonus. In La Sarthe.—We first find record of La Sarthe’s cguring among the departments having approved stallions in 1832. M. Cousin, commune of Peray, had . dapple-gray stallion, born 1827, slightly under 16 hands, which served 40 mares in 1832, 43 mares in 1833, and 42 in 1834. We find the names of Aveline and Hamelin among the owners of mares served by this horse. Another approved stallion was M. Pierre Abot’s horse Mouton, ‘‘dapple-gray, heavy draft,’’ born 1828, 16 hands high. He had 57 mares in 1833, but in the following year was not allowed to serve. Loir-et-Cher.—In the department of Loir-et-Cher, in that part of the department lying in The Perche (Arrondissement of Vend6dme) very intensive breed- ing of Percherons took place, beginning about the same date as in the other departments, and we find, just as in the case of the stallions in the other dis- tricts mentioned, that those in Loir-et-Cher were practically all grays of different shades. The first approved stallion we find record of in this district belonged to a M. Ferrand. He was a silver-gray, of 15.2 hands, and was described as heavy draft. In 1827 he served 103 mares. Then we find a record of Coco, a slate-colored gray with four white feet, belonging to M. Richandeau, St. Gourgon. He stood about 16 hands. In 1830 there were two approved stallions. One of these was Coco, and Top—Chas. Aveline, Louis Aveline and M. E. Jones in Chas. Aveline’s pastures. Middle—Paul Chouanard looking at cattle at M. ‘Tacheau’s. Bottom—Same individuals as seen in top picture—SCENES IN THE PERCHE. ' ” a ee - . 4 5 ‘ aN _ a EVOLL TION Pho M W.TLUN 97 45 foals were born as the result of his first season. Ferrand’s horse served 94 mares in 1830, and 106 in 1831.° In 1831 more bonuses were given for ap- proved stallions. T. Tardiveau’s Moulinet, a dapple- eray of 16 hands, born in 1823, served 140 mares in 1831. Another dapple-gray belonging to Tardiveau is reported to have served 181 mares in 1831. There was another stallion belonging to a M. Crignon, Me- rainville. In 1832 we find a growing interest in Percheron breeding in this section. Ferrand had three horses, and Richandeau, Tardiveau and Crignon one each. Crignon’s horse served 32 mares in 1832. Moulinet had 151 mares in 1832. Ferrand’s horse served 86 mares in 1832. Another of his horses (name not given), born 1823, a heavy draft of 16 hands, gray, served 102 mares in 1831 and 94 in 1832. His third stallion was also 16 hands high, white in color. He served 98 mares in 1832. Tardiveau’s horse served 108 mares in 1832. A stallion belonging to Tardi- veau, authorized but not approved, 17 hands high, gray, served 85 mares in 1831 and 84 in 1882. In 1833 there were about seven or eight approved stallions, and 1,150 franes was distributed in bonuses. Ferrand had three horses, and T. Tardiveau, Richan- deau, Crignon and P. Tardiveau one each. All these stallions were either white, dapple-gray or silver- gray with white manes and tails; all were ‘‘Per- cherons.’’ Gray greatly predominated everywhere in this country among the mares served, according to the lists; and the stallions are remarkable, not only 98 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE for the number of mares served, but also for their fecundity, as evidenced by the attested lists of liv- ing foals from the seasons’ services. In 1834 Fer- rand had three approved stallions, which served 101, 105 and 103 mares. The other stallioners were T. Tardiveau, P. Tardiveau, Contangeau, Chevet (Mont- doubleau), and Thereau. None of these stallions served fewer than 80 mares, while some of them had considerably more than a hundred. | This part of The Perche has always been noted as a mare country, although buyers—Ameriecans, at least—do not visit the centers like Montdoubleau, Savigny-sur-Bray and Droué as frequently as for- merly. Nevertheless, a great many colts from that region get into the hands of the stallioners around Nogent and are ultimately sold for export to America. A Broad Constructive Policy Continued.—It might be interesting, although somewhat wearisome, to undertake to extend this sort of data further, but we have already brought it down through the formative period named so accurately by M. Fardouet. More- over, this carries the French side of the narrative well down towards the beginnings of the export trade with the United States, and we must now be turning our attention to our own side the Atlantic. Suffice it to say, therefore, that this same system of bonuses and inspection was continued in The Perche, and with happy results. Speaking of the policy pursued during the years succeeding those so fully covered by the foregoing EVOLUTION FROM WITHIN 99 notes, the Abbé Fret, from whom we have so fre- quently quoted, says: ‘¢Since 1836 the desire to ameliorate agriculture in The Perche has made great strides among the farm- ers. A noble emulation has been set by creating ‘prizes of encouragement,’ an agricultural committee having been established at Nogent, which unites -annually under the presidency of the Count de Bussy. This committee has already justified the hopes of its founders and is spreading its influence over the re- gion. A depot of stallions has been established at Nogent, at the barracks of St. Denis, by the Haras du Pin, which has greatly improved the horses of the Percheron breed. They have distributed prizes at Nogent to the owners of the finest brood mares.’’ A few more records and we shall conclude this discussion. In the ‘‘Bulletin de la Société Royale de Mans”’ is an interesting account of an agricultural show held at Mamers in 1838. Prizes were given for the best draft mare having foaled during the year, age 4 to 9 years; also for the best colt, two to three years, and the best filly, same age. All were to be of the Percheron breed. Agricultural shows at which Percheron horses were exhibited also took place at Saint Calais, Beaumont-le-Comte, Saint Pater, La Ferté Bernard and Marolle-les-Braults. At a show held at La Ferté Bernard on the 19th of September, 1841, a M. Torsay won the first prize on a light flea-bitten gray mare, about 16.2 hands high and eight years old. Second prize went to M. Vin- cent on a steel gray, five years old, of about the same height. A black mare, six years old, measuring about 16.1, received honorable mention. It will be 100 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE seen from this that there were big drafty mares in The Perche even in those days. M. Richard won the first prize on fillies with a brown bay of about 16.2 hands, and second prize went to M. Prudhomme on a filly of similar color, about the same height. In stallions first prize went to M. Pennetier, and second to M. Fleurida. These stallions had no com- petition, as evidenced by the following: ‘¢ Although these stallions had no competitors, the judges nevertheless thought they ought to be awarded prizes as presenting in the highest degree the qualities which constitute a stallion suitable for the production of draft colts, and it is probably owing to the superiority of these two individuals that one must attribute the absence of competitors.’’ At the show in the same town in 1842 M. Pennetier again won first prize in stallons with a horse of 16.3 hands, dapple-gray, six years old. In the fol- lowing year M. Tacheau, probably the grandfather of the present noted stallioner and breeder, won first prize in fillies. Outcrossing Exaggerated—Had the Percheron, then, during this evolution, received no crosses from other breeds? Very likely experiments were tried, but it is entirely clear that misguided alliances with: extraneous blood were never permitted specially to influence the race in its entirety. The specific and inherent qualities of the type were always conserved intact. Unsatisfactory colts, the product of ocea- sional infusions of blood from other breeds, were promptly set aside as work horses and not al- lowed to reproduce their kind. No men are more ‘GUVHOI “A FO Wiva “ALYaWONND v1 EVOLUTION FROM WITHIN 101 tenacious than those of The Perche. None knows better than the Percheron farmer himself which type of horse suits his needs best. - The possible influence of an introduction of a few Picardy mares near Montdoubleau about the begin- ning of the 19th century has been grossly exagger- ated. We have had an examination made of the original sheets containing full descriptions of the native mares served in The Perche by the approved Percheron stallions from the time these approved stallions first began their work, and only in a few instances do we find the name ‘‘Picardy,’’ as applied to the ‘‘provenance’’ of the mares, mentioned. This blood was quickly eliminated, as is shown by ref- erence to later documents. But long before the or- ganization of the stud book the purity of the breed was almost guaranteed by the fact that only the most typical sires were allowed to serve mares. Hach de- partment had very stringent rules to assure the purity of the breed. No stallion could serve mares without official permission first having been obtained. As to Color.—With respect to the black color which became popular some years ago much has been said by way of insinuating that this came from an outside source. There have always been plenty of black mares in The Perche. Precise information touching this is to be found in the government serv- ice sheets. Every stallion sheet that we have had examined, beginning about 1820, alludes to black mares of the ‘‘Percheron’’ breed. The breeders of The Perche, like other men, cater to their customers, 102 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE and they were easily able to produce blacks in con- siderable numbers from within the breed itself by natural selection. When the special demand for blacks abated, stal- lions of that color were discarded and the farmers began to put their mares again to grays. Similarly, if a craze for bays had sprung up years ago, it would have been possible to produce bay colts all over The Perche. The first Percheron specifically mentioned in the records of the government stud, as has already been set forth, was of that color. The gray color, however, has always been common to the Percheron, and it was through the influence of the approved stal- lions which we have listed that this color became predominant. The stallions used in The Perche, almost without exception, during the early formative period were grays, and of these nearly all were dap- ple-gray (‘‘gris pommelé’’). That was the period when the popularity of the Percheron as a stage-coach or diligence horse had reached its zenith. Three important turnpike roads from Paris to the coast passed through The Perche, and as the railroads had not yet come traveling was by diligence. Some of these coaches also carried the mails, and good time had to be made regularly. The lighter Percheron of those days was considered ideal for this work, and the gray color pleased the pro- prietors because the teams could be seen more dis- tinctly at night. The introduction of railroads caused the Percheron later to be drafted into omnibus work, principally at Paris, where thousands of these dap- TWO-YEAR-OLDS AT PASTURE ON THE FARM OF JOSEPH AVELINE, — a Y a he Se iat Wy? EVOLUTION FROM WITHIN 103 ple-gray horses in matched couples and threes were until very recent years a familiar sight. Passing of the Diligence Type.—But even before the railways came, under the influence of the service of the large approved stallions we have mentioned the breed was becoming more drafty, a fact which called forth some protest, as is evidenced by a report made at a meeting of the Agricultural Society of Mans, on Feb. 5, 1845, from which we quote: ““Tt is an incontestable fact that the stallion shows of this department (Sarthe) have produced satis- factory results. But, really, what do we want today? Light, vigorous draft horses for our artillery, mail coaches and diligences, the number of which has been doubled since twenty years ago. We need horses capable of doing about 7 to 10 miles an hour, at least, in harness. Shall we obtain these results with heavy horses, only suitable for heavy draft work and large exploitations?’’ The Beauce was asking for larger horses to do the plowing and to prepare the land for the wheat crop. This region is contiguous to The Perche, and is called the ‘‘granary of France.’’ The growing population of Paris, which has always taken most of the Beauce wheat, compelled more modern methods of culture on the part of the grain-growing farmers of that fer- tile region. Oxen were gradually being discarded and heavy horses were being used in greater numbers throughout all France. The call upon The Perche for material of this sort was not only persistent but it came from many different districts. Some Conclusions.—The more profoundly one 104 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE studies The Perche and its history, the more firmly one is persuaded: first, that the Percheron horse is a product of this ancient provinee and indigenous to the basin of the Seine, and second, that he has been developed and has acquired his most distinguishing characteristics through judicious breeding within the territorial limitations of The Perche itself. Centu- ries of evolution in a small country where the soil, the climate, the forage, and the very air itself con- duced in the highest degree to the production: of good horses have accomplished the result so admired today. Modifications of type have taken place in the past, and no doubt will appear in the future. All draft breeds have undergone mutations to meet the chang- ing exigencies of the times. During the Dark Ages the native horse of The Perche was in demand as a war horse. Later we know that in the 17th century depredating bands frequently entered The Perche, primarily for the purpose of appropriating the fine horses known to be there. Although we have no historical facts to prove that Rotrou III sallied forth from Nogent with his numerous retinue of knights and vassals, all mounted on the light type old-time Percherons, when he went to fight the infidels in the Holy Land in 1095, history does not tell us, on the contrary, that other than native horses were em- ployed in this expedition, or in the second Crusade, or in the campaign against the Saracens in Spain. To all of these martial exploits many of the seigneurs of The Perche contributed their quota. AER DL PAY TYPICAL LANDSCAPE IN THE PERCHE—LA RONCE, CHATEAU OF EDMOND PERRIOT IN DISTANCE EVOLUTION FROM WITHIN 105 - Through many generations during various periods of the Percheron’s history: the same old families have been engaged in producing colts in this won- derful nursery of good horses.. The names of some of those who have contributed largely to the making of Percheron progress will be mentioned in a subse- quent chapter. The specially rapid maturing quali- ties of the Percheron, and the extraordinary plas- ticity of the breed have served these persistent breed- ers admirably in their eminently successful effort to produce larger horses. All this has been brought about under the stimulating influence of foreign gold by a rigorous selection of the breeding materials, rational working of the brood mares, and liberal feeding of the young stock with suitable grain and forage. This, then, is a fair account of the original evolu- tion of the modern type in France, so far as can be ascertained by an exhaustive examination of all available records pertaining to it. The famous stal- lions appearing in the first volume of the Percheron Stud Book of France were undoubtedly the direct descendants of the government-approved stallions listed in the foregoing pages. It will be observed that the long record so carefully examined at the expense of much time and labor yields the name of but one stallion in service during this period described as a ‘‘Boulonnais,’’ and he was not owned by a Percheron farmer but belonged to the govern- ment. The Perche was increasing the weight of its own horses by free recourse to the services of the 106 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE larger stallions and mares selected and mated with this particular object in view, under official inspec- tions. The stallions named in this chapter, and they alone, are the true historic forbears of the heavy draft Percherons of the years that followed their use. ty! N Pp) yeaa i be GHLYVS-YOSAISHN HI YVAN ‘ATIVA “We 40 Wuva GHAPTER VY. FIRST FRENCH HORSES IN AMERICA. Somewhere on the shaggy shores of the mighty seaward outlet of the Great Lakes, quite probably at Quebec, the first horses brought from the old to the new France were debarked. Doubtless within the erypted chests of the churches and monasteries of Canada records of horses imported in the seven- teenth and eighteenth centuries lie buried deep in the dust of time, but in none of the public documents of the Dominion, church or state, is there mention of such shipments. Louis XIV sent some mares and a few stallions from the Royal stables in 1665, 1667 1670, but they were not of a sort well suited to the purposes of agriculture. Other stallions besides the few donated by the king must have been imported by the colonists themselves and these in all probabil- ity were of a sturdier, more useful type. After the cession to Britain in 1760 the insular types assumed the ascendancy, save in the old French settlements. The primeval forests of the Lower St. Lawrence were first seen by Jacques Cartier, the French ex- plorer, in the year 1535, but it was not until 1609 that Champlain began building upon the now historic rock of Quebec. This event marked the beginnings of Canadian agriculture, and to this day the horses 107 108 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE of the province of Quebec, in the hands of the de- scendants of the first ‘‘habitants,’’ reveal in their activity and endurance, if not in size, something of the character of the sturdy, fast-traveling, long- distance trotters for which France had been famous for generations. More than a century ago the native horses of eastern Canada offered in their conforma- tion indisputable proof of a Gallic origin, but so altered to meet the exigencies of a new country as to be entitled to recognition as a distinet type. Authentic Records Begin.—The first stallions im-. ported into North America from France of which there is record in all probability did not come from The Perche. The so-called ‘‘McNitt Horse,’ brought into Canada in 1816, was a dapple-gray standing from 15.2 to 15.3 hands high. At the time he was imported the French government, as we have already shown, was just beginning at the Haras du Pin to give a more or less grudging support to the idea of developing heavy drafters in The Perche. While the breeding and origin of the MeNitt Horse, or European, as he was sometimes called, cannot now be fixed, it is clear that he was of a. type then in favor in France. He weighed around 1,200 pounds and was a trotter of renown. Moreover, he proved a successful and prolific sire. His sons were, as arule, so superior to the native stock of the time that many of them were kept entire and used in the stud. At a rather advanced age he was brought into Washington County, New York. Both he and ‘several of his sons were popular in the Empire State HARRIS OF NEW JERSEY—PIONEER IMPORTER OF PERCHERONS. - U ' \ - \ ° a ° FIRST FRENCH HORSES IN AMERICA 109 and New England, but whatever mark they may have left upon the horses of that portion of the United States was later effaced by the stronger blood of imp. Messenger, a Thoroughbred and also a gray, whose stock even to the second and third generations proved popular in the east. Alexander’s Norman.—One son: of the MeNitt, Horse gained a measure of renown in this country. This was the gray Morse Horse, sire of Alexander’s Norman, a noted stallion taken from New York state to Robert A. Alexander’s famous Woodburn Farm in Kentucky some time during the ’50’s of the last century to sire work horses. This he did with suc- cess, and incidentally he founded a small and com- paratively unimportant family of trotters. The name of this horse would indicate that the French type probably had been preserved in his ease. Diligent search of old newspaper files and such public documents as are available reveals no proof of further importations from France for a long series of years. There is a tradition that at some time between 1820 and 1831 gray French horses were imported into Maryland, but if so all traces of them, their owners, and their history have van- ished. ) First Importation to the States.—In 1831 Edward Harris, a resident of Moorestown, N. J., was travel- ing for pleasure in northern France and became so impressed with the excellence of the hardy horses that hauled the heavy diligences in which he tra- versed the country that he determined to ship a few 110 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE specimens to the United States. It was not, how- ever, until 1839 that he succeeded in putting this determination into effect, and then bad luck pur- sued his venture; only one of the first four head shipped reached America alive, and this sole sur- vivor was a mare. Nothing daunted, Mr. Harris immediately took ship again for France, and re- turned this time with two stallions, one named Dil- gence, and two mares, one of which died shortly after landing. This importation, it would appear, had only a passing influence on the native stock of New Jersey. One of the stallions went blind during his first year in this country and was permanently retired from service. One of the mares named Dap- ple proved a non-breeder, while the other, Joan, a gray, produced a gray colt, a chestnut filly, and a bay colt at successive foalings, all being got by the gray Diligence. Joan’s next and last foal, born in 1856, was a bay by Harmer’s Norman, a stallion said to have been imported and not hitherto located, but which will be definitely referred to later on. Diligence was a compactly built horse standing about 15 hands high, and according to his owner he begot about 400 foals. He died in 1856. One mare, Julie, foaled in 1851, and two stallions, Diligence 2d and Louis Philippe, all by Diligence, were entered among the foundation animals accepted for registry in the first volume of the American Stud Book. Ohio Importations of 1851.—In another volume the author has shown that the cattle stocks of the mid- west states were profoundly influenced by the im- DILIGENCE—IMPORTED BY EDWARD HARRIS OP NEW JERSEY.—FROM A PAINTING. (4 ‘ne he ial es va FIRST FRENCH HORSES IN AMERICA nin ie porting operations of the enterprising farmers of south-central Ohio carried on at intervals during a long series of years beginning in 1834. These men were mostly of Virginia extraction and never could abide inferior domestic animals. Their attention was first given to their herds and flocks, which acquired in due course a nation-wide celebrity. Their love for a good horse was proverbial, but it first expressed itself in an attachment to the English Thoroughbred or blood horse and to those wonder- fully gaited saddlers which are still the pride of all men and women of Virginia stock. Nevertheless, we have here to credit to these same public-spirited Ohioans of the old school the bringing in of the original seed from whence the great Percheron har- vest of our own times has been reaped. In short, we have now to record that the importation into Ohio in 1851 of the two French stallions Normandy and Louis Napoleon was followed by results of which their importers little dreamed, and that in the career of the one in Ohio and of the other in Illinois we have revealed the solid base upon which the subsequent popularity of the French horse of heavy draft throughout the United States really rests. It would be interesting if we could trace the exact origin of these two successful stallions, but this is now impossible. We know that they were not bought in The Perche by the men who imported them. The importers probably never had heard the name. It is a fact, nevertheless, that at that date 112 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE The Perche was a prolific producer of horses of this type, and that, as we have already shown, the farm- ers of that province were free sellers of colts to out- side buyers.* It will never be positively known, however, whether or not these horses were of the true Percheron blood. What little is known about the breeding of Normandy is vague and of Louis Napoleon’s ancestry nothing whatever is available. We know that both were bought in the vicinity of Rouen and that Normandy was bred near that city, but from what sort of ancestry tradition sayeth naught. Their importers had not penetrated as far as The Perche. Here are the known facts: Normandy, or Pleasant Valley Bill—Hitherto it has been popularly supposed that in 1851 two stal- lions only were imported from France, the one being Louis Napoleon 281 and the other Normandy 351, or Pleasant Valley Bill, as he was well-nigh universally known during his lifetime. So far tradition has been right as to the importations, but wrong as to the number of horses. Dr. Marcus Brown, Circleville, O., really imported two stallions, so that in 1851 three entire horses came from the northern part of *TIn a book entitled ‘European Vineyards,” written more than fifty years ago, Mr. Wm. J. Flagg, speaking of the heavy Horses in harness in the Bordeaux district, says: “Two farmers, whom I afterwards met while (raneuine in Normandy, told me the Perche country was really the home of the breed and that it was their custom to buy there six months’ colts, which they raised and broke, working them from two years old, and selling them when they got to be five or six years old, the prices obtained for full-grown and well-broken animals ranging from $200 to $250. I am glad to learn they are at length bringing them to America, where a late importation sold for prices which averaged $2,500.” =: a fake Soe ge Z Fee i i JOAN AND FOAL JULIA BY DILIGHNCE—IMPORTED 1829 BY EDWARD HARRIS OF NEW JERSEY—FROM AN OLD PAINTING. FIRST FRENCH HORSES IN AMERICA 113 France to Ohio. Proof that Dr. Brown imported two stallions is complete, or rather that Samuel Holman, Chester Springs, Pa., who was entrusted by Dr. Brown with the task of procuring for him a French horse, bought two with Dr. Brown’s money and took one of them for himself. Among Dr. Brown’s papers turned over in con- nection with the sale of a half-interest in ‘‘Old Bill’’ to the late T. C. Bigelow, Columbus, O., there is a letter from Samuel Holman dated at London, Eng- land, July 10, 1851, which reads: ‘*T leave these few lines to inform you that I have used the £100 got of you for the purchase of a horse. I have bought two, one for you and one for myself. The one is a two-year-old and the other three years old. They are strong able colts. I sup- pose will weigh 1,200 to 1,400 pounds each now. The color does not please me exactly and another objec- tion I had to them was that they cut all their foals’ tails off as soon as they are foaled in this country and consequently both are short-tails. heir colors are darkish silver, black legs, manes and tails. How- ever, I concluded to risk them.’’ : The remainder of the letter goes into details con- cerning shipping. Attached to this are the original French certificates of sale and identification, inter- esting mainly as descriptive of the breed to which these horses belonged, thus: ‘‘Rouen, July 1, 1851. ‘‘T do hereby certify that the two Diligence colts purchased from me by Mr. Sam’! Holman of the United States of America were bred and raised by me and from my best brood mares. The stock is 114 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE pure and I consider them as fine as I ever sold and I doubt whether a better pair of colts can be found in all Normandy. ° Z PEMONTE Follows then this certificate: “Havre, July 16, 1851. ‘‘This is to certify that I shipped the two Norman colts bought by Mr. Samuel Holman of Z. Pimont of Rouen on-the 8th day of July, 1851, on board the ship Scianne, Capt. Williams, consigned to R. W. Hopkins & Co., New York. I am well acquainted with M. Pimont and his stock of horses and know they are of the finest diligence stock, as he keeps no other kind on his farm. This stock of horses is held in high estimation here on account of their great bone and muscular power, quick action and durability and I consider the pair sent as a fair sam- ple of the stock. (Y. BARBER? Next comes the statement of the import agents in this wise: ‘‘New York, August 30, 1851. ‘We do hereby certify that the two gray horses consigned to us by Mr. Samuel Holman when re- ceived on board the packet ship Scianne, Capt. Williams, on the 12th day of August, 1851, in good condition, and delivered them according to his or- ders, one to his brother F. Holman, and the other to Doct. Brown of Ohio. . “R. H. HOPKINS te COe These letters readily attest the fact that two diligence stallions were imported by Dr. Brown and Samuel Holman in 1851. Further reference will be made to the Holman horse. These letters and certificates prove that Pleasant Valley Bill, or Nor- GAdALOMWNAANVa GIO NV WOU NMVHC—TIaA AGTIVA LNVSVaTad FIRST FRENCH HORSES IN AMERICA 115 mandy, and his mate were of the ‘‘true diligence type.’’ Fortunately we can even at this late date tell, approximately at least, what the type was like from the illustration of Normandy presented here- with. This cut was made from a large and very clear daguerreotype in the possession of T. L. Bige- low, Columbus, O., son of and successor in business to the late owner of the horse, and to whom we desire to express our thanks for his aid in reaching the exact history of this importation. It will appear that Louis Napoleon and Pleasant Valley Bill were of two distinct types, though imported from the same district of France in the same summer. _ A Great Career.—Just past two years of age when imported, Normandy 351 was located by Dr. Brown at his home town of Circleville, O., and at first was not very popular in the stud as a country stallion. Dr. Brown has left no written statement among his papers intimating whether he intended when he started for Europe that spring to buy a stallion or not. He was an enthusiastic advocate and supporter of all improved methods of agriculture and stock breeding, hence it is considered more than likely that he had such an importation in mind when going abroad in the spring of 1851. For years he owned the Pickaway County fair grounds at Circleville, and gave their use free of charge to the Pickaway County Agricultural Society. He once offered to donate Normandy to that organization provided it would stand him for public service at the fair grounds, but that offer was curtly declined and in 116 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE 1856 Dr. Brown sold the horse to Bigelow & Marshall, who removed him to the town then called Pleasant Valley but now known as Plain City. There the stallion achieved a splendid reputation, begetting an amazingly numerous progeny and finally passing into the hands of the late Thomas Jones, father of C. M. Jones, now treasurer of the Percheron Society of America and resident on the old homestead. In his possession Normandy died in 1874 full of years and honors, having been owned by Mr. Jones just ten years. Many good stallion colts as well as fillies remained after him, and his descendants were widely disseminated. While at Plain City Normandy became variously known as ‘‘Pleasant Valley Biil,’’ ‘‘Old Bill,’’ and ‘The Valley Horse,’’ the title by which he is best remembered being the first of these. Few people knew that his real name was Normandy 351. He did more than any other horse to popularize the French type in the state that reaped the benefit of his services. He was extraordinarily prolific and is known to have begotten as many as 110 colts for which the fees were paid in a single season. Of his extreme fertility the late Thomas Jones is quoted in Volume 1 of the Percheron Stud Book of America as having said: ‘‘Tt is safe to say that he averaged sixty colts a year for eighteen years and that they sold at three and four years old for an average of $200, many of them having brought $500 each, and some as much as $1,000. It was when the United States govern- ment began scouring the country for good horses FIRST FRENCH HORSES IN AMERICA uy. during the War of the Rebellion that the seal of fame was set upon Valley Bill for all time. His get readily brought from $50 to $125 more than the common stock of the country where he stood, the general belief being that those who had Bill’s colts to sell to Uncle Sam received on an average $80 per head for them more than was paid for other varie- ties.’’ ' His get were wonderfully uniform, none of them very large, and the great number of red-roans which followed his cover has given rise to a belief quite general in some quarters that he was when young of that ruddy hue, shedding out to white at a com- paratively early age. As a matter of fact, however, in his youth he was a silvery gray with dark legs, mane, and tail and later became well-nigh snow white. Nothing need be said here descriptive of his eonformation. Our illustration shows more clearly what he was like than could be told in words. He stood about 15.3 hands and weighed between 1,300 and 1,400 pounds. The Holman Horse.—Not nearly so much is known of the three-year-old gray diligence colt that accom- panied Pleasant Valley Bill on his journey from Havre to New York. Lewis E. Holman, son of Samuel Holman, the importer, Phoenixville, Pa., takes up the thread of the story from the time the two colts reached New York in 1851 in the following statement: - “Gray Billy, as we called our horse, was shipped to the home of my father’s brother, Frederic Holman, to await my father’s arrival. Krom there he was 118 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE brought to our farm on which we still live and always have lived. The reason we do not know his age when he died is that after keeping him many years we sold him to a Mr. Bird of New Jersey. How long he lived after that we do not know. His weight was between 1,300 and 1,400 pounds. His colts were fine and he was a sure foal-getter. He was not popu- lar at first, but it was not long before he was appre- ciated, though not in our immediate neighborhood. Buyers came from New York and many places of distance to buy his colts as they were remarkably fine and far superior to the colts by ordinary horses. He was a dark silver, dappled, three years old, one year older than Valley Bill. He was perfectly gentle and for his size very active, as were all of his colts.’’ — The illustration of Gray Billy is from a curious old oil painting in the Holman home near Phoenix- ville, Pa., our engraving being a facsimile reproduc- tion, without effort to correct its manifest crudities. Gray Billy is thus identified with the hitherto un- placed Harmer’s Norman, Holmes’ Norman, Hol- man’s Norman, and Duke of Normandy 172, recorded under that number without date of birth or im- portation, or other data. Louis Napoleon.—In 1851 in the course of a trip abroad three Ohio men—Hrastus Martin of Wood- stock, Pearl Howard of the same place, and young James Fullington of Milford Center, a member of a family distinguished in Ohio agricultural history— went from England to France in quest of Merino sheep. Somewhere in the neighborhood of Rouen Martin saw a gray stallion with which he was deeply impressed—a big one possessing the distinction of GRAY BILLY.—FROM AN OLD PAINTING. FIRST FRENCH HORSES IN AMERICA ‘ 119 being kept for stud service alone. As to where he eame from history is silent. This horse took Mr. Martin’s fancy, but all efforts to buy him proved futile. Not to be foiled entirely, however, he did the next best thing and bought a three-year-old full brother described at that time as ‘‘a raw, unfinished colt’’ but promising to attain good size. Mr. Martin paid $350 for the colt and on rejoining his comrades told them what he had done, express- ing his belief that such a stallion would do a good business in the part of Ohio from which they came. Besides, it would not cost much to get him home with the rest of the stock. Pearl Howard declined point blank to invest any of his money in so big a stallion, but young Fullington, who was merely trav- eling with the party on a pleasure jaunt, committed his brother Charles, then a well-known figure in Ohio stock-breeding circles, to pay for a half interest in the horse. Landed safely in the Darby Plains country of Ohio, Louis Napoleon, as this French-bred colt had been named, met with a chilly reception. The late James H. Sanders, founder of the American Per- eheron Stud Book, who was born and lived as a young man in central Ohio, has left the following statement concerning this horse: ‘‘Louis Napoleon was a gray three-year-old of good size, but not of the largest type, short-legged, closely ribbed, blocky, and compact, with a neck rather short and head a little too large for elegance, but withal clearly cut, about 151% hands high, and 120 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE weighing, in full flesh, about 1,600 pounds. At that time he was a dark iron-gray, but long before his death, he became perfectly white. ‘‘At this time the writer was living within a few miles of Messrs. Fullington and Martin, and well does he remember the jokes that were hurled at Charley Fullington for what was called his folly in bringing such a horse all the way from France. The chunky, short-legged, gray colt and his importers were the butt of every horseman in that country; but the Fullingtons believed in him firmly, and bred several mares to him in the spring of 1852. His service fee that season was put at $10 to insure, yet such was the prejudice against him that only ten mares were bred to him, and seven of this num- ber belonged to his owners. In the meantime, Mr. Erastus Martin had come to the conclusion that the horse was destined to prove a bad investment, and accordingly, he embraced an opportunity of selling his interest to Mr. Gordon, one of his neighbors. ‘‘In the spring of 1853 it was thought best to try a new field with the big gray colt, and accordingly he was sent to Dayton, and his service fee was fixed at $15; but he did very little better there than he had done during the previous season in Union County. Harly in the summer of 1853, the few colts that he had got in Union County during the previous season began to show signs of that remarkable excellence that was destined soon to make the despised French horse famous throughout the entire west, and then came a demand that he should be returned to that county. Accordingly, during the next season (1854) he was again kept at Milford Center, Union County, and although his fee was placed at $15—a price hith- erto unheard of in that region—he was well patron- ized by the people who had two years before ridi- culed him.”’ LOUIS NAPOLEON.—DRAWN FROM AN OLD PHOTOGRAPH. FIRST FRENCH HORSES IN AMERICA 121 It is related that Howard had remarked when the purchase of a one-third interest in the colt had first been suggested to him that ‘‘when he wanted to breed his mares to a bull he would choose one with horns,’’ and that sentiment, implying that the horse was too big and clumsy, was very general at first among the owners of mares around Woodstock, Mil- ford Center, and contiguous territory. Taken to Illinois.—A. P. Cushman of DeWitt Co., Ill., a trader widely known in his day, while visiting in central Ohio that fall saw for the first time ‘‘The French Horse,’’ as Louis Napoleon was then gener- ally known. Ata glance his practiced eye grasped the potentialities inherent in the big dark-gray stal- hon, then turning six years of age. To him it seemed merely a matter of sufficient size in the mares, and Tazewell, DeWitt, Logan, and other Illinois counties had many big ones sired by Oakley’s English Cart Horse Samson and his sons. So for $1,500 Mr. Cush- man acquired ‘‘The French Horse,’’ and ‘‘roaded’’ him to his new home in the Prairie State. Acquired by the Dillons——Louis Napoleon made the season of 1855 at Waynesville, and within the next three years various undivided interests in him were traded and sold until finally in the fall of 1858 Ellis Dillon aequired a one-fourth interest in addi- tion to the half already owned by Isaiah and Levi Dillon, thus giving them a controlling interest. The Dillons, afterwards to acquire such prominence in the trade, were at that time residents of Tazewell county, and to their home Louis Napoleon was moved 122 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE and there he made the regular season of 1859. His success was not great that spring and on July 4 he was sent to the farm of Eli Hodgson in Grand Ridge township, La Salle county, to stand during the fall. These details are offered to show how lacking the horse was at first in popularity. His colts from the Samson mares had not yet begun to show their worth. Purchase of the odd one-fourth interest in the horse had been precipitated by the declaration by Cushman that he would move him to Kentucky in search of fields more easy of conquest. During the fall season of 1859 Louis Napoleon covered but seven mares, five of them the property of Mr. Hodgson. Early in the spring of 1860 the fast-whitening stal- lion was returned to the Dillon headquarters, and as his foals developed his business in the stud in- ereased. By mid-summer the demand for his services had become pressing and great secrecy was main- tained regarding the date at which he was to be moved again to the Hodgson farm in La Salle. Young Martin Hodgson—still a prosperous breeder, and for many years a member of the firm of Prichard & Hodgson, now dissolved—rode the white horse home in the dead hour of the night following the celebra- tion of the national holiday. But so keen had been the scouting that when the journey was ended at a little before dawn, it is related that no less than forty-two mares were tied to the fences surrounding the Hodgson homestead awaiting their chance to be bred or booked. He had served but seven the season before. It is at this point, therefore, that we un- CHARLES OAKLEY—OWNER OF SAMSON. FIRST FRENCH ILORSES IN AMERICA 123 cover the real foundation of the popularity of the French horse of heavy draft in the western states. Louis Napoleon made several spring seasons in Tazewell county and fall seasons at the Hodgson farm in La Salle. In 1864 he was moved by the Dil- lons to Normal, in McLean county, where some two years later he became so badly infected that the operation of penotomy was resorted to in the hope of partially preserving his utility in the stud. After this, it is related, he sired three foals, dying in 1871 on the farm of B. Caldwell in Woodford county to whom the Dillons had presented him. First and last, it is believed, Louis Napoleon begot some 400 foals, not one of which was out of a purebred mare. Only the merest traces of his blood are discovered among our registered stock, a few recorded via the top- cross route descending from him. His number in the Percheron Stud Book is 281. There is no question whatever that to the excel- lence of his colts and fillies from mares of Samson (English) blood was due the high degree of popu- larity which Louis Napoleon achieved in Illinois. He did far better with them than with any others. Practically all of his male progeny were maintained entire, quite a few of them selling for $800, $1,000, and even longer prices. He bred fairly true to his own color, and in the hands of so shrewd a federa- tion as the Dillons no stone was left unturned to keep him in the limelight. Displays of his grade colts were for years features of the Illinois State and other fairs. It is doubtful if there is another region 124 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE in the whole United States in which we could have met mares of better weight or conformation. Many of these weighed 1,400 pounds, some as much as 1,500, and a few even up to 1,600 pounds—big, roomy, shapely, solid matrons, admirably fitted to mate with a stallion of Louis Napoleon’s size, build, and type. Various alleged portraits of this famous horse have in the past enjoyed a meretricious vogue, but all doubt as to his appearance at maturity is now defin- itely removed by the illustration herewith pre- sented, prepared from an enlargement of a small daguerreotype taken in 1852 when the horse was four years old and dapple-gray in color. In height at full maturity he stood between 15.3 and 16 hands, and his greatest weight was 1,630 pounds. Maryland Importation of 1853.—In Volume I of the Percheron Stud Book of America Col. Charles Carroll, Baltimore, Md., is credited with having 1m- ported the stallion Chartres 88, but no statement is made as to color or date of birth. In that volume, too, J. Howard McHenry, Pikesville, Md., is named as the importer of two mares—hily 572 and Snow- drop 607—gray and white in order written, but with- out certainty as to age. To Snowdrop the produc- tion of two purebred colts is assigned, both being stallions and both by Duke of Normandy 172—the Gray Billy imported in the ship Scianne along with Pleasant Valley Bill. Nothing further of the his- tory of these importations of 1853 has been reached. Both of the mares died at a comparatively early age, the two stallions by Duke of Normandy 172 out FIRST FRENCH HORSES IN AMERICA 125 of Snowdrop being the only progeny alleged to have descended from them. Nothing more is related of the stallion Chartres and as the compiler of the stud book working indefatigably forty years ago was un- able to unearth other data, no more space need be occupied in their behalf. The bare facts, however, are interesting as showing that the home-raised stock of purebreds was slowly being augmented and as tending to fix definitely the identity of Duke of Normandy 172 and Gray Billy. Of the Maryland importations of 1853 it may then be fairly said that they left no sign so far as has been discovered up to this late day. Rollin Imported in 1856.—By the spring of 1856 the few colts left by Louis Napoleon in Ohio had begun to display their merit and Erastus Martin, who had originally purchased the gray stallion near Rouen, in company with John Gordon, also of Wood- stock, O., conceived the idea that a bay French horse would take well where the lighter color had failed of popularity. Accordingly an order for a bay stal- lion was dispatched by some of the stock buyers searching for Merino sheep in France and in due course of time the dapple-bay stallion Rollin 418 landed at Woodstock. Great preparations had been made for his reception on the Gordon farm, a new stable having been built during the summer for his occupancy. This shows that a hearty welcome await- . ed the newcomer and high hopes were entertained that he would prove a mighty success. Mr. Gordon had been associated in the last Ohio ownership of 126 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE Louis Napoleon, when sooth to say the big gray horse had come to be looked upon more or less as ‘trading stock,’’ which is well proved by the terms of the long-time deal on which he was acquired by a professional trader in an era when good horses were easily cashed. Sentiment had begun to veer, how- ever, in favor of the imported horse. Rollin was somewhat larger than Louis Napoleon, very thick at both ends and in the middle, not at all high-headed or stylish, but short-legged and drafty, and an impressive sire, a peculiar rotundity of barrel persisting in his get and descendants for genera- tions, as well as a tendency to the production of red-roans. H. Dorr Martin, a banker of Woodstock, O., and son of the late Erastus Martin, says of Rollin: ‘He left a lot of good colts. I remember some of them—mostly bays and browns, good blocky fellows. When the rebellion broke out we had some of his stock and they sold like hot cakes. They had good action for such large horses.”’ Despite his increased popularity, however, Rollin was not destined to remain long in the Darby Plains country. Inter-ownership trouble of some sort forced his sale and in 1859 the big bay horse left the new barn that had been built for him on a journey west to Onarga, IIl., L. Russ, later of the firm of Russ, McCourtey & Slattery of that point, having purchased him at a price recalled by Mr. Martin as $3,000. Rollin stood in Onarga and nearby towns for several seasons, doing a fine business, and in 1865 was bought by Jas. L. Owen, Mokena, IIl., ag M (erases Martin Bot ees phe FIRST FRENCH HORSES IN AMERICA 127 whose property he died six years later. He was the second imported stallion in Illinois and quite a num- ber of mares by Louis Napoleon were sent from Taze- well, McLean and La Salle counties to be bred to him. His get included few grays, bays and browns persisting strongly except when the red-roan cropped out, so that his descendants could not be readily followed, except by records privately kept, among the native stock of the region where he stood for service. It is certain, though, that Rollin was a successful sire and did much to improve the farm horses of northern Illinois. _ Darby Plains Importation of 1857.—Along in the later ’50’s Ohio stockmen were very active in the effort to improve their sheep and cattle and in 1857 the Darby Plains Importing Co., the membership of which included stockmen in Union, Madison and Champaign counties, dispatched representatives to Kurope. In this delegation were Henry Guy, Mechanicsburg, and Charles Fullington, Milford Center. After they had acquired cattle and other stock in Britain they crossed the channel to France in quest of Merino sheep and horses. Journeying together to Rouen Mr. Fullington left Mr. oy and continued further afield after sheep. Mr. Guy relates personally that having taken up a coign of vantage in front of an inn in Rouen he sat for days watching the horses as they were driven to town from the surrounding country. Finally he saw a four-horse outfit, the leaders of which just filled his eye. After much haggling he succeeded in 128 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE - buying these at $500 for the pair. The wheelers Mr. Guy describes as having weighed probably a ton apiece and entirely too big for his purpose. They were held at $500 each, or just twice as much as the smaller leaders. All were gray, but the pairs were of quite distinct types. A few days later a third stallion was bought, and also the mare Doll 540, the first ever brought directly from France west of the Alleghanies. One of the pair of leaders died on the ocean, the survivor being the famous Baker Horse 21. His shipmate was Nonesuch 346, other- wise and in his day better known as Old Bob. This was probably the last importation ever made on a sailing ship and a terribly rough voyage was en- eountered. Though badly battered the two stallions and the mare after a time reached the Darby Plains alive and each won way to high renown. Doll went through many hands and proved prolific. Put up at auction by the importers, the unnamed gray leader bought right out of the harness in the streets of Rouen was purchased by Dr. Baker, from whom he took his name, for lack of a better, and from that year (1857) he passed through many own- erships but always did well. The Baker Horse was not a big one by any means, weighing about 1,500 pounds. He was of the diligence type and a re- markably fertile and impressive sire. In 1864 he was purchased by Abram Curl of Woodstock, O., and he stood there until 1867. Of the Baker Horse H. Dorr Martin writes: ‘‘He was a finely shaped horse and left some of Charles Fullington re Th eaN ae grit a a ; { ‘ x FIRST FRENCH HORSES IN AMERICA 129 the best draft colts of any of the early importations. They were very tough and lived to a good old age. Mr. Curl had a team of horses by the Baker Horse which I remember very well that lived to be about 25 years of age and worked every day. I personally owned a mare of this stock that raised me thirteen colts straight. Some of them sold as high as $300 and $500 apiece.’’ To Nonesuch 346, or Old Bob, is due the original popularity of the French horse in Delaware Co., O., a county that has since that time been a leader in Ohio draft horse production. At the sale held by the Darby Plains Importing Co., in 1857, ‘‘Bob”’ was bought by Peter Bland, Milford Center, one of the staunchest supporters of the type from the ear- lest days, and by him was resold to Lewis Lee of Delaware, at which place the stallion stood until the year before his death in 1875. Old Bob was about the same size and type as the Baker Horse and dur- ing his sojourn in Delaware had all he could do in the stud. Assuredly he made plain the path trodden by the breed in later times. Doll 540 was the largest of the three animals im- ported by the Darby Plains Co. in 1857. She stood 16.3 hands at the shoulder and weighed upwards of 1,700 pounds, being of a larger, more rangy type than the two stallions that accompanied her across the ocean. She was possessed of the characteristic ‘‘Wrenchy’’ or ‘‘ereasy’’ rump, then’a marked fea- ture of the horses being brought over from France. She was rather short and droopy in her quarters, had heavy bone with some feather and in color was 130 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE gray. In the spring of 1866 Charles Fullington, who by that time had acquired her, sent her to the Thomas Jones farm at Pleasant Valley to be bred to Old Bill. Prior to that year she had produced four foals by the Baker Horse 21, those of 1858 and 1859 dying young and those of 1860 and 1862 surviving and being named respectively Doll 541 and White Rose 613. In 1866 the late Thomas Jones bought old Doll 540 and the filly at her side by the Baker Horse 21, later named Rose 604. The price for the pair was $400. In 1867 she foaled the filly Eugenia 13000 by Pleasant Valley Bill and during that sum- mer she and the foal were sold to A. Gill and K. L. Wood for $1,000. In 1869 old Doll produced the filly Josephine 1502 by the big horse Conqueror 109, a five-year-old gray of great scale imported in 1867 by Wallace, Watkins & Co., Marion, O. Shortly after this Gill & Wood dissolved their partnership, Gill retaining the old mare and Wood the filly Eugenia, which afterwards produced several foals for him. In 1870, again to the cover of Con- queror, old Doll produced the stallion Thompson 461, probably the heaviest French colt bred in the United States up to that date, but phenomenally crooked in his hind legs. Despite that fact he is said to have proved a fairly successful sire. He and Josephine, both by Conqueror 109, were consid- erably larger than the others of old Doll’s progeny, both exceeding a ton in weight. Poor old Doll did much for her various owners and for the breed at large, but Gill, who was a dour and crabbed citizen Wm Hodgsor. M.C.Hodgson 1 - ay r - t , t 4 a FIRST FRENCH HORSES IN AMERICA 131 with peculiar notions as to horse improvement, when she became his exclusive property bred her to a Belgian horse, after which her usefulness came to an end. The filly Rose 604 by the Baker Horse 21 was bred as a two-year-old to Pleasant Valley Bill and produced three fillies in successive years to his eover. All of these were prolific, so that the de- scendants of old Doll 540 are very numerous. Kentucky Importation of 1859.—Following the Darby Plains Importing Company’s venture of 1857, the Kentucky importation of 1859 takes chronologi- eal precedence. This consisted of a stallion named Napoleon 4th 1723 and a mare named Marie An- toinette. This importation was made by Dr. Nove, or Nave, for the Jessamine Importing Co., Nicholas- ville, Ky., and the horse was later transferred to Gen. W. C. Preston, Lexington, as whose property he died in 1878. The mare died in 1863 and here once more we find no lasting impression left upon the native equine stock. Massachusetts Importation of 1864.—About the end of the sixth and opening of the seventh decades of the nineteenth century prospects in agricultural America were not such as to encourage private in- vestment of large sums in any kind of live stock; indeed it was not until 1864 that further importa- tions were attempted. In that year the Massachu- setts Agricultural Society imported the stallions Conqueror 108 and Orleans 255 and the mares Em- press 042, Lyons 574, and Normandy 587. Here again we run up against the dead wall of oblivion, 132 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE the sole progeny credited to this band of five being a roan filly dropped in 1866 by Lyons to the cover of Orleans. And there their history stops. Gray Duke.—The horsemen of Ohio began anew in 1865. The shipment of that year consisted of but a single stallion—Gray Duke 1724, a gray foaled in 1863—and was made by the Galion Importing Co., of which J. M. White, Cardington, O., was the leading spirit. Mr. White was a passenger con- ductor on one of the early western railways and an enthusiastic horseman during his entire career. To his enterprise may be credited the first importation’ of French blood into the Galion district and the re- sumption of the business after the close of the war. He personally sent money to France for the purchase of a gray colt and then sold one-third interest in the youngster to two of his friends, the three forming the nucleus of the later prosperous Galion Import- ° ing Co. Eastern Imports of 1866.—Three stallions and the same number of mares were brought across the ocean in 1866, S. W. Ficklin, Charlottesville, Va., import- ing the stallions Bienvenu 37 and The Colonel 459 and the mares Constance 530 and Eugenia 802. Both of these mares proved prolific and left recorded prog- eny behind them. In the same year Dr. J. Pembroke Thom, Balti- more, Md., imported the mare Charlotte Corday 529, but later sold her to J. W. Hunt, Frankfort, Ky., where all trace of her is lost. In 1870 and 1871 she produced gray fillies to Little Corporal 274, a home- FIRST FRENCH HORSES IN AMERICA 133 bred horse got by Duke of Normandy 172 (Gray Billy), imported in 1851 with Pleasant Valley Bill, out of Snowdrop 607, imported into Maryland in 1853. First Direct Importation into Ilinois.—It has been popularly supposed that it was not until 1868 that horses were imported direct from France into Lh- nois, but the records show that in this year of 1866 Dr. A. G. Van Hoorebeke brought the black stallion Lucifer 285 to Monmouth, which advances the date of direct importation into the great Prairie common- wealth some two years. Indeed Dr. Van Hoorebeke is to be credited with being the pioneer importer of Illinois as he brought over Lucifer 285 in 1866, the gray Leon 266 in 1868, the black Norma 348 in 1869, and the gray Laurent 709 in 1870. Unfortu- nately, Norma died the same year that he was im- ported. Ohio Active in 1867.—Ohio importers had it all to themselves in 1867, Brown, Bigelow & Co., of Co- lumbus, and Wallace, Watkins & Co., and Gilmore & Houser, of Marion, being the only firms recorded as having engaged in the importing business that season. Brown, Bigelow & Co. included in its mem- bership Dr. Mareus Brown, of Circleville, importer of Pleasant Valley Bill in 1851, and the late T. C. Bigelow, in his time the leading team owner in the Ohio capital and one of the foremost horsemen of his time. It was surely the irony of fate that his death should have been caused by injuries sustained in an attack made upon him by one of the stallions 134 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE he imported. It is to the courtesy of his son and successor, T. L. Bigelow, that this history is indebted for the portrait of Pleasant Valley Bill and for much authentic information gathered from his own per- sonal recollections and the papers belonging to the old firm, dating back to 1851 and including the orig- inal documents in French relating to the purchase by Mr. Holman of Old Bill and Gray Billy at Rouen in 1851. Brown, Bigelow & Co. imported in that year Na- poleon 325, Black Robert 54, and Duke of France 165. Wallace, Watkins & Co. brought Conqueror 109, a big gray horse already referred to in connec- tion with the history of old Doll 540, and Gilmore & Houser had Napoleon 2d 335, later sold to H. Dillon & Co., Normal, Ill. The two Ohio firms last men- tioned were later amalgamated into the Marion County Importing Co., which at one time was classed as handling better stallions on the average than any one in the business at the time. ‘‘Wat’’ Watkins was the brains of the coalition, but quit before the ball had been fairly set a-rolling. There is a story told of him in connection with the Illinois State Fair of 1872, which throws light on the state of live stock improvement in that era: Decatur was the place of holding the Illinois show that season and substantially all the men interested in draft horses were on hand, the count showing a total of forty-two imported and grade animals on exhibition. These were all lined up in some sort of a parade and ‘‘Wat’’ Watkins happened to be stand- FIRST FRENCH HORSES IN AMERICA 135 ing next W. H. Prichard, now, as then, a resident of Ottawa, Ill. ‘“‘Prichard,’’ quoth Watkins, ‘‘look at that, forty- two head, count ’em. Tell you what; this business is going to be overdone and I’m going to stand from under before the bottom drops out of it.’’ And stand from under he did, getting out of the business shortly afterwards, and though the family was right at the top of the ladder at the time, the name of Watkins is hardly remembered now in its old home location in connection with any such important position. ~ Regarding the three stallions imported by the Co- lumbus firm in 1867 T. L. Bigelow gives the follow- ing descriptions: . ‘““Black Robert 54, black, weight about 1,500 pounds, of pure Norman blood, wonderful action and endurance. ~ “Duke of France 165, bay, weight 1,750 pounds, fair success in stud at fee of $20. Sold to go to Ga- lena, Delaware Co., O. Bay Duke (as we called him) was a beautiful Norman-French horse, fine style but not possessing the action of the pure Norman or diligence breed of horses. ““Napoleon 325, dapple-gray, weight 1,650 pounds, fair success in stud only. Stood mostly at Chillicothe and in Ross Co., O. This stallion was awarded first premium at the World’s Fair held at Rouen, France, 1866, in competition with some 500 stallions. As was the custom, the owner considered him sold to the Imperial Stud and would not put a price on him on that account for export. Messrs. Brown & Bigelow, ‘however, through the influence of a member of the court, secured a personal audience with the Emperor, 136 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE Napoleon LII, obtaining from him an order for the horse, later paying an enormous price.’’ These details supplied by Mr. Bigelow in connec- tion with the stallions included in this and other im- portations made by the firm are of great value as showing the weight of the stallions then obtainable in France and proving the existence of at least two well differentiated types at that day. The name ‘‘Norman’’ was apparently given to the diligence or quick-moving, smaller pattern of Pleasant Valley Bill, while the larger, slower, more drafty sort, to which Louis Napoleon had belonged seems to have been referred to merely as ‘‘F'rench.’’ Up to the end of 1867 twenty stallions and eleven mares had been imported from France, practically all of them having been purchased at or near the town of Rouen. In so far as can be ascertained the diligence type was preferred and had done better with the eastern mares than the heavier horses im- ported. | Louis Napoleon and Rollin, the first French stal- lions brought to Illinois, had the advantage of meet- ing larger mares than those available farther east, or indeed anywhere else. It is presumable that Duke of France, the stallion referred to by Mr. Bigelow ~as of ‘‘Norman-French’’ blood, was one of the heav- iest retained in Ohio up to that time and probably about the same size as Rollin. That both these horses were bay and hailed from the same locality suggests a racial connection between them. Their ruddy coats and superior scale would suggest also Fellis Dillion ae sohce Seee ¥ wee FIRST FRENCH HORSES IN AMERICA 137 possession of some blood distinct from the diligence type. Up to the close of 1867 only three imported stallions had been brought into Illinois and none had been located in any other state west of Ohio. GHAPTER’ V1. THE IMPORTING RECORD TO 1870. More stallions and mares were imported into the United States from France in 1868 than during all the previous seasons, the figures being 31 stallions and 8 mares. Seven of the mares were brought across the sea by the late Gen. W. T. Walters, Baltimore, Md., and the remaining one by Jeff C. Clark, Nor- mandy, Mo. Importers of stallions in 1868 included, besides the two already named, the Galion Importing Co., Galion, O.; Wallace, Watkins & Co. and the Marion County Importing Co., Marion, O.; Brown, Bigelow & Co., Columbus, O.; Dwight Gay, Columbus, O.; Fulling- ton, Phellis & Co., Irwin Station, O.; A. G. Van Hoorebeke, Monmouth, Ill., and W. J. Edwards, Clif- ton, Ill. Territorial expansion was the order of the day and greater size seems to have been sought in France by most of the importers. Practically all the stallions were bought in the towns of Rouen, Amiens, Elboeuf, Boulogne, and Havre. The Paris dealers’ stables were also resorted to. The exact origin of the imported horses of this period will never be known, and this statement will apply with equal truth to many a good horse brought to America from France in subsequent years. It is clear that those 138 THE IMPORTING RECORD TO 1870 139 who brought out the earlier Ohio stallions were not men who had made any special study of the business. The Perche, as such, was to them more or less a terra incognita. They knew nothing of what had been going on in that district for fifty years preceding their visits. The buyers of Louis Napoleon and other horses were not even in quest of horses. There were no stud books. No pedigrees were obtained, and none of these early buyers appears to have made any effort to seek out the real fountain head of the type that was destined to play such an important part in the development of draft horse breeding in the United States. In good time, however, this was discovered and commonly recognized. Of the Missouri importation, consisting of two stallions and one mare, no information can now be secured further than that conveyed by the records. In Illinois the case is far different, because on the importation of Success and French Emperor by W. J. Edwards was raised by the late Mark Wentworth Dunham the most magnificent success ever achieved by one man in the heavy horse business. A Profitable Business.—By this time the importa- tion and sale of imported stallions had settled down to the level and dignity of an established trade and prices ranged in this country between $2,000 and $3,000. In France prices remained on about their old scale. Among Dr. Mareus Brown’s papers is a memorandum showing that the five stallions he bought in 1868 for Brown, Bigelow & Co., cost laid down in Columbus, O., an average of $578.68. One 140 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE of the five was a Belgian which proved so utterly un- reliable in the stud that he never succeeded in get- ting a mare with foal. In consequence he was never recorded. Another member of this importation, Black Leopard 50, had considerable Belgian blood in his veins; he was of medium stature and a fine mover. It was this horse that killed Mr. Bigelow. With the expansion of the business westward and the development of the fillies by earler imported stallions, there arose an insistent demand in some quarters for more weight. Importers found it also to their advantage to be choice in the matter of in- dividuality when making their selections abroad. Profits were very satisfactory. Sales were quite gen- erally for cash and guarantees of reasonable sure- ness as foal-getters had not yet been exacted by pur- chasers. Service fees had reached a remunerative level and were going higher. In short the whole business had begun to take on that air of prosperity in which it was swathed a decade later. Activity in Ohio.—In almost all of the importa- tions of 1868 one or more stallions of outstanding merit were included. For instance, in the Galion company’s lot of half-a-dozen, the largest importa- tion brought over that year, no less than three— Napoleon 733, Puelo 752, and the oddly named Pluri- bustah 747—gained something more than local re- nown in the stud. While most of the imported stal- lions still ranged in weight between 1,600 and 1,700 pounds several imported that year were much heavier. Hanus Bes J ae q ee rplosales Soo PERCHERON MARES PRUDE AND SUE—IMPORTED IN 1878 BY W. T. WALTERS. THE IMPORTING RECORD TO 1870 141 The transactions of Brown & Bigelow that season will serve to illustrate the nature of the business as earried on in that distant day. Importers of the present time will be interested in the following par- ticulars: Black Leopard 50 was the dearest horse of the lot, costing 3,020 francs, or $604, in France. He was con- sidered by Mr. Bigelow the best horse he ever saw and after making many very profitable seasons at $20 the mare he was sold at the age of sixteen for $1,000. Diligence 137 cost $364, was sold for $2,500, and stood all his life at $20. Coburg, the stallion that covered 100 mares and never got one of them with foal, cost $264 in France and brought $2,500. Two- thirds of this price was on time and the notes were returned. Dictator 134 cost $620. An offer of $3,000 was refused for him. He made ten big seasons at $20 amare. Vigorous 486 was acquired for $204 and found a buyer at $2,200. There seems to have been no direct connection between size and price, as the two highest priced stallions in this lot, Dictator and Black Leopard, were in the order written the largest and the smallest in it. The average price paid for the five stallions abroad was $413, but as gold was at a premium they actually cost the average previ- ously named. From all accounts the three lighter stallions in this lot, Black Leopard, Diligence and Vigorous, all weighing from 1,600 to 1,650 pounds, did quite as good business in the stud as the larger Dictator, which sealed 1,900 pounds. The heavier sorts were 142 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE yet very much in the minority, the proportion of three light to one heavy in this importation probably holding good for all the others. The figures for the Brown & Bigelow lot tell the story of the business at that time. In the importation brought over by the Watkins federation of Marion, O., was the never-to-be-forgot- ten Napoleon 2d 337, pwroheded that fall shortly after landing by the Ani of Llewellyn & Prichard, Ottawa, Ill., which consisted of W. E. Prichard, still of that place, and his brother-in-law. Napoleon 2d was a very shapely gray horse of superb quality. He sprang into instant popularity when brought to Ilh- nois. He was later commonly known as ‘‘Old Poley”’ and that sobriquet soon became familiar throughout La Salle and adjoining counties. Mares were brought, so great was his renown, over 40 miles to his court. Later his fame extended all over the state and his sudden death in 1877 deprived the budding heavy horse industry of the Prairie commonwealth of its best foal-getter. He cost $3,300. Of the Fullington-Phellis lot no less than three dis- tinguished themselves more or less as sires in cen- tral Ohio. These were Duke of Normandy 168, Prince Albert 385, otherwise known as ‘‘Jim,’’ and Prince Imperial 388, better remembered locally as ‘‘Old Charley.’’ This firm was composed of Charles Fullington, back in 1851 part owner of Louis Napo- leon, and Charles Phellis, one of the best known stockmen and one of the most advanced of Ohio agriculturists of his day. Bos 3 = PERCHERON STALLION HERCULES—IMPORTED IN 1868 BY W. T. WALTERS. Nn . DOO KS S \ PERCHERON STALLION MOROCK—IMPORTED IN 1868 BY W. T. WALTERS. ES eae a i ’ at : tay fs Pa * we Gs a E soar \ : ’ Cot at bs WED THE IMPORTING RECORD TO 1870 143 . The Walters Percherons.—To Gen. W. T. Walters, Baltimore, Md., clearly belongs the credit of having been the leading importer and breeder of the Atlan- tic Coast country of the early day. In 1868 he brought across the ocean four stallions and seven mares, establishing them on his estate just outside Baltimore. It may be said fairly that the eray diligence horse of France became an obsession with him. He was a man of wealth, position and large affairs. He resided in France for a consider- able period and during his sojourn in that country became deeply impressed with the adaptability of the Percheron to American conditions. He formed a connection with one of the officials of the French government stud who assisted him in making his selections. He contended that the diligence type was suitable in every way for use before a gentleman’s earriage. He sought generally the lighter weights, and seated in his platform spring wagon or double carriage drawn by a pair of what he always called Percheron mares, driven by a colored coachman, he was a familiar figure on the Baltimore drives. Gen. Walters never overlooked an opportunity to promote public interest in his Percherons, and hav- ing ample means at his command he was in a position to go as far as he liked. He caused a translation of Du Hays’ history of the Percheron horse to be made and published at his own personal expense. He dis- tributed among his friends a splendid quarto volume profusely illustrated with plates of stallions and mares made from photographs by Schreiber of Phila- 144 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE delphia, then and for long years afterwards the fore- most live stock camera artist of America. The repro- ductions herewith of plates from Gen. Walters’ pri- vately circulated book disclose at a glance the type of horse he favored. The late Dr. Ezra Stetson, Neponset, Ill., procured some of the Walters mares, and their descendants proved among the most useful horses of the early days of Percheron breeding in the middle west. Old Success Imported.—W. J. Edwards, Clifton, Ill., was a patentee and manufacturer of improved road-construction machinery, a traveler, a gentle- man, and the possessor of untiring energy. In 1868 he journeyed to Europe and when he returned to Clifton brought with him three imported stallions —a bay which was the largest of the trio, French Emperor 203, and the gray Success 452. Just where he acquired the bay and what became of that big horse diligent research has failed to reveal. These three stallions made seasons in Clifton in 1868, and that fall the two grays were purchased by the Fletcher Co., Wayne, Ill., which took its title from its first president, the late Mark Wentworth Fletcher, father of James Moore Fletcher, who some years later in connection with Oaklawn, and afterwards on his own account, became a leader in Percheron circles. Success attained great celebrity, as will be noted further on. M. W. Dunham Enters the Business.—In this Fletcher company, as one of its members, was the late Mark W. Dunham, Wayne, IIl., one of the most i us HERO ‘ x < Soe PENG a NG UNG AREAS ANE EU RED e| . / PERCHERON STALLION SULTAN—IMPORTED IN 1881 BY W. T. ; ; 4 . i 3 f THE IMPORTING RECORD To 1870 145 resourceful and far-sighted men ever identified with animal breeding in North America. Firm in the conviction that a great future lay before the French horses in the United States, Mr. Dunham bought out his colleagues in this enterprise and there and then founded the great importing and breeding enterprise which has made the names of Dunham and Oaklawn household words among the draft horse breeders of two continents. His subsequent stu- pendous success will necessarily come in for frequent reference as our story progresses. Napoleon Bonaparte.——While no very direct ac- count can be given of the events which followed the introduction by Jeff C. Clark of French blood into Missouri, further than as contained in the rec- ords, the facts seem to be clear enough. Eugenia 802, the gray mare imported by Mr. Clark that year as a four-year-old, proved prolific, though un- reliable as to the color of her progeny. Mr. Clark seems to have held on to his imported horses for some seven years, when he disposed of Eugenia to Henry V. P. Block, Aberdeen, Mo., and the stallion Napoleon Bonaparte 334 to the Pike Co., Mo., Horse Association, Louisiana, Mo. Of this gray horse it is of record that while weighing close to 1,600 pounds he was possessed of coach horse conforma- tion, style and beauty, quality and action. More- over he was quite fast at the trot. There is a tradi- tion, of sufficient moment at the time to induce the discriminating compiler to record it in Volume I of the Percheron Stud Book, that Napoleon Bonaparte 146 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE trotted a mile over the old St. Louis fair grounds track in 3.42, pulling a four-wheeled coupe contain- ing four men. Bismarck, the stable companion of this fast traveler, in 1874 became the property of Dr. Stetson of Neponset, Ill., but apparently he did not meet his views, as in the year following he passed to the same company that owned Napoleon Bonaparte. This covers quite closely the main facts which transpired in 1868, the most memorable year since the inception of the importing business. Almost as many mares were imported as had thitherto crossed the ocean—8 as compared with 11 head—and the number of imported stallions had been increased 150 per cent, the figures from 1839 to 1867 inclusive be- ing 20 as compared with 31 in 1868. Imported horses had penetrated as far west as Missouri and the second and third direct importations had been made into Illinois. By far the most important fea- ture of the year was the entrance of Mark W. Dun- ham into the ranks following the banner of the French horse. Unpretentious and _ inauspicious though that beginning may have been it marked the opening of the era during which the breed was destined to assume the dominance of the American draft horse breeding industry, with M. W. Dun- ham as its leading exponent. A Lull in 1869.—In the season following the boom of 1868 importations were greatly reduced, general commercial dullness and financial stringency being given as the causes. In 1869, too, we note the giving 5 Sere = | v = TT as gh Pays SR, Mees oe PERCHERON STALLIONS TRIBUNE AND SALVATOR—IMPORTED BY W. T. WALTERS. i 3 ‘a cuts S bess PERCHERON MARE KATE—IMPORTED IN 1886 BY W. T. WALTERS. THE IMPORTING RECORD TO 1870 © 147 way of the Ohio contingent as the leader in the im- porting business, and the promise of the rise of Illinois to the proud position of prominence it was soon to assume and which it has held ever since. - Not one of the previously prominent Ohio firms is named as having brought horses across the ocean in 1869, the only importer of record in that state for that season being F. D. Dunham of Cincinnati, whose lot consisted of two stallions which do not seem to have made any impression on the equine affairs of the state. Hume & Short of Brighton and A. G. Van Hoorebeke of Monmouth are the IIli- nois operators listed in the records. With three residents of Pennsylvania they comprise the roster of those actively engaged. The Pennsylvanians were E. W. Shippen, Meadville, who brought out three stallions, Edward Schreiber, Allentown, who brought five stallions and one mare, and John S. Parker, West Chester, who brought two stallions. The total importations for the entire year amount- ed to fifteen stallions and one mare. No mark worthy of prominent mention seems to have been left by any of these animals. Only one foal is recorded as having been produced by the mare imported that season, Eugenia 803. It was a colt, color not given, sired by Prince Imperial 748 (imported the same year) and foaled in 1876. It was in this year of 1869 that the state of Iowa received its first imported stallion. In the fall of 1868 Peter Bland, one of the earliest converts to the draft horse faith and a resident of the Darby Plains 148 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE eountry of Ohio, bought from Fullington, Phellis & Co. the five-year-old gray Duke of Normandy 168, locally known as John Sheridan. One year later Mr. Bland sold this stallion, which was of the dili- gence type and weighed not more than 1,600 pounds at full maturity, to A. W. Cook, Charles City, Ia., who kept him until 1874 and then sold him to Jacob Erb & Co. of Ames. Pride of Perche 382, imported by the Watkins federation of Ohio, reached the Jowa Agricultural College this same year. John Sheridan was not long destined for his work in Story county, his death following in August of the same season in which he was taken there. Across the Continent.—The year 1870 saw the hub of the country’s draft horse importing and breeding industry pass westward to Illinois, where it has ever since remained. Kansas received its first direct importation from France in the gray stallion Napoleon 736, imported by M. J. Parrott, Leaven- worth, but fated not long to be retained in the Sun- flower state. In 1872 Napoleon was sold to W. C. Meyer, the pioneer breeder of the Pacific slope, who in that year took his second lot over the Rocky Mountains. Mr. Meyer’s first purchase, made in this year of 1870, included the stallion White Prince 496, Doll 541 (by the Baker Horse 21 out of old Doll 540, imported in 1857) and some grade mares with three crosses of imported blood in their veins. From these grade mares he was able in 1878 under the new top-cross rule to register the fillies Jane 812 and Josie 815, the former by Pride of Perche 380 and PERCHERON MARES JAQUELINE, TOPSY, BELLE AND ALENE—IMPORTED IN 1868 BY W. T. WALTERS. : : Sates is og : Se a PERCHERON STALLIONS SULTAN AND VICTOR—IMPORTED AND OWNED BY W. T. WALTERS. THE IMPORTING RECORD TO 1870 149 the latter by Gen. Fleury 846, their pedigrees other- wise being the same—dam Jennie by Prince Imperial 388 (Old Charley), grandam by Normandy 351 (Pleasant Valley Bill), third dam by Nonesuch 345 (Old Bob), fourth dam by Louis Napoleon 281. White Prince 496 was the first imported horse ever taken west of the Rocky Mountains, and it will be observed that even as early as 1878 we had Ameri- can-bred horses of high breeding graded up from the native stock. White Prince was a fine individual and an extraordinarily successful sire, never a big one, weighing around 1,600 pounds, and remembered as a typical specimen of the true diligence breed in its highest estate. His get followed his own pattern closely as to both type and color. Indeed he was regarded as exactly the horse that should have been chosen to make a start in a region where the im- provement of the native stock had not previously been attempted. Unfortunately he was poisoned in 1878, foul play in that manner removing perhaps the most impressive getter ever used on the common run of mares in the early days in that country. Good Buying for Ilinois.—Fullington, Thompson & Co., Irwin Station, and the Marion company still held the fort in Ohio, each firm importing three stallions in 1870. All the other importers of that year, with the exception of Mr. Parrott, already - mentioned as hailing from Kansas, were residents of Illinois. They were: Hume & Short, Brighton; Russ, McCourtey & Slattery, Onarga; Westfall, Moore & Rexroat, Macomb; A. G. Van Hoorebeke, 150 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE Monmouth; Jas. A. Perry, Wilmington, and last but not least, HE. Dillon & Co., Normal, which had been identified with the business since the purchase of Louis Napoleon in 1858. Illinois’ delegation consist- ed of 17 out of the 24 stallions imported that season. Josephine 814, brought across by Mr. Parrott, is the only mare listed for 1870. She was disposed of the following spring to Mr. Meyer, but died before she could be shipped. Duke de Chartres Brings $4,000.—Among the stal- lions imported in 1870 were several celebrities. In the quartette brought by James A. Perry, Wilming- ton, Ill., was Duke de Chartres 150, a four-year-old gray conceded to have been the handsomest imported stallion of his day, and extraordinarily successful in the showring at the Illinois State and other fairs. He earned the further distinction of being the first imported horse to be taken to California, William Hill & Co., Petaluma, being the buyers at a price reported to have been $4,000, or the highest paid up to that date. Diligent inquiry has failed to develop information touching Duke de Chartres’ career after reaching the Golden State. Vidal 784, another stal- lion in the same importation, was later sold by Mr. Perry to the Degens of Ottawa, his acquisition mark- ing the entrance of that Illinois family into the business in which they were prominent for some years. - Pride of Perche 382, a four-year-old gray imported by the Marion company in Ohio, was probably the second imported stallion taken into Iowa, having THE IMPORTING RECORD TO 187V 151 been purchased by A. G. Howland, Otisville, the same year he was imported. He made several seasons at the Iowa Agricultural College, Ames, but like John Sheridan died in 1877. Most of the stal- lions imported by Russ, McCourtey & Slattery, Onarga, and Westfall, Moore & Rexroat, Macomb, seem to have done yeoman service in the improve- ment of the native Illinois stocks, proving in the main long-lived, prolific, and impressive. One of the stallions imported by Westfall, Moore & Rex- roat was sold to A. V. Brookings, Macomb, IIL. marking the beginning of a connection that persisted prominently in that portion of the state for a great many years. First of the Blood in Wisconsin.—Whether to Simon Rublee or to H. B. Sherman, both now mem- bers of the great silent majority, belongs the credit of having taken the first imported stallion into Wis- consin the records are not altogether clear. It is the tradition that Mr. Sherman bought a stallion in Ohio of 1870 importation, but finding him wanting in some essential particular later obtained another in ex- change for him—Pride of Perche 380. But it is cer- tain that Mr. Rublee bought Mahomet 291, imported in 1870, from the Dillons. He was one of their first lot of four head. In just which year the first 1m- ported horse was taken into the Badger state the records do not make clear, but the honor of blazing the trail in that commonwealth belongs to one or the other of these two men. Dillons’ Big St. Laurent.—With the importation 15S A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE of four head, which marked the beginning of the Dillons’ importing career, there came certainly the weightiest stallion that up to that time had entered this country, and quite likely as big as any that has followed him. This was St. Laurent 435, a gray foaled in 1866, and said to have weighed near 2,400 pounds. He was loosely put together, and a some- what uncertain getter, but there is no question as to his mastodonic dimensions. Recapitulation.— Beginning with the Harris im- portation of 1839 and closing the first era of the im- porting business with the end of 1870, we find a total of 90 stallions and 21 mares definitely recorded as having been brought to these shores from France. It is generally believed that a few animals besides those mentioned here were actually imported within the period described, but the data concerning them and the points of their origin were too indefinite for the compiler of the stud book some forty and more years ago to recognize their claims. At the best they could be but few in number. Some of the early imported stallions of the diligence type bred re- markably true to form, and there is little room to doubt that on removal far from the point of produc- tion some of their sons with age, whitening coat, and growing success in the stud gradually assumed the dignity, by local reputation, of ‘‘imported stock.’’ If a few genuinely imported stallions were overlooked it is no more than must have been ex- pected in the circumstances, but without doubt a place was found for every animal whose history THE IMPORTING RECORD TO 1870 153 could be traced without break or flaw. Naturally, too, there was considerable duplication of names, but that also was unavoidable. It is possible when the affairs of a stud book organization are in running order to prevent two animals being registered by the same name, but that is impossible in gathering together materials for a retrospective volume. Names under which stallions have been known for many years can not be changed for the purposes of making a more intelligible record. In reading the history of the earliest importations it is necessary, then, to sense properly the number following the name when tracing the career of any given individ- ual. Of Napoleons, Dukes of Normandy, Prides of Perche, and Princes of various realms there were many and unless the stud book number is carefully noted in connection with the name confusion must ensue. Of the 90 stallions imported between 1839 and 1870, Ohio had 42, Illinois 24, Pennsylvania 10, Maryland 5, Massachusetts, Virginia, Missouri and New Jersey 2 each, and Kansas 1. Owing to the activity of Gen. W. T. Walters, Maryland easily leads among the mares with a total of 10 out of 21, followed by Massachusetts with 3, Virginia and New Jersey with 2 each, and Pennsylvania, Kansas, Missouri and Ohio with 1 each. Starting once more with the landing of the Harris stallions and mares in New Jersey, we have the spread westward in chronological order to Maryland, Pennsylvania and Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, 154 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE Kansas, Iowa and Oregon. Michigan received its first blood also in 1870, when Hon. Z. T. Chandler, Lansing, bought Mark Anthony 296 from Gen. W. T. Walters, Baltimore. Oddly enough, although every stallion taken into Illinois and further west neces- sarily had to pass through Indiana there is no men- tion made of the location of any imported stallion in that state within the period of 32 years just re- viewed. Mahomet 292, a five-year-old gray stallion imported in 1868 by the Watkins confederacy in Ohio, is recorded as having made several seasons in Illinois and Indiana, but that is as close as we can come to discovering any early awakening in Indiana to a sense of the merits of these imported horses. By the close of 1870 draft horse breeding had been established in Illinois as a commercial industry on a sure and solid basis, though as yet no purebred mares had been owned within the state. Up to this time a large percentage of the male progeny of the imported stallions, especially if gray in color and descended from the Samson mares, were kept entire and used in the stud, some of these grades being high-class individuals and often really not to be dis- tinguished from the imported article. Weights as high as 1,800 and even 1,900 pounds had been achieved in this line of breeding and prices up to and beyond the $1,000-line had been paid for the best specimens. Four hundred and $500, and even $600, $700, and $800 were prices constantly quoted for young gray horses possessing the characteristic ‘‘Wrenchy’’ form, even though only half-bred. Stal- THE IMPORTING RECORD TO 1870 155 lion fees were liberal, reaching as high as $25, $35, and even to $40 and $50 in the top register. No line of live stock endeavor was so popular and at the fairs big and little the owners of French horses vied strenuously with one another in making dis- plays of the colts and fillies begotten by their stal- lions. Of course these young things were all grades. In New Jersey all trace of the early importations was gradually swept away, the mark left by Gray Billy, stallmate of Pleasant Valley Bill on the jour- ney across the ocean, being perhaps the hardest to efface, owing no doubt to the superior purity of his blood and his prepotence as a sire. Despite the so- cial and personal prominence of Gen. W. T. Walters and the care and money he lavished on his Per- cheron breeding venture, little benefit accrued to the state of Maryland. Indeed, save that in some locali- ties the weight of the native farm stock was measur- ably increased, it is questionable if the equine inter- ests of the commonwealth received any lasting bene- fit. Much the same is true, on the best authority, of the earliest importations into Virginia, and all vestiges of the Kentucky importations of 1859 have vanished completely. In Pennsylvania no doubt the war of 1861-5 swal- lowed up most of the grades old enough to go to the front, the state at that day being famed as the breeding ground where the best big horses in the Union were produced. Indubitably the heavy de- mands made on the newly improved equine pos- sessions of Pennsylvania for military purposes gave 156 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE the work of amelioration so grievous a setback that before the machinery of improvement had again been set in motion the tide of agricultural advancement and settlement was flowing westward in such over- mastering volume and strength that the ground lost could never be quite regained. Nevertheless Penn- sylvania remained for years one of the dominant factors in the American heavy horse breeding in- dustry. To a lesser extent the same is true of Ohio. In the Buckeye state perhaps the farmers’ yards were not raked quite so clean as in Pennsylvania, and though the prices offered by the agents of the War Department tempted many breeders to sell their grade mares for army uses a larger percentage re- mained after the close of hostilities with which to begin anew the making of the native-bred drafter. Old Doll 540, imported in 1857 by the Darby Plains Co., proved a tower of strength to the budding pure- bred industry, not only in her own career but also in the prolificacy of her several daughters. They gave the Ohio fanciers a start in the breeding of purebred stock and the constant supply of unrelated imported stallions from 1851 onward gave them the opportunity to put successive crosses upon the native foundation until registration under the top-cross rule of 1878 had been achieved. We find no evidence that this new rule was taken advantage of:in that day by the breeders in Maryland or Virginia. Just how Indiana escaped from being infected with the desire to improve its work horses by the use of THE IMPORTING RECORD TO 1870 L5i the imported blood will never be explained, but that not a single imported stallion had up to 1870 ever been taken for service within the boundaries of the state is proved beyond a doubt by the records. How such a priceless boon came to be overlooked entirely in the main line of western travel must remain an unsolved mystery. Illinois seems to have been shaped by destiny to be the center of the American draft horse breeding industry. As already stated, the existence of the big mares carrying the blood of Samson contributed to the early success on the broad prairies of Taze- well and adjacent counties, and there is a tradition that even as early as 1835 grades of another draft breed had been used to better the work stock of that region. ‘ Moreover, Illinois with its deep rich soil and its wonderful grazing was from the very first an ideal horse-breeding ground. As early as 1820 or thereabouts the Dillons, Hodg- ~ sons, and other well known old Illinois families had achieved fame as horse breeders in the localities back east from which they originally hailed. About that year several of these families sent scouts west with instructions to look up a new location, the repre- sentatives of the Dillons and the Hodgsons being charged specifically to locate lands where horse breeding could be made a specialty. They came on horseback and the practical judgment of these hardy pioneers is well demonstrated by their original choices of location along the Illinois River in Taze- well and La Salle counties. They brought good 158 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE horses of the Dragon and Conestoga stocks with them, and the portion of the state where they settled has ever since been within the best breeding ground for draft horses in the west. It was into Tazewell county that tradition alleges the very first stallions of draft blood brought to Illi- nois were taken about 1835. It was into that same county that Samson was imported in 1843, and it was there again that Louis Napoleon made the ‘‘hit’’’ that paved the way for all that has since transpired in this great branch of American animal husbandry. GEA Pai ER W it. MID-WEST PIONEERS. The production of French horses in America from imported ancestry on both sides was so limited prior to 1871 as to be of little consequence. As a matter of fact only 23 animals since recorded in the Ameri- ean Stud Book were foaled during the years from 1871 to 1874. More rapid headway was made after 1875, however, as a considerable number of mares had meantime been imported. Summarizing the situation, we find that 874 stallions and 152 mares were imported between 1871 and 1880, and that 104 stallions and 115 mares were bred in America during that same time. Restricted as home-breeding may seem to have been, a solid foundation had nevertheless been laid. The value of the French horses in improving the common stock of the country, already demonstrated by Louis Napoleon, French Emperor, Success, Pleas- ant Valley Bill, and numerous others, had been more than sustained by the importation and use of Apollo 14, Vidoeq 483 (732), St. Laurent 435, Nogent 738 (729), Dieppe 135, Malbranche 295, and numerous other sires of more than average merit. Actual breeding had begun in fifteen states. Last but not least, a number of firms had passed through the 159 160 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE pioneer stages of importing and breeding and were leading the way to rapid improvement in our draft horse stock. Leaders of the Period.—Mark W. Dunhan, E. Dil- lon & Co., James A. Perry, Daniel Dunham, A. W. Cook, Virgin & Brown, Degen Bros., B. H. Campbell, James H. Sanders, R. B. Chisholm, and the Onarga Importing Company were leading figures in the trade during the period of which we speak. All but Cook and Sanders were located in Illinois. They were carrying the colors to the front in Iowa. There were, however, seventy-seven other men who are credited with importations during this time, and some excellent horses were brought over by some of the minor operators. In some cases importations were made by men who did not go abroad, but who bought their horses through accredited agents in France. The leading breeders of the early ’70’s, as shown by entries subsequently made in the American Stud Book, in order of importance were M. W. Dunham and EK. Dillon & Co., both of Illinois; 8S. W. Ficklin of Virginia; Thomas Jones & Son and C. M. Jones, of Ohio; W. T. Walters of Maryland; W. H. Winter and Daniel Dunham of Illinois; W. C. Myer of Ore- gon; George W. Stubblefield & Co., and Ed. Hodgson of Illinois. Thirty-two other breeders produced from one to four animals each during the years men- tioned, and their product was distributed over the states named and ten others. _ Oaklawn in Front.—Mark W. Dunham was not } Mark W Dunham i | WS.Dunham Ree aw aa ts A Ye ita fw id be f nt | . ‘ hy sa ty = h, i i) ae, ate x Hea) cae MID-WEST PIONEERS 161 only the principal importer, but easily the leading breeder of his time, both in point of numbers and in the excellence of animals produced. Between 1872 and 1900 385 mares and 353 stallions (a total of 738 Percherons) were bred at Oaklawn, more than in any five other breeding establishments operating dur- ing the ’70’s, ’80’s and ’90’s. Aside from this, the character of the animals produced was such that Oaklawn took the premier position at the outset, and its leadership was never seriously disputed during the lifetime of its founder. Born in 1842 of New England parentage Mark W. Dunham succeeded in 1865 to the farm which his father had purchased from the government in 1833. His education was obtained in the local schools and on the farm, under the guidance of a father who was a good farmer and a raiser of livestock of more than average merit. The father died when Mark was only 23, and he at once assumed the management of the place which then comprised but about 300 acres, located near Wayne, Ill., where the buildings now stand. Mr. Dunham as a practical farmer had bred good livestock from the outset, and as has already been briefly mentioned he had entered upon his career as a horseman by becoming a member of the Fletcher Horse Co., headed by his uncle, M. W. Fletcher. This was the company that had bought Success and French Emperor in 1868, shortly after their im- portation by W. J. Edwards. A few years later Mr. Dunham bought Success from the company for 162 A HISTORY OF THE. PERCHERON HORSE $3,300. The excellent character of the colts sired by this stallion out of the small, nondescript mares then common in northern Illinois, and the decidedly greater value of the colts for work or sale (they brought twice as much at the same age as any other colts sired in the county) together with the fact that very few such horses were in service convinced Mr. Dunham that an excellent business opening was here presented. He lacked means, but had the confidence of his bankers, who financed his initial venture— an importation of 6 stallions in 1872. He did so well on these that he brought over 17 stallions and 4 mares in 1873, and steadily increased his importa- tions in both stallions and mares, until by the end of 1880 he had imported a total of 300 stallions and 75 mares. Home Breeding Emphasized.—From the very be- ginning Mr. Dunham encouraged the breeding of Percherons in America, as is amply attested by the fact that he brought over 75 of the 152 mares im- ported during the ’70’s. The other 77 mares were brought over by 17 different importers, the Dillons bringing 18 and Daniel Dunham 17. Mignonette 584 (1447) was the best of the mares imported at this time. She is described as ‘‘16%4 hands high, weight over 2,000 pounds in fair order, dapple-gray.’’ She was six years old when imported in 1876, was champion mare at the Centennial Hixpo- sition at Philadelphia that year, and was a noted winner in France prior to importation. She was retained in the stud and was considered one of the MID-WEST PIONEERS 163 best brood mares at Oaklawn. She was the dam of Nyanza 869, sold to head the stud of Henry Avery, Wakefield, Kans., in 1881. Ophelia 590, Minerva 585, Countess 537, Adelaide 519, and Midocean 583 were other mares that proved to be good producers at Oaklawn. By the end of 1880 20 stallions and 28 mares had been bred and reared by Mr. Dunham as an earnest of his belief in the production of Ameri- ean-bred Percherons. Success 452, Apollo 14, and Vidoeq 483 were the sires used, in order named, dur- ing this period. Some Celebrities Described.—As a matter of inter- est a detailed description of these horses is here given: Success 452, foaled in 1864 and imported in 1868, was 16 hands high; weight 1,700 pounds. He was vigorous, hardy, an easy keeper, compact and sym- metrical, with unusual elegance and attractiveness in general appearance and movement. His get were described as uniformly large-sized, compactly built, clean-limbed, stylish and active, whether from large or small mares. Apollo 14, foaled in 1868, imported in 1875, was 16%4 hands high, weighed 2,000 pounds, and was a dark dapple-gray. He was very symmetrical and stylish and excellent in quality. Grand champion at the Centennial in 1876, he sired but 5 purebred eolts at Oaklawn before his untimely death early in 1878. Such colts as he did sire were very large, massive, and excellent in character. Vidoeq 483 (732), foaled in 1869 and imported in 164 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE 1874 stood 1614 hands high, weighed 1,850 pounds, and was dapple-gray in color. He was very com- pact, symmetrical and stylish, with extreme spirit and courage. He was second at the Société Hip- pique Percheron Show at Nogent in 1872, being beaten by his half-brother, Duke de Chartres 162 (721). He was sold to Leonard Johnson of Min- nesota shortly after importation, but the colts sired by him in France proved so good and were such consistent winners when imported that Mr. Dunham bought him back to head the Oaklawn stud in 1878. Here he remained in service till 1885; he was the chief stock horse until superseded by Brilliant 1271 (755). He sired 36 purebred colts, most of which were bred by Mr. Dunham and Mr. Johnson. His greatest son, Nogent 738 (729), was placed at the head of the Dillon stud in 1877. Drawing from the Fountain Head.—Mr. Dunham’s ploneer service as an importer and breeder was notable for his insistence upon purchasing only horses of true Percheron breeding and character. He was not long in locating the source of the best draft horses in France. He sought his material in the very heart of The Perche. He early determined that the Percheron combined the necessary size and quality with unusual symmetry, style, action, spirit, and courage. His earliest purchases were made from such men as M. Cajet, M. Fardouet pere, M. Dupont, M. Miard and Ernest Perriot, Sr., all located in The Perche, and all leaders in Percheron breeding. His deliberate selection of the best stallions and mares Daniel Dunham clas. M kleteher Leonard -ohnson MID-WEST PIONEERS 165 obtainable in France for use in his own breeding operations at Oaklawn set a high standard for other American breeders to follow; last but not least, his aggressive advertising through the agricultural press and at fairs and expositions, together with well-planned circular and catalog distribution, did more to bring Percherons to the front in these early days than any other factor. In his advertising Mr. Dunham placed emphasis on the greater value of the colts begotten by Percheron sires, and repeatedly scored by pointing out that the colts sired by his Percheron stallions were selling for twice as much at the same age as the colts sired by the common grade or mixed-bred sires then in general use. The utility value of the draft horse was his theme, whether for work or sale, and he drove this point home so aggressively that his sales of Percherons — in 1875 and ’76 aggregated almost $200,000—elo- quent testimony, even at so early a date, as to the high character of his selections. The Dillons.—Ellis Dillon and his nephews, Levi and Isaiah Dillon, operating under the name of H. Dillon & Co., were first located in Tazewell, and later in McLean county in Illinois. The Dillons were the first family to locate in Tazewell county, and came there from Ohio in 1823. They brought with them horses larger than the average descended from English draft stock. Subsequently they had the services of old Samson, an imported English draft stallion, probably a Shire, brought over by Col. Oak- ley in 1843. They continued the use of this blood 166 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE and bred mares of more than average size at a time when most farmers were frittering away what draft stock they had by mating their mares to trotting sires. As already related, the Dillons obtained Louis Napoleon in 1857, and his phenomenal success as a sire finally led them to decide on direct importations. Four stallions were brought over in 1870, and from 1872 to 1880 importations were annually made, ex- cept in 1878. From 1872 to 1880 they imported 84 stallions and 18 mares. The breeding operations of the Dillon firm were restricted because of the limited number of mares available, but some very valuable sires were in use during this time. St. Laurent 435, their first sire, was a horse of tremendous scale; and while he was not a great breeding horse some of his get sold at long prices at early ages. Nogent 738 (729) was imported in 1877 by the Dillons, and was used by them in the late ’70’s and early ’80’s, supplementing St. Laurent 435 in the stud. He was a horse of exceptional qual- ity and merit as a sire, and while he begot only 4 purebred colts after importation to America, the colts sired by him in France, many of which were later imported, were so excellent as to stamp Nogent 738 (729) as the greatest son of Vidoeq 483 (732) and one of the ranking sires of the ’70’s. All told the Dillons bred 28 stallions and 13 mares between 1871 and 1880, most of them produced after 1876. They bred some very high-class animals, espe- cially in mares, were aggressive exhibitors in the MID-WEST PIONEERS 167 showring and good advertisers, and by reason of their prestige and influence in central Illinois in a business and political sense they exerted a strong influence. on draft horse breeding. They were not particular, however, to hold strictly to Percheron type and bought many useful horses of other French derivation. They emphasized great weight, massive- ness, and ruggedness, and placed rather less impor- tance upon quality, finish, and action. They led the faction which held that all horses coming from France should be grouped as one breed, to be called ‘‘Wrench Draft,’’ and this divergence in views later caused a split in the ranks of the men who were forwarding Percheron horse-breeding interests in “America. . _ Ohio Breeders of the ’70’s.—While the most ag- gressive Percheron campaign was being waged in ‘Illinois, Ohio’s breeders were not idle. Andrew Gill ‘and Thomas Jones & Son, at Plain City, and H. L. Wood, at Piqua, bred a total of 17 Percherons during this decade. Thomas Jones was the leading breeder. His operations were really started in 1864 by the purchase of Normandy 351 (Pleasant Valley Bull) from Timothy Bigelow. Doll 540 (imported) was bought in 1866 and her filly, Rose 604, foaled in 1866, was retained, though Doll and her next foal, a filly, were sold in 1867 to Gill & Woods for $1,000. From Rose 604 came three recorded fillies, foaled in 1869, 70, and ’71, all sired by Normandy 351. These four mares were subsequently bred to Ajax 5, a very good big horse, imported in 1871 by the Delaware Import- 168 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE ing Co., and bought in 1874 by Jones.* By 1880 the firm had bred and reared 5 stallions and 8 mares, of more than average merit. Ajax 5 was about 17 hands high and weighed approximately a ton when in good flesh. He madea tremendous improvement in the size of the Perche- rons in Ohio, and was a very prepotent sire, both as to size and color. In the 18 years during which he was used at Pleasant Valley Stock Farm he never sired a colt that was not gray in color. Belle 522 was the best brood mare of those owned by the Jones firm at this time. She produced altogether 5 stallions and 3 mares, most of them foaled before 1880, and her descendants are to be found in all parts of Ohio. The other Ohio breeders operating during this dec- ade produced but two animals each, but they had laid the foundation for more extensive work and had, through the use of Percheron sires, made notable improvement on the common horses of their districts. The East and the Far West.—The men who stood third and fourth in number of Percherons bred dur- ing this period were S. W. Ficklin of Virginia with 13, and W. C. Myer of Oregon with 12. Both were pioneers in their respective states, and must be given *C. M. Jones, the son, then associated with his father, states that the farmers in his part of Ohio had the value of draft horses driven home to them most forcibly during the Civil War, when the descendants of Louis Napoleon, Pleasant Valley Bill, and the Baker Horse brought twice as much as common horses and were eagerlv sought for by army buyers. The lesson struck home and the farm- ers gave liberal patronage to draft sires thereafter. MID-WEST PIONEERS 169 ereat credit for campaigns waged against odds. Farming on a large scale, which quickly forced the greater utility value of the draft horse upon the at- tention of cornbelt farmers, was not general where _ these men lived, and the farmers and horsemen were less numerous and less able to buy. Mr. Ficklin’s start was really made in 1866, by the importation of 2 stallions and 2 mares. One of these mares produced a filly in 1867, and from these 3 mares he produced 13 colts during the period under consideration. The stallions produced were lost to sight in the common stock of Virginia, but the fe- male line persisted and is today represented by more than 60 descendants, in the studs of T. L. White, F. B. Albert, D. T. Martin, C. H. King, D. M Cloyd, and others, all of Virginia. More than 40 of these trace through Constance 8th 8215, foaled in 1879. Mr. Ficklin’s Percheron breeding ceased in 1888. On the Pacific Coast—In December, 1870, William C. Myer of Ashland, Ore., bought White Prince 496. © His place was located in a valley tributary to the Rogue River. Here, within sight of mountain peaks and with Indian pony mares as the chief mates in his harem, that imported horse started the work of improvement. The colts were uniformly good in eolor, compact, well-proportioned, with style, sym- metry, and size. The progeny, even from pony mares not exceeding 800 pounds, weighed 1,200 pounds and over. Such results were exactly what the western ranchmen wanted, and as a consequence Mr. Myer established a stud by bringing out 2 more stallions 170 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE and 4 producing mares, 2 of which came from Ohio, one from Pennsylvania, and one, of Ohio breeding, from Wisconsin. The stallions were Pride of Perche 380, imported in 1874, and Gen. Fleury, imported in 1875. Both were brought over by Fullington & Co. of Ohio. Marked impetus was given to the growing popularity of the Percheron by these shipments of Mr. Myer, and he is justly credited with the most important pioneer work on the Pacific Coast. Dr. W. H. Winter.—W. H. Winter of Princeton, Daniel Dunham of Wayne, G. W. Stubblefield & Co. of Bloomington, and Eli Hodgson of Ottawa, all of Illinois, were other leaders, with 11, 10, 8, and 5 American-bred Percherons to their respective credits by the close of 1880. Dr. Winter was of English descent and came from Pennsylvania to Princeton in 1850. He was engaged in the drug business, but was by inheritance a farmer and soon established Edgewood Farm. Here he bred Shorthorn cattle and draft horses. In 1874 he made his start in Percherons by purchasing Mal- branche 293, imported in 1873 by the Princeton Horse Co., and in 1874 he had the mares Jeanne 560 and Joan 562 imported through N. C. Buswell. The mares both proved to be good breeders and by the close of 1880 he had 3 stallions and 8 mares descend- ed from this modest foundation. Malbranche 293 is described as a large gray, about 17.1 hands high, weighing over a ton. He was a deep-bodied, wide-chested horse with two good ends and a good middle. He was considered the best sire MID-WEST PIONEERS 171 ever used at Edgewood Farm, although many of his colts were bays and sorrels—colors that were none too popular. Bernadotte 36, a bay bred by Dr. Win- ter, sired by Malbranche 293 out of Jeanne 560, was also used, supplementing his sire. Dr. Winter was a man of high character and con- sidered a very good judge of horses. He exerted a wholesome influence on horse breeding in his dis- trict, but this was largely local at the time. Dr. Ezra Stetson of Neponset, Ill., was one of his contempo- raries who bred a few horses during this early period; his operations will be dealt with later. Daniel Dunham.—Mark Dunham’s elder brother Daniel’s operations during the decade under review require but passing comment. He bred 10 alto- gether, from mares purchased at Oaklawn, using the sires which were at the head of his brother’s stud. In 1880 he imported 3 stallions and 17 mares, selected with particular view to his own Percheron breeding operations, so that his foundation was properly laid at the close of the time we are considering. Eli Hodgson.—Mr. Hodgson had used Louis Na- poleon during the early ’60’s. He owned some good grade draft horses, and in 1874 made an im- portation of 3 stallions and 1 mare. Of the stal- lions Bob Havre 57 proved most valuable. He sired but few purebred colts, for purebred mares were scarce in his time, but his get out of common grade mares were so good that he earned over $10,000 for his owner in 10 seasons and was then sold at the age of 13 for $2,500 to W. P. Corbin, Pontiac, Ill. The 172 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE mare, Pride of Paris 593, proved to be a regular producer, but she and her descendants were coarse and so lacking in both quality and symmetry that Mr. Hodgson discarded all of them after a few years. Hodgson’s operations between 1870 and 1880 served to develop great interest in draft horse breed- ° ing in La Salle county, and as a direct result a number of purebred studs were established there in the next decade, of which we shall have more to say anon. Stubblefield Importations——George W. Stubble- field & Co., Bloomington, Ill., made importations in 1874, ’75, and ’80, and bred altogether 8 Percherons by the close of this period. Henry Abrahams 224, imported in 1874, was the only sire of consequence used by Mr. Stubblefield during this time. He was an upstanding horse, a little over 17 hands, weighing around 1,800 pounds. He was a light gray, with fine head and neck, short back, and heavily muscled quarters. He had extra quality, good style and action. As a sire on the common mares of Mclean county he proved extremely popular and did much to increase the demand for Percheron sires in that section. Percheron Breeding in Other States.—A detailed discussion of the work of the 32 other breeders who contributed to Percheron breeding during this pio- neer period is hardly necessary, for in most in- stances they were merely laying the foundations for later work, and while so doing aroused interest in draft horse breeding and convinced the average MID-WEST PIONEERS 173 farmers who came in contact with the get of Per- cheron stallions out of common mares of the tremen- dous value to accrue through the use of such sires. The missionary work done by these early breeders was such that their names are worthy of mention on the pioneers’ roll of honor, together with the number of their productions. They were: R. W. & T. T. Stubblefield, Bloom- ington, Ill., 2; Henry Avery, Wakefield, Kans., 2; C. Billborrow, Paw Paw, Mich., 1; James Dunn, Wa- seca, Minn., 3; Andrew Gill, Plain City, O., 2; Ezra Stetson, Neponset, Ill., 4; H. V. P. Block, Aberdeen, Mo., 3; C. Cameron, Brickersville, Pa., 4; J. J. Park- er, West Chester, Pa., 1; J. W. H. Reynolds, Frank- fort, Ky., 1; H. A. Babcock, Neenah, Wis., 1; A. W. Cook, Charles City, Ia., 4; Jeff C. Clark, Normandy, Mo., 2; Ed. Hodgson, Ottawa, Ill., 5; Rogy & Trim- ble, Walnut, Ill., 2; H. M. Aldrich, Orland, Ind., 1; C. W. Pierce, Boston, Mass., 1; W. W. & Al. Power, Pulaski, Ia., 1; Reuben Wright, Normal, Ill., 1; Bangs & Billborrow, Paw Paw, Mich., 1; Bangs & Co., Paw Paw, Mich., 1; Dickinson Bros., Ridgeway, Pa., 2; E. O. Hills, Bloomingdale, IL, 1; T. Skillman, Peta- luma, Cal., 1; Charles K. Harrison, Annandale, Md., ‘1; L. M. Hartley, Salem, Ia., 1; Avery & Murphy, De- troit, Mich., 1; F. J. Schreiber, Moorhead, Minn., 3; W. H. Hubbard, Evanston, Il., 1; K. L. Wood, Piqua, O., 2; S. Murphy, Detroit, Mich., 1; Poindexter & Orr, Dillon, Mont., 1. The popularity of Percherons was materially ha- stened by the importations made by horsemen who 174 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE brought over only stallions, and whose work was purely that of dealers. While these men cannot be considered to have contributed so directly to the up- building of Percheron breeding as those who proved their faith in horse breeding by investing capital in breeding mares to be retained in their own studs, their work was nevertheless extremely valuable in that it placed numerous Percheron sires of merit in communities where draft horse improvement was be- ing earnestly sought. The uniformly good results obtained by crossing such Percheron sires on the common stock of that time created a strong demand for Percherons, made possible the tremendous expansion of the following period, and poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into the pockets of American farmers through in- creased values of colts produced. Among the men of this class who were especially active prior to 1880 were James L. Perry of Wilmington, IIl., A. W. Cook of Charles City, Ia., Virgin & Brown of Fairbury, Ill., Degen Bros. of Ottawa, Ill., R. B. Chisholm of Elgin, [ll., the Onarga Importing Co. and Russ, Me- Courtey & Slattery, both of Onarga, IIl., Fullington, Phellis & Co. of Irwin Station, O., the Delaware Im- porting Co. of Delaware, O., N. C. Buswell of Prince- ton, Ill, Dan McCarthy of Ames, Ia., the Marion County Importing Co. of Ohio, M. D. Covell, first of Ohio and later of Kansas, and numerous others scat- tered over more than fifteen states. These are men- - tioned in the order of their importance as to number imported. MID-WEST PIONEERS 175 James H. Sanders.—Contemporaneous with the entrance of these men into the field of Percheron im- porting and breeding, the late James Harvey San- ders, founder of live stock journalism and compiler of the first Percheron Stud Book ever projected, com- menced as early as 1868 in the state of Iowa activities destined to have a far-reaching influence in the mid- dle west. ) Reared upon a farm in central Ohio, Mr. Sanders had accompanied some of the pioneers across the western prairies prior to the outbreak of the Civil War. Locating in Keokuk Co., Ia., he embraced the first opportunity to indulge an inborn fondness for good horses. He had personal knowledge of the superiority of the descendants of the French stallions imported into his native state over the ordinary farm stock of the western country, and in 1868 he went back to his old Ohio home and bought a four: year-old gray known as Victor Hugo, sired by imp. Count Robert, commonly known as the Baker Horse, imported by the Darby Plains Co. in 1857, and—as he tells us in an old hand bill printed after this colt was taken to lowa—‘‘universally admitted to be the best trotter ever imported from France into that region, now 18 years old, sound and hearty, and making a fortune for his owners.’’ The dam of Vic- tor Hugo was by ‘‘Old Bill,’’ imported by Dr. Brown = ~ of Circleville in 1851—the ‘‘ Valley Horse’’ of such celebrity as has already been mentioned, ‘‘now 21 years old and so highly valued that his owner re- fuses to put a price upon him.’’ Victor Hugo’s 176 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE grandam was a mare by old Louis Napoleon, then still living at the age of 23 years, the property of the Dillons, the sum of $1,000 having been offered for him only 12 months previous by Mr. Fullington of Ohio. Thus it will be seen that this stallion was a seven- eighths-blood horse, and individually he was in every way worthy of the three splendid sires whose blood coursed in his veins. He stood about 1614 hands, weighed about 1,550 pounds, and was put in service at Sigourney in the spring of 1869 at a fee of $20 to insure a mare with foal. He was fairly well patronized from the start even at that figure, and Mr. Sanders encouraged farmers to breed to the horse by offering to buy the choice of the foals to be dropped at $125 at weaning time, and the second best foal at $100. After several years of good work in the stud Victor Hugo died from a ruptured blood vessel.* He was one of the first stallions of his type taken into the state of Iowa, and his success paved the way for the profitable introduction of the valu- able imported horses Dieppe, Diligence, and Temp- est, subsequently purchased by Mr. Sanders. Dieppe and Diligence were imported by E. Dillon & Co. Dieppe proved one of the greatest sires of his day in the central west. Mr. Sanders paid the sum of $3,000 for Dieppe, and it proved a fine investment. *Victor Hugo was the first draft stallion the compiler of this volume ever saw, and our recollection of this fine big horse is entirely clear. He had the traditional activity of the Percheron Tace, easily doing five miles an hour at the walk. He was worked in heavy harness every winter, and was the pride and admiration of the entire community in which he was owned. JAMES HARVEY SANDERS, FOUNDER OF THE AMERICAN PERCHERON STUD BOOK. MID-WEST PIONEERS nT This horse lived to a ripe old age, and did more for the improvement of the farm horses of Keokuk and adjoining counties than any other stallion of his time. A Campaign of Education.—Mr. Sanders was not only one of the pioneer introducers of Percheron blood west of the Mississippi River, but he set in motion educational influences that greatly facilitated the subsequent successes of the Percheron through- out the United States. He was first of all a student. In his library were the works of Charles Darwin, Herbert Spencer, Huxley, Francis Galton, and other scientists specializing on the laws governing the transmission of hereditary qualities. He read every- thing he could find in print relating to animal breed- ing. He felt the rising of the great tide of live stock improvement that swept through the mid-west states during the years immediately following the close of the Civil War. The state fairs were begin- ning to attract good exhibits. Shorthorn cattle, ‘‘Norman’’ and trotting horses, as well as ‘‘ Magie’’ swine, were seen and talked about. Nobody knew much about any of the ‘‘new’’ breeds, but many were interested and were seeking light. There was no medium of communication between those who dawned or were considering the purchase of better animals to replace the native types. Little informa- - tion was available. Why not a newspaper, a peri- odical devoted especially to the discussion of animal breeding and management, and the news of the busi- ness in general? With J. H. Sanders to think was to act. 178 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE In the month of May, 1869, Mr. Sanders began the publication of a 16-page monthly, which he per- sonally edited and issued at his own expense from the then primitive printing plant of the local newspaper known as the ‘‘News.’? He was at the time engaged in banking and railway con- struction, besides trying to wake up the farmers of his state to the desirability of better blood. His pur- pose in founding the ‘‘ Western Stock Journal’’ was purely altruistic. But it met with a cordial recep- tion, and after a successful career of a few years its possibilities were so obvious that a Chicago syndicate took it over and made it the basis of the monthly magazine known as the ‘‘ National Live Stock Jour- nal,’’ Mr. Sanders assuming by request of the pub- lishers the editorship of the horse department to be conducted by mail from Iowa. Then came the great fire of 1871, the financial panic of 1873, the sweeping away of his private fortune, the enforced sale of the country place that had been the pride of his heart, removal to Chicago, and the assumption of the duties of editor-in-chief of the powerful magazine that was being builded upon his little Iowa venture as a foundation. And so it came to pass that when the western draft horse breeding interest began about 1875 to feel the first great impulses of the boom that was now impending the necessary cooperation for a suc- cessful campaign of publicity and promotion in be- half of Percheron interests was assured. Mr. San- ders had the personal knowledge, the ability, and MID-WEST PIONEERS 179 the medium of communication with the public that combined to render his services invaluable at this juncture; the more so because he had the confidence of the western people, and had already proved his breadth of view by adding to his own stud in Iowa, by purchase from Hon. George Murray of Racine, Wis., at a cost of $5,000 the celebrated imported Clydesdale stallion Donald Dinnie. His sympathy with and advocacy of all the improved breeds prom- ising to be useful to the American people was a mat- ter of common knowledge.* Foundation of the Stud Book.—With the great expansion of the importing business following the entrance into it of the Dillon confederacy and M. W. Dunham the necessity for the establishment of a stud book was sensed by those most in interest. Up to that time ‘‘The General Stud Book’’ of England, wherein the pedigrees of, and other data concerning, the Thoroughbred horse were preserved, had been the sole register of the kind in existence. Neither in France nor in Britain had a similar record been *In further illustration of Mr. Sanders’ desire to work disin- terestedly for the improvement of our American draft horse stock as a whole, may be cited the following announcement appearing in the editorial columns of the “National Live Stock Journal’ for December, 1876: “A Clydesdale Register.—At the urgent request of many of the leading breeders and importers of Clydesdale horses in the United States and Canada, the editor of Tum JouRNAL has. commenced the compilation of a Clydesdale Register, which will be published as soon as the work can be completed. It will contain an account of the various breeds of cart or draft horses in Great Britain, the origin of the Clydesdale breed, and, so far as can be ascertained, a complete list of the imported and prominent native-bred Clydesdale horses and mares in the United States and Canada, with their pedigrees.” Only great pressure of work that accumulated shortly after- ward prevented the carrying out of this sincere intent. 180 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE founded for any of the draft breeds, though some agitation of the subject had been started in both England and Scotland in connection with the Eng- lish Cart Horse (as the Shire was then known) and the Clydesdale. ‘‘The General Stud Book’’ was be- gun as a private venture. There was no organiza- tion responsible for its arrangement, rules or publi- eation, its chief utility lying in the aid it gave the Jockey Club in keeping the British turf free from fraud and originally in the stamp of official approval it gave to the private records of breeders kept and conducted in accordance with its few and simple regulations. It was plain, however, that a different policy must be pursued with registers in which the pedigrees of drafters should be preserved. Private ownership was impossible on the face of things. A society must be formed by the breeders and import- ers for the protection and promotion of their mutual interests and the verification and registration of pedigrees. Therefore late in 1875 this proposal to establish a stud book for imported heavy French horses, their progeny and descendants took shape in the issuance of a call for a meeting of importers and breeders. In pursuance of that call, which W. EK. Prichard, the only surviving member of the gathering, believes was sent out by the Dillons, a meeting was held in the old Briggs House, Chicago, in December, 1875— the very first of its kind ever convened with the same object in view. Present on that most memorable occasion were M. W. Dunham, Ellis, Levi and Isaiah MID-WEST PIONEERS 181 Dillon, James A. Perry, W. J. Edwards, James L. Owen, W. E. Prichard and J. H. Sanders, all of Ili- nois, and Simon Ruble of Wisconsin. ‘Two sessions were held without definite result, but a few weeks later—in February, 1876—at a meeting held in the Transit House, Union Stock Yards, Chicago, with a larger number present, the ‘‘ National Association of Importers and Breeders of Norman Horses’’ was finally launched on the troubled waters of pedigree registration and breed promotion. A full report of the discussion had upon this occasion has not been handed down, but it is a matter of record that the following resolution was passed: ‘*Resolved, That in the opinion of this meeting the Picardy horse, the Bolougne horse, the Percheron, and the Normandy horse are essentially the same race or breed, and should be designated as the Nor- - man horse.”’ This resolution was introduced by James A. Perry, Wilmington, [l., and was unanimously adopted. A constitution and by-laws were also adopted, provid- ing that ‘‘any person owning an imported or native full-blood Norman stallion or mare may become a member of this association.’’ As a matter of fact, this meeting was not an altogether representative one, even for that early day. It was true that the term ‘‘Norman’’ had been in very general use in this country from the earliest importations. As a matter of fact, it had no significance at that time, nor at any other time so far as indicating a fixed breed of draft horses known as such in France was concerned, for the simple reason that no such type as 182 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE a Norman draft horse was ever known in that coun- try. Our people knew that most of the original im- portations, and many of the later ones as well, had been bought within the borders of the ancient prov- ince of Normandy. Little or nothing was known at that date as to the part which the province of Perche had really played in the production of the best horses of this stamp on the other side. There were several different types of draft horses used and bred in the Normandy district, but there was no draft horse originated and perpetuated under the name of ‘‘ Nor- man’’ in that province. Naturally the early American importers were first attracted by the horses seen in the streets of the commercial centres near the coast of northern Nor- mandy, such as Rouen, and it was here that they began making their first purchases. They did not at first penetrate as far inland as The Perche. Just what proportion of Percheron blood was carried by Louis Napoleon, the Valley Horse, and others of the early celebrities can never be known, but from the prepotency which the best of these stallions after- wards demonstrated when crossed upon the native mares of the United States it is safe to assume that they were strongly bred horses, and that in all prob- ability some of them at least had their origin in the Percheron country proper. That is at this late day, however, a purely academic consideration. It is easy to understand why those who were large- ly interested in these horses in 1876 should prefer to stand by a name which had become so well estab- MID-WEST PIONEERS 183 lished on this side the Atlantic, even though it were known to be a positive misnomer. It was purely a title of convenience, and this small conference of im- porters and breeders undoubtedly had in mind the idea that it mattered little as to what these horses were called in this country so long as they were of a good sort and were rendering the service for which they had been introduced. However, there were others who took a different view and who thought that it would be unwise, and in the long run unfor- tunate, if a purely American invention of this sort should be perpetuated. The more the history of the type was studied, the more convinced were those who had most regard for the facts of history, that the word ‘‘Norman’’ should ultimately be abandoned. Prominent among those who held this view at this time were M. W. Dunham, B. H. Campbell, and Mr. Sanders. They knew of course that the term ‘‘Nor- man’’ was in general use, and had indeed employed it themselves in accordance with the prevailing usage in the west. This did not prevent them, however, from undertaking to bring about a modification of the term. Long before the meeting in question had been called Mr. Sanders had been engaged in gathering authentic data concerning the earlier importations and their descendants of the pure blood, with a view towards laying the foundation for an American breeding interest. In the month of June, 1876, in an editorial published in the ‘‘National Live Stock Journal,’’ he announced that he had undertaken the 184 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE compilation of a ‘‘Norman Stud Book’’ as a private enterprise. While personally not in favor of the adoption of this name, he apparently at first deemed it best to follow the lead of those who had attended the February conference above mentioned. The work of preparing the initial volume progressed rapidly, and the book was issued from the ‘‘ National Live Stock Journal’’ press late in that year, but fortunately a second edition was soon required and in this revision Mr. Sanders, upon his own motion, decided to adopt as the title for the volume ‘‘The Percheron-Norman Stud Book.’’* He believed he was justified in so doing. He had become convinced in his own mind, and rightly enough, that the real parent stock in France was the Percheron, and upon his own initiative he adopted the hyphenated title. This was of course a compromise between historical fact abroad and American usage at home, and like all compromises was not particularly satisfactory to anybody concerned. Nevertheless, it stood for some years. The Peoria Convention of 1878.—At the original meeting at Chicago in 1876 there were but three states represented, and these by only 14 individuals. In the meantime, Volume 1 of the Percheron-Norman Stud Book had appeared—the first draft horse pedi- gree register ever issued on either side the Atlantie. On Feb. 14, 1878, another meeting of the association *Originally Vol. I of the Percheron-Norman Stud Book was bound in green covers, and though it had 145 pages as against 212 for the revised edition—bound in the familiar brown boards—it was actually little more than one-half the size of the latter book. MID-WEST PIONEERS 185 that had been formed at Chicago two years previ- ously was called, at which the attendance numbered nearly 100. Fifty of these were active members representing 8 different states and territories. At this meeting, which was presided over by Ellis Dil- lon, it was moved by Dr. Ezra Stetson that the con- stitution be amended so as to change the name of the organization to ‘‘The National Association of Im- porters and Breeders of Percheron Horses.’’ Col. B. H. Campbell, who acted as secretary of this his- toric conference, moved to amend by substituting the words ‘‘ Percheron-Norman,’’ as used by Mr. Sanders in the first volume of the register. This amendment was accepted by Dr. Stetson, and after an extended discussion participated in by Mr. Dunham, Mr. San- ders, Mr. Virgin, Mr. Isaiah Dillon, and others, the motion as amended was unanimously adopted. A motion to reaffirm the action of the Chicago meeting of two years previously, wherein it was de- elared that the various types of draft horses to be found in France under different names were sub- stantially all of the same breed, provoked a spirited discussion and was finally tabled. A motion was adopted suggesting that for the future entries for the stud book showing five crosses of purebred horses on a native foundation should be accepted for reg- istry. Officers were then elected as follows: Presi- dent, Daniel Dunham, Wayne, IIl.; treasurer, T. C. Sterrett, Warrensburg, IIl.; secretary, B. H. Camp- bell, Des Moines, Ia. The following resolutions were unanimously adopted: 186 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE ‘‘Resolved, That the history of the Percheron- Norman horse, published by Mr. J. H. Sanders, as an introduction to his Stud Book, is the most valu- able contribution to the literature pertaiing to this matchless breed of horses which has ever been writ- ten in this country or Europe; and that for the labor and ability which he has bestowed upon his work, Mr. Sanders has placed the National Association of Importers and Owners of Percheron-Norman horses, as well as all others interested in the improvement of our horses, under great and lasting obligations to him. ‘*Resolved, That while the registry of animals con- tains some errors, mostly typographical, the work, on the whole, gives evidence of much labor and care; and that, both as a history and a record, the Stud Book is worthy of the entire confidence of the public. ‘‘Resolved, That the Stud Book is calculated greatly to increase the popularity of the Percheron- Norman horse in this country; and that it is not only to the interest, but it is the duty of all importers and owners to aid in its circulation. ‘‘Resolved, That Mr. Sanders has not only labored conscientiously in our behalf, but in performing his , task he has adhered substantially to the spirit of the covenant made between him and our Association.”’ Naturally this action was very gratifying to Mr. Sanders, who as a matter of fact had devoted many months of time, and had expended considerable money in an earnest effort to put upon its feet a public registry that should be entitled to general confidence. He announced that.he would proceed at once in the preparation of a revised edition of the volume that had already been issued, for the pur- pose of correcting any errors that had crept into the MID-WEST PIONEERS 187 first edition, and also to add to the record the names of horses and mares that had in the meantime be- come available for registry. At a meeting of the board of directors held in Chicago on July 10, 1878, the following additional resolutions were adopted: ‘Resolved, That we reaffirm the resolutions passed by this Association at Peoria, in February last, en- dorsing the Stud Book prepared and published by Mr. Sanders, and respectfully request that he pro- ceed with the publication of the revised edition at his earliest convenience. ‘‘Resolved, That we assure the public that Mr. Sanders has the hearty co-operation of this asso- ciation in his work, and that we denounce, as base and malicious slanders, all representations to the contrary.”’ Unfortunately, more or less feeling had grown out of these extended discussions as to the name under which these horses should be known in the United States, and at a later date the advocates of the idea that all heavy horses imported from France should be registered in one book and under one title perfected an organization and began the publication of a second stud book known as ‘‘The National French Draft Horse Register.’’ This book had the active support of the Messrs. Dillon and others among those who had been earnest and successful in promoting the interests of the French horses in the United States during the preceding years. GHAPTER VIII. THE FRENCH STORY RESUMED. Before proceeding with an account of the great expansion of Percheron breeding in America which characterized the decade beginning with 1880 and closing in 1890, let us return to France, and take note of the further progress of events in the home of the breed. We have already shown by copious extracts from the national archives of France, preserved in Paris, that beginning with about 1815 the government ex- tended systematic support to the aspirations of the breeders of Percherons through the medium of offi- cial inspection of stallions offered for service, and a system of subsidies paid out of the national treasury to the owners of the approved horses, besides pur- chasing and maintaining at the government stud at Le Pin stallions regarded as specially valuable for service in connection with the work in hand. This resulted in the establishment of a type better suited to agricultural uses than the ancient trotting and diligence stock for which the district had for so long been famous. Practical Promotive Work.—A royal ordinance of Dee. 21, 1833, created in France several new govern- ment stallion depots, and reorganized some of those 188 THE FRENCH STORY RESUMED 189 that had been in existence for many years previously, such as the Haras du Pin. As has already been shown, the Percheron breeding district, of which Nogent-le-Rotrou is the capital, had from the earliest periods benefited by the government’s initiative at the stud just mentioned. Every year approved stal- lions from Le Pin were located in the old barracks of St. Denis at Nogent, where now stand the town col- lege and court of justice. In the year 1836 a committee of prominent men, including most of the best farmers of this district, organized a committee for the purpose of holding exhibitions or meetings known as comices in various localities, for the purpose of awarding prizes to the best animals and incidentally of encouraging agri- eulture and good farming through the continued maintenance and improvement of the Percheron breed. These comices exist at the present day, and are held in addition to the annual central show main- tained under the auspices of the Percheron Society of France. In 1836 we find that the president of the council of Nogent was the Count of Bussy, and among the members were Messrs. de Maurissure, de Chabot, Bailleau, farmer at Brunelles, Noél of La Messes- selle, Ducoeurjoly and Le Marié of Nogent. Similar councils were also established at Chartres and Chat- eaudun. Some idea of the magnitude of the horse- breeding operations in the Perche during this per- iod may be gleaned from the fact that an old pub- lication sets forth that ‘‘the district of Eure-et-Loir 190 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE delivered annually for the trade about 10,000 five- year-old stallions, selling at from $200 to $300 each.’’ On March 22, 1841, the Duke of Montmorency, speaking at a meeting of the municipal council of Chateaudun, said: ‘‘For many years stock-breed- ing societies of Switzerland and of different parts of Germany and of upper Normandy have been com- ing into the Perche to buy Percheron stallions and mares.’’ This confirms once again the claim that the Perche has been for generations recognized as the home of a distinct and valuable type. In 1844 the general council of EKure-et-Loir voted the sum of $900 to be given by the different com- mittees to the best brood mares, in addition to the sum that previously had been awarded. The many privately-owned stallions serving in the district were inspected, authorized and pensioned by the gov- ernment officials according to their merits in ac- cordance with an edict of Oct. 27, 1847. More Pre-Stud Book Records.—Resuming now our examination of the official documents in the posses- sion of the Government of France, at the point where the study was temporarily suspended in a pre- ceding chapter (page 101), let us summarize briefly certain facts of historical interest relating to the pre-stud book period. The records, from which we quote, supply the names of the leading stallioners of the Perche dur- ing the period when the breed was ‘‘modifying itself’’ in the direction of greater weight. Such men as Launay of Mauvaisiniére, Langis (Orne), Pelle- Charies René THE FIRST SECRETARY OF THE PERCHERON SOCIETY OF FRANCE (AT TOP) AND THE LONG-TERM HONORARY TREASURER. i j eta. ‘a , , ‘ , f , ter sagas , VA 5 wees ; & rs ; mixx t i 7 \ \ t . ty 5 Es ‘ 2 *) ae Ae aie ~ ‘ , ‘ a ¥}. eens \ Sy . amie | . 7 , J ines ‘ - ay . > + me] / ’ . 1 = . pee iN; 3 ny Fy F< . i g ‘ : ACS Spee \ ’ 7 e * 7 A ‘ # ASE THE FRENCH STORY RESUMED 191 tier, Corbon (Orne), Benoit, Tontay, Cottereau, Guil- laumain, Dieu, Monnier, de Vasconcelles Pigeard, Marechal, Gaubert and their contemporaries con- tributed largely to progress in the direction of a draft type. Several of these were located in the Nogent district of Eure-et-Loir. Due credit should also be given to men among these earlier stallioners residing in that part of the Perche lying within the Department of Loir-et-Cher, such as the two Tardi- neaus, Ferrand and their enterprising colleagues. Some of these continued their work in this direction throughout a long series of years. However, a new school gradually succeeded them, carrying on the development of the race along similar lines, so that by the time the great American demand for still heavier horses set in the Perche was in a position through a very simple course of selection in mating to gradually evolve the ton horse of modern com- merce, and this too without undue sacrifice of that vigor, soundness and quality which for generations had been characteristic of the lighter types. Bailleau of Brunelles, near Nogent, according to the government records, appeared about 1836 with a draft horse, name not given. This stallion is de- scribed as ‘‘gris pommelé, crins blanches’’—a dap- pled gray with white mane and four white markings, and with ‘‘flesh’’ or pink spots ‘‘between the nos- trils.’"’ He was a good horse, first approved in 1836. It is recorded that he served as late as 1845. In 1837 we find record of the approved horse Grand Pierre, owned by M. Geru of Echaffour, Orne. 192 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE This stallion was described as light gray, foaled in the year above mentioned, and approved by the gov- ernment inspection of Nov. 23, 1846. There is rec- ord at the haras of his having served during the seasons of 1847 and 1848. He seems to have been displaced in 1849. Another stallion of this same period, also owned by M. Geru, was called Bijou; he was a dappled gray of draft type, foaled in 1839 and approved in 1846. A third stallion of M. Geru was Jupiter, described as ‘‘white gray, dappled on thighs’’; he was foaled in 1840, approved in 1846, began to serve under official sanction in 1847, and on Feb. 1, 1851 was sold and taken out of the Depart- ment of Orne. Government records also tell us of a dappled iron-gray stallion Sultan, the property of M. Bailleau of Brunelles, that was approved and in service from 1847 to 1850. In 1844 we find the names of the two Percheron stallions Benvenuto and Democrate, both gray, in service at Nogent from the government stud at Le Pin. In 1847 there is record of 5 stallions serving in the Nogent district under a government subsidy, including a six-year-old dapple-gray owned by Count de Chamoy of Charbonniéres, a five-year-old iron- gray and a six-year-old gray, both owned by M. Ducoeurjoly, a five-year-old gray owned by M. Chou- anard of Champeau, and a five-year-old gray which was the property of M. Bailleau of Brunelles. In 1849 a commission for the examination of stal- lions outside of the agricultural comice of Nogent was composed as follows: M. De Tarragon, presi- ‘SAVNIOV LY ‘VY £0 WHVa FHL GooS SII WOA SNOWVA “NONDIA ‘SUUVIT Whey) i tus fi) A) | a THE FRENCH STORY RESUMED 193 dent, M. Brissonet of Courville, M. De Poutoi, M. Htienne de Tausonville, M. Benoit, and M. Joseph Chouanard of La Touche. The statement was made by a contemporary writer that at this date ‘‘the predominant color of the Percheron breed is gray.’’ During this same year the local committee for the improvement of the Percheron breed awarded the following prizes: First, with 700 frances, to the stal- lion Collin, dapple-gray, owned by M. Ducoeurjoly; second, with 600 frances, awarded to the light-gray Brilliant, belonging to M. Viron, Chateaudun; third, with 600 franes, to Vigoureux, a light-gray horse belonging to M. Coeuret of Yévres. In 1850 the same awarding committee gave prizes to the follow- ing stallions: Papillon, a five-year-old gray belong- ing to M. Sureau of St. Germain; L’Ami, a three- year-old dapple-gray belonging to M. Chevallier of Dangeau; and LaFleur, a six-year-old gray belong- ing to M. Coueret of Yévres. M. Cheradame.—During an extended period begin- ning with 1845 there was no greater stallioner and breeder in the Perche than M. Cheradame of Ecouché (Orne). For more than 40 years he labored unceas- ingly and successfully to promote Percheron pres- tige and progress. According to M. Desiré Ducoeur- joly, to whom we are indebted for valuable informa- tion touching old-time breeding operations in the Perche, M. Cheradame bred chiefly the light-type Percherons—great trotters in their day. This inter- esting statement we have been able to confirm by ex- amination of the government records. He also main- 194 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE tained a few blooded horses and demi-sangs. His greatest work, however, was with his favorite Per- cherons. Notwithstanding the celebrity of these as fast travelers, it is important to note that while some of his approved stallions are described as ‘‘trait leger’’ (light draft), many others were distinctly designated as of ‘‘draft’’ type. It is particularly fortunate that we have been able to gather some authenticated facts concerning Cheradame’s work. While his name and fame have long been the subject of comment among later French breeders, there has been until now nothing available as to the actual material with which he worked, aside from one mere incidental reference by M. Du Hays, who in eulogizing Jean-le-Blane, of which more anon, says: ‘‘He was a Percheron, a real Percheron, like the famous Toulouse of M. Cheradame, for example.’’ This successful breeder of the olden days first appears in the government archives as owner of Destampes, a dappled gray, described as ‘‘de car- osse’’—coach horse, probably of the post or dili- gence stamp. This stallion was foaled in 1839 and was approved for service during the seasons of 1845, 1846 and 1847. Toulouse, ‘‘The Magnificent.’’—As will presently appear, the founders of the Percheron Stud Book of France, following the lead of M. Du Hays, singled out for special mention alone among all the great stallions of the district that gave rise to the modern Percheron a horse called Jean-le-Blanc, claimed to Sait Cl iiss = LA ROUSTIERE—RESIDENCE OF MAURICE CHOUANARD, AND IN POSSES- SION OF THE CHOUANARD FAMILY FOR UPWARDS OF TWO CEN- TURIES. THE FAMOUS STALLION KNOWN AS OLD COCO WAS BRED ON THIS FARM. L’ARCHE—FARM AND RESIDENCE OF ERNEST PERRIOT, JBE., NEAB LA FERTE BERNARD. THE FRENCH STORY RESUMED 195 be a direct descendant of the erstwhile ‘‘ Arab’’ Gal- lipoly. As has just been stated, in placing Jean-le- Blane upon this pedestal Du Hays took cognizance of the existence of another ‘‘true’’ Percheron, ‘‘le fameux Toulouse de M. Cheradame, par example,’’ Except for this laconic reference nothing, so far as we have been able to ascertain, has been published concerning this horse. No attempt was made to register him in the initial volume of the Stud Book of France, for the very good reason, we suppose, that no facts concerning him, not even legends, as in the case of Jean-le-Blane, were at hand. And yet at that very time the truth was lying all untouched in the archives of the French Government. The facts now to be presented, therefore, will prove of absorbing interest to all students of Percheron his- tory. Toulouse is first mentioned (No. 162 in the Haras register at Le Pin) in an entry dated Nov. 30, 1847, at which time he was officially approved. This entry states that he was foaled in 1839, so that it is reasonably certain that he had already seen service before being pensioned or subsidized by the govern- ment. He is described as ‘‘de trait’’ (draft), color ‘‘oris blane’’ (light gray), with ‘‘flesh spots at the end of the nogse.’’ He began his service as a govern- ment-approved stallion in the spring of 1848. He served during this season 60 mares, siring 42 liv- ing foals and receiving a bonus of 200 frances. In 1849 he served 58 mares with 36 foals resulting. In 1850 he had 40 mares that produced 30 foals, and in 1851 he served 44 mares. 196 A HISTORY: OF THE PERCHERON HORSE In the space reserved for ‘‘observations’’ in this original entry no particulars as to the breeding of Toulouse are given, but in 1853 we find him men- tioned as a son of Sandy, whose breeding is not given, out of ‘‘an unknown Percheron mare.’’ His height is here given as a little over 16 hands. Farther along we find that in 1859—although he was then, it will be observed, 20 years old—he was still receiving his subsidy. Not only that, but it is particularly to be impressed at this point that whereas the custom of entering ‘‘remarks’’ con- cerning these approved stallions had been for some years discontinued we find this extraordinary spe- cial tribute to this veteran of two decades: ‘¢April 2, 1859—Toulouse est arrivé a la decrépi- tude. C’etait un magnifique étalon de trait. Bien difficile 4 remplacer. Je demande qu’il ne soit plus apprové en 1860.”’ That is to say: ‘‘Toulouse is getting worn out. He was a magnificent draft stallion. Very difficult to replace him. I recommend that he should not be approved for 1860.”’ : Toulouse, ‘‘the magnificent,’? was now going the way of all flesh as no longer useful in the stud at the ripe old age of twenty years. Although appar- ently the greatest horse of his era in the Perche, so far as authentic records go, his very existence was searcely a tradition as late as 1883, the date of the founding of the stud book! Truly, once again let us reiterate, French breeders were at all times more concerned in making history than in writing it. THE FRENCH STORY RESUMED 197 Immediately underneath the splendid isolated testimonial upon the government record is this addi- tional entry: ‘‘1860—he has not gone yet; approved for 1860.’’ In spite of the inspector’s reluctant recommenda- tion of the year before the great stallion is given another year at stud! With this the record ends. To have been singled out for this almost extrava- gant commendation at a time when ‘‘remarks’’ were no longer the rule in the records is of course proof positive of the altogether exceptional character of this horse. He was 9 years old when first pensioned, and was used 13 years as an approved sire. It is probable, therefore, that this stallion served in his time as many as a thousand mares. Light-gray at an early age, old Toulouse in his later years would have been white as snow. Let us be glad of this opportunity to do tardy justice to a horse that was so honored officially in his own day and generation. It is to be regretted that we cannot do as much for Jean-le-Blanc. Indeed were it not for the apparent discrepancy in their ages, one might even suggest the possibility that in Toulouse we have the real Jean-le-Blane. But as to this one may only specu- late. It is indeed to be regretted that owing to the tardy establishment of registration facilities we eannot at this date supply the links in the chain that would undoubtedly connect up many a present day Percheron horse with Toulouse, ‘‘the magnifi- cent.’’ Chocolat.—Another great horse owned by M. 198 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE Cheradame at a later date was called Chocolat. It appears from the records that he was ‘‘de trait’’ (of the draft type), gray, and stood about 16 hands 1% inches high. He was foaled in 1864, was approved at 6 years old, and like Toulouse was kept in service until his twentieth year, in 1884. This long period of approval in the stud is convine- ing evidence of Chocolat’s superior character and value as a sire. His pension from 1880 to 1884 in- clusive seems to have been 300 franes. Another draft stallion owned by M. Cheradame, and in use about 1860, was named Carnaval. There is also record of a Cheradame horse called Bon Es- poir, a gray foaled in 1855, and another named Double, the latter described as ‘‘trait leger’’ (light drafter), a gray standing 16 hands that served as an approved sire from 1880 to 1884 inclusive. Still another under the same ownership was Lilas, also a light drafter, gray and 15.3 hands in stature. Lilas served from 1880 to 1883 inclusive. The Ducoeurjolys.—Contemporaneous with Bail- leau and the early work of Cheradame we find Ducoeurjoly (Jacques Francois) of Coudreau, dis- trict of Nogent, beginning as an owner of approved stallions with Collin, a celebrated horse already men- tioned. Collin was a little over 16 hands high and was described as ‘‘an iron gray (gris de fer pom- melé) draft horse with two white feet, born in 1842 and approved Nov. 23, 1846.’’ This horse served as an approved stallion for 4 years from 1847 to 1850 inclusive. Another horse, unnamed, _J} LA PELLOIS—BREEDING FARM OF A. TACHEAU, NEAR LA FERTE: BERNARD. sere FARM OF M. JOS. AVELINE, DORCEAU. THE FRENCH STORY RESUMED 199 belonging to M. Ducoeurjoly, foaled in 1841 and approved Nov. 23, 1846, served 2 years. ~The Ducoeurjolys always have been highly es- teemed as good breeders and keen judges of animal form. However, they have never gone into the busi- ness so extensively as their aptitudes and knowl- edge of Percheron breeding would warrant, simply because they always have adhered to their vocation as ‘‘cultivators’’—farmers as well as_ breeders. Speculative dealing in colts has never attracted them. They have preferred to breed some of the very best, till their land and sell simply their own surplus animals. This is one of the few farms in the Perche where a good-sized flock of sheep has been profitably kept. We find several of the Ducoeurjoly horses mentioned as approved stallions in the early days and the celebrated old prize-win- ning mare Pauline (279) was their property. She was foaled in 1869 and won 12 prizes at the leading shows at different periods. The present Desiré Ducoeurjoly has attained high reputation both with mares and stallions. Pelletier.— Another stallioner of importance in the ante-stud book days was Theodore Pelletier, prob- ably related to the other Pelletier mentioned in our earlier chapters. He lived at St. Julien-sur-Sarthe, Orne. This locality is a great mare country at the present date. Credited to Pelletier we find Colin, ‘‘son of Colin and out of an unnamed Percheron mare.’’ The sire Colin was probably the Collin or Colin of Ducoeur- 200. A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE joly. This horse was described as a ‘‘draft stallion of very good model; a good breeder, an impressive sire that begets excellent post horses; many of his male colts have been exported.’’ He served from 1859 to 1862—4 years. The first 2 years his pen- sion was 300 francs, and the 2 latter years it was 400 franes. Pelletier owned another horse named Vulcain about the same period. He also had Nogent, a 16.1-hand gray that served during 1863 and 1864. After the death of M. Theodore Pelletier we find a ‘‘light draft stallion, gray, 16 hands,’’ entered as the property of ‘‘Widow Pelletier,’’ St. Julien-sur- Sarthe. This horse began serving in 1880. Moisand.—About this time also we hear of Moi- sand, ‘‘Director of the Societé Hippique Percher- onne,’’? Chateaudun, Eure-et-Loire. From his town and district, a great grain-growing region, formerly came many Percheron horses, but since the inaugura- tion of the French stud book foals born in the dis- trict are not eligible for entry. Judging from the pensions awarded to M. Moisand he owned many good stallions. Mina, a black-gray, nearly 17 hands high, foaled in 1858, served from 1862 to 1868; his pension, beginning at 500 franes, was raised to 650 frances. Moisand also had Coco, 16 hands high, a black-gray that served from 1862 to 1864. Another stallion of Moisand called Priape, served during the same period and was also a dark-gray. Moisand also had a horse called Pamphile, dappled gray, that served from 1863 to 1869, and another named Sandy, foaled 1856, that served during 1866 and Br. ih me a. Ho B ce OE OE Cie ee ae LE BURIN—NEW RESIDENCE OF A. TACHEAU, JR. THE FRENCH STORY RESUMED 201 1867. Still another of his approved stallions was named Porthos. Jousset and Mitau.—Beginning about 1870 we find that a certain Jousset, commune of Colimer, dis- trict of Mortagne, had several approved horses. M. Mitau of Essay, district of Alencon, had 2 ap- proved stallions during the same period. Jousset had Briliant, described as ‘‘light draft’’ and 16 hands high, that served from 1880 to 1883. Mitau was still active in the business as late as 1890, at which date he owned the approved stallion Volta. Old Records Brought to Light.—In 1851 we find trace of a six-year-old dapple-gray stallion named Henri, which was in stud around Mortagne, and others as follows: Decembis, 7 years old, in serv- ice at Illiers; Bayard, ‘‘red-gray,’’ 4 years old, at Mortagne; Chappelain, light-gray, 7 years old, at Courtalain; Mi Careme, dapple-gray, 6 years old, at Montdoubleau; Collin, dapple-gray, 8 years old at Nogent. At this same time there were also in stud at Nogent the following: Bienvenu, dapple- gray, 6 years old; Nell, dark-gray, 6 years old; Cour- ville, iron-gray, 4 years old; Laigle, dapple-gray, 4 years old; Collin, dapple-gray, 4 years old; Illiers, dapple-gray, 5 years old. In 1852 we find the names of two more govern- ment stallions in service in the district of Nogent; Chartres, dapple-gray, 7 years old, and Voniche, dapple-gray, 7 years old. In 1854 the stallions depot of Nogent was dependent upon the stallion depot of Blois (Loir et Cher) instead of Le Pin (Orne). On 202 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE the 17th of November, 1854, the council general of Eure-et-Loir voted a sum of $2,000 to be given for more shows to be held and offered premiums for best stallions and mares. The prizes for mares ranged from $80 up to $160, and a stallion could attain up to $400. The stallion show was to be held at Illiers, and the mare shows at Illiers, Courtalain and Nogent-le-Rotrou. The stallion show was held at Illiers on the 18th of November, 1855, and pre- miums were awarded as follows: First to Colin, belonging to M. Dorchene of Nogent; second to Charbonniéres, belonging to Count of Chamoy; third to Laigle, belonging to Duke de Montmorency; fourth to General, belonging to Madame Chevallier of Dangeau. Three other stallions were given prizes: Papillon, dapple-gray, 6 years old, belonging to M. Pangoué of Cloyes; LaBelle, dapple-gray, 9 years old, belonging to M. Loride of Bonneval, and Colin, white, 15 years old, belonging to M. Penelle of Cour- talain. In 1856 the stallion depot of Blois sent to the Nogent station of stallions a horse named Bayard. In 1857 there was sent from the same depot the stal- lions Nelle and Ramon. A mare show was held at Courtalain on the 8th of June, 1857, in which 2,200 frances were given to the best brood mares. The first premium with 800 franes cash was given to Cocotte, a dapple-gray 7 years old owned by M. Roger of St. Pellerin. On the 12th of July, 1857, a big mare show was held at Nogent-le-Rotrou. It is interesting to note the names LA PLESSIS—FARM OF A. CHAPPELS. LA BOURDONNIERE, FARM OF M. THIBAULT, end bere THE FRENCH STORY RESUMED 203 of the farmers who then kept the best brood mares in that district. The premiums were awarded as follows: First to Cocotte, belonging to M. Ducoeur- joly of Brunelles; second to Pelotte, belonging to Nicolas Glon of Souancé; third to L’Hermine, be- longing to Durand of Souancé; fourth to Margot, belonging to Jean Glon near Nogent; fifth to Vigour- eux, belonging to Bailleau of Illiers; sixth to Ros- alie, belonging to Guillot, La Gaudaine; seventh to Rustique, belonging to Bouillon of Nogent. A worthy gentleman, the Count de Chamoy, was keeping at this time a big stud at his farm of Char- bonniéres near Authon, about 15 miles from Nogent. He did great good in his neighborhood; he kept high- class stallions, among the most celebrated being Charbonniéres, Hure-et-Loir and Decidé. Charbon- niéres was foaled at Charbonniéres in 1851 and was out of Neel, by Dagobert, dam La Meuniére. A stallion show was held at Illiers on the 16th of November, 1857. Of 30 stallions shown 5 were given premiums and 8 were approved as follows: First premium with 1,400 franes to Sandy, belonging to M. Lahaye of Chateaudun; second to Pierrot, be- longing to Count de Chamoy; third to Colin, belong- ing to M. Dorchéne of Nogent; fourth to Charbon- niéres, belonging to Count de Chamoy; fifth to Bibi, belonging to M. Lahaye. The stallions approved were: Decidé, belonging to Count de Chamoy; Lamy, belonging to M. Maillard; Ebéne, belonging to H. de Chabot; Pierrot, belonging to Mme. Sauton; General, belonging to Mme. Chevallier; Lamy, be- 204 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE longing to M. Baret; La Poule, belonging to M. Sédillot, and La ae belonging to M. Gatineau of Beaufrancois. In 1858 the imperial depot of stallions of ie Pin, to which the district of Nogent had now been joined, again sent to the station of Nogent for the 1858 stud the stallions Mortagne, Pionnier and Pausanias. On the 18th of July, 1858, a big mare show was held at Nogent-le-Rotrou, and we find the following awards: First premium with 600 franes to Robine, belong- ing to M. Ducoeurjoly of Condreceau; second pre- mium with 500 franes to Georgette, belonging to M. Ducoeurjoly of Brunelles; third premium with 500 frances to Belly, belonging to Count de Chamoy; fourth premium with 400 franes to Sophie, belong- ing to Guibert de Souancé; fifth premium with 400 franes to La Grise, belonging to Glon de Etilleux; sixth premium to Pelotte belonging to Richardeau de Souancé; seventh premium to Belotte, belonging to Lesieur of Souancé; eighth premium to Chaton, belonging to Dordoigne of Brunelles; ninth premium to Sophie, belonging to Count de Chamoy. In the same year we find in the old records the names of these celebrated stallions: Collin, belong- ing to M. Dorchéne; Agricole, belonging to M. Enault; Sandy, belonging to M. Pelletier; Vaillant, belong to M. Lenfant, and Voltaire, belonging to M. Perpere. In May, 1858, there was a show at Alencon (Orne). In the awards we find the names of the following THE FRENCH STORY RESUMED 205 stallions: Ebene, 7 years old, property of Count de Chamoy; Charbonnieres, 7 years old, property of Count de Chamoy; Couronne, 5 years old, property of Louis Chouanard of Margon; Lafleur, 3 years old, property of Desvaux of Courville; Colin, 6 years old, property of M. Dorchéne of La Gaudaine; Beau- francois, 6 years old, property of M. Gatineau, and Sandie, 4 years old, property of M. mee of Cha- Odum: In the mare class at same show were: Albertine, 4 years old, Seduisante, 6 years old, Brillante, 6 years old, and Grisette, 4 years old, all belonging to M. Joseph Chouanard of La Touche; Cocotte, 6 years old, and L’Amie, 7 years old, belonging to M. Ducoeurjoly of Brunelles; and Mina, 3 years old, owned by M. Gannier of Beaumont les Autels. Another big show was held at Alencon in 1865. M. Cheradame of Heouché had an extra 30-month- old gray colt named Lacour by Bon Espoir. He had also Picador, a splendid gray, and Carnaval. M. Guillemin of Coudray, near Nogent, won first prize in the brood mare class. Second prize was awarded to M. Vaux of St. Quentin de Blavon (Orne). M. Miteau of Aunay les Bois was third. M. Guillemin’s mare also won the colors at the Uni- versal Exhibition of Paris (1867). . In 1865 we find in old records the names of many of the breeders living at that time. In the district of Mortagne were Messrs. Guimond, Caget, Bignon, Provot, Pelletier, Chantepie, Desclos, Vallee, Olivier, Dujarrier, Vadé, Vaux, Perpere and Fromentin. In 206 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE the district of Belléme were Messrs. Jamois, Cha- pelle, Segouin and Morin. In the district of Le Theil were Messrs. Bajon, Therin and Count de St. Pol. In the district of Regmalard were Messrs. Far- douet, Debray, Charpentier and Aveline. M. Simon had his stud station at ‘St. Lambert near Trun (Orne), and had owned the celebrated stallions Dagobert and Farmer. In 1865 also we find the following names of breeders in the Nogent district: Messrs. Adolphe Chouanard of La Touche, Le Marié, Louis Chou- anard of Champeau, Gasselin, Dorchéne, Glon, Neveu, Ducoeurjoly, Dordoigne, Vadé, Guillemin, Gaulard, Count de Bezenvah, Gannier. To finish with the old records let us mention a show which was held at Chartres from the Ist to the 9th of May, 1869. In the three-year-old class we find the names of the following stallions: In- trouvable, belonging to M. Lallouet; Beaufrancois, belonging to M. Gatineau; Cheri, belonging to M. Fardouet; Mylord, belonging to M. Moisant; Mon- arque, belonging to M. Caget; Roland, belonging to’ M. Moisant; Cheri, belonging to M. Caget; Coco, belonging to M. Vinault; Chouanard, belonging to M. Desclos; Coquet, belonging to M. Maillard; Paul, belonging to M. Fardouet; Jean Bart, belonging to M. Perpere; Vulcain, belonging to M. Pelletier, and Lacour, belonging to M. Cheradame. Fardouet and Caget.— While these records could be multiplied, it scarcely seems necessary to pro- long details of this character indefinitely. The point LE BOIS JOLY, FARM OF THE LATE M. FARDOUET, FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE PERCHERON SOCIETY OF FRANCE. LA GRAND CHAMPROND, FARM OF L. MOULIN. THE FRENCH STORY RESUMED 207 to be established is that prior to the founding of the stud book the same persistent government-super- vised work in the interest of preserving Percheron integrity, as related in preceding chapters, was con- tinuous, even though no published pedigree record was maintained. At this point, therefore, we shall only record further the fact that two of Chera- dame’s greatest contemporaries and successors in developing Percheron character were MM. Fardouet and Caget, both of whom left a legacy of inestimable value to France and America as a result of their labors. Here again we are able to supply govern- ment data until now not appearing in published records. Michel Fardouet.—M. Fardouet’s farm of La Beu- vriere was situated in the commune of Verriéres in the department of Orne. His first approved stallion was Madere, foaled in 1862. This horse served as a pensioned stallion, and had notable place in the Per- cheron annals of his time for several reasons. In the first place, he was a big horse standing 17 hands. | In the second place, he was black. And most im- portant of all, he served as a subsidized stallion in the Perche for a period of 14 years, from 1867 to 1879 inclusive. Here, therefore, is one _ prolific source of size and of the color that subsequently became for a time so popular in America. Another good Fardouet stallion of this era was the gray Bon Hspoir, foaled in 1862. He had gov- ernment endorsement, as did also Bayard, a stallion that rendered good service during 1873 and 1874. 208 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE In 1879 M. Fardouet had Vermouth 2d, a big, good gray that served during that season 98 mares. M.: Fardouet’s later breeding operations may be studied from the French and American stud books. He be- came the first president of the Percheron Society of France, and it should be borne in mind, as illus- trating the high quality of his stock, that the cele- brated stallion Vidoeq 483 (732), imported by M. W. Dunham in 1874, was for several years at the head of the stud at La Beuvriére. As to the type of the Fardouet stock it may be said that the horses were perhaps not so heavy-boned as those to be found elsewhere, but they were usually distinguished for their fine finish and good action. During his long and honorable career no man had more approved or pensioned stallions than Michel Fardouet, who was succeeded by his son Alphonse of Le Bois’ Joly, near Nogent. Celestian Caget.—Clearly one of the ranking breed- ers of his time in the Perche was M. Celestin Caget. He had two properties, one at Medavy in the Mor- tagne district of Orne and another at St. Scolasse in the district of Alencon. In 1870 Caget had 3 approved stallions, at least one of which, the famous old Selim (749), bred in Orne and foaled in 1866, was one of the best horses of his day. The official record reads: ‘‘Selim, fine draft horse, great depth of chest, good in shoulders, good loins, fine action.’’ Again in 1872 Selim is referred to as ‘‘a good Percheron, well built, near the ground.’’ This horse was in service for 8 years THE FRENCH STORY RESUMED 209 as a pensioned stock-getter. In 1885 M. Cajet had 6 approved stallions, including the noted Romulus, dappled gray, about 16 hands high, afterwards sold to Mr. Dunham; Vautour, light gray, 16 hands high; Cheri, dappled gray, 16 hands high; and Madere, Voltaire and Picador, all grays. In 1887 Caget had 4 stallions pensioned—Porthos, Eveillé, Cheri and Madere. Contemporaneously, in part, with the work of Caget pere is that of his son, Modeste Caget. The records show that pensioned stallions were owned by father and son throughout a period of full 30 years. M. DeLange of Alménéches, Orne, a son-in- law of the elder Caget, was also a stallioner of good repute. The Chouanards and La Touche.—The beautiful farm belonging to the late and much-regretted Charles Aveline, the farm of LaTouche near Nogent, has been for nearly a century the residence of the Chouanard family. M. Charles Aveline leased the farm in 1894, and bought it some years later. From the year 1820 to the year 1894 the Chouanards, at least one branch of the family, lived there. The family was numerous, and its members hold a prom- inent place in Percheron history. In fact, the name is still in evidence today, Emile Chouanard, Jules Chouanard, Charles Chouanard and Paul Chouanard still maintaining the reputation of their ancestors. To M. Paul Chouanard we acknowledge our indebt- edness for some of the interesting facts herein chronicled. 210 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE The Chouanard family originally came from the west of France, from Cholet, in the department of Maine-et-Loire. The first of the name of which we have record were cattle dealers and used to sell at the Paris cattle market, then at Poissy. This was long before the railways, and they sent their cattle by the road on foot to market. Their way was through the Perche, from Cholet to Paris, and dur- ing their numerous trips through the district they were attracted by the surroundings, and decided to settle there. We find trace of a Chouanard (Joseph René), born in 1767, who died in the Perche in 1815, at Bretoncelles, about 12 miles from Nogent, where he had a farm. He left many children, and his first two sons were the ancestors of the Chouanards of today. One of his sons, Louis Chouanard, resided at the farm of Champeau near Nogent, and was the owner of some celebrated stallions. His brother, Joseph Chouanard, was the first Chouanard to live at La Touche. He leased the farm in the year 1820, and was known as Chouanard de la Touche, as his brother Louis was known as Chouanard of Cham- peau. | Joseph Chouanard was a man of strong charac- ter and good judgment. He was universally es- teemed, and was considered one of the highest au- thorities of his day on horse breeding. In fact, he was often called to judge at shows or to act as ref- eree. He probably was the greatest mare man of his time in the Perche. He had a long career, quit- ting the farm in 1863 and retiring to Nogent, where ———ae Maurice Chouanard Wik y : , x fe i tn are ae mat | “ er i : i k j ' Pg | Cn 4 | Wines hye by 14 f 3 THE FRENCH STORY RESUMED 211 he died in 1876. His son, Adolphe Chouanard, suc- ceeded him at La Touche in 1863. | Adolphe Chouanard was a mare man also and did an extensive business, especially with the Paris trade. When the first American buyers came, Adolphe Chouanard adapted his trade to the de- mands of the importers and La Touche was sup- plied with stock of all ages to suit the demand. Adolphe Chouanard did a large business with the first American importers. At the first show held by the Percheron society at Nogent in May, 1884, he won first prize with the famous mare Degourdie (2346) and sold her for $2,300 to George E. Case of Minnesota. This was a great mare, quite white at 5 years old, with a wonderful body, great bone, and a very long arched neck. In the years 1886 and 1887 Adolphe Chouanard had more than 130 Percherons of all ages on hand, so that La Touche was one of the headquarters for the American trade, ranking in this respect with the great farms of August Tacheau, Sr., and of Colas of Beaulieu, other leaders of their time. After the panic of the early ’90’s Adolphe Chou- anard left La Touche, and in 1894 the farm changed hands, soon afterwards becoming the property of Charles Aveline. The Perriots.—The records of Percheron progress in modern days in France hold no name wholly com- parable with that of Perriot. Although this fact is largely due to the extraordinary achievements of the brothers Louis, Ernest and Albert, and Louis’ 212 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE son Edmond, their forbears were recognized as among the foremost breeders of the Perche. Per- riot pére was born in 1810, and died in 1874. At the time when the great American demand first set in prior to 1880 the three brothers, known as Perriot d’Amilly, Perriot de Chéneliére and Per- riot de Champeau, were comparatively young men, and while-all were recognized as close judges of a good horse, Mark W. Dunham was wont to credit the younger brother Albert with being the shrewd- est of the three. He often put it like this: ‘* When- ever they went out together picking up colts it would inevitably be found when they were divided up that Albert had the best ones.’’ Be this as it may, they were a most remarkable trio, and in the great days that followed sold more high-priced horses for export than all of their contemporaries combined. Unfortunately Albert died at an early age in 1879, his decease being universally regarded as areal calamity to the district. It was from Albert that Mr. Dunham bought Africus (862), Bayard (717), Margot d’Amilly (795), Duke of Perche (740), Favora (725) and Superior (730). The elder brother Louis was born in February, 1835, on his father’s farm of Amilly, in the com- mune of Condeau, Orne, where he remained until as a young man he went to lve with his grand- mother, the grandfather having died. In 1859, as a young married man, he began his long and suc- cessful career as a breeder of horses of the best Percheron type on the farm known as Champeaux, Meal Oh vi oy 1s at THE FRENCH STORY RESUMED 213 where Edmond, so well known in connection with latter-day breeding operations in the Perche, was born. In his later years Champeaux was ceded to the son Edmond, the father removing to the adjacent property known as La Borde, where he at an ad- anced age has continued to conduct farming and breeding operations. Louis Perriot remembers well the famous stallion Vieux Chaslin, that figures so prominently in the pedigrees of many of the best horses of the founda- tion period of our modern records, and describes him as extraordinarily good in the chest, neck and head. He testifies that Vieux Chaslin’s progeny was distinguished always for quality and vigor, be- - ing in great demand from all discriminating buyers. His father bought one of his best sons, Favori 1st, a gray, foaled in 1862. Vieux Chaslin was dropped in 1847 and served for a long series of years with remarkable success in the La Ferté district. He was owned by M. Vinault, one of the leading stal- lioners of his day in the Perche. Favori 1st, the stallion that brought the elder Perriot his greatest fame, was the sire of Bayard (717), that got the celebrated stallion French Mon- arch (824), bought by Mr. Dunham for America in 1880 at 5 years of age and subsequently sold to Mr. Wheelock of Moline, Ill. This horse should not be confused with one of the same name, a black bred by Tacheau and sold into Iowa about 1874. as well as of other good ones. She produced only 2 colts for Mr. Kellogg, but they were winners. Ben Boalt 4746, her first colt for Mr. Kellogg, took honors in the leading shows in America and Fenelon 2d 7007, her second, was also of showyard character. Glorieuse 5226 (5970) was another good mare. She won second in the class for four-year-olds under 1,750 pounds at the Percheron Society show in 1886, and was a consistent brood mare, raising 5 good colts in 7 years. Mr. Kellogg also bought Lorilee G. 1532, — one of the most noted show and brood mares of the Dillons. Mignonette 7264 (5729) was another good mare, and a regular producer. The mare Tontine 13129 (Bijou 21677) was valued very highly by Mr. Kellogg, although she had produced nothing prior to his death. She subsequently became a valuable brood mare. Mr. Kellogg was a progressive breeder and appre- ciated the value of showyard exhibitions from edu- cational and advertising points of view. Most of his winnings were made at the Minnesota and Wisconsin state fairs, although he showed a few at Chicago. One of his leading contemporaries says of him: ‘‘He exhibited mares of uniform kind and his ani- mals were generally commendable for draft type, symmetry, quality, and soundness. Personally Mr. Kellogg was a gentleman, thoroughly reliable in word and act, and at all times courteous and honor- able. He was a breeder of the highest type and ex- erted a profound influence on Percheron affairs in his time.”’ Influence on Other Studs.—At Mr. Kelloge’s death OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD 297 most of his horses went to H. F. Hagemeister, of Green Bay, who bought them from the estate about 1895 or ’96. Nicholas Schmidt, Wrightstown, Wis., bought some from Mr. Kellogg in 1890. William H. Shaw, Belvidere, Ill., was another buyer. Newton Rector, Circleville, O., made purchases from Mr. Kel- logg in 1891, and Jesse M. Stetson bought some from the estate. Fearnaught 16302, bred by Mr. Kellogg, sired by Baccarat out of Fashion 7263 (9179), went to head Mr. Stetson’s stable and sired some extra good mares, though his stallion colts were not of such a high average. This tendency on the part of sires to get better animals of one sex than of the other has often been noticed by breeders of all classes of stock. Fearnaught was distinctly a sire of mares. D. G. McKay, Chippewa Falls, Wis., was another purchaser of horses from Mr. Kellogg in 1891, and B. F. Clark, Eureka, Wis., also bought some in the same year. Thomas Wishart, DePere, Wis., and K. C. Clark, Cadott, Wis., were other buyers. Mr. Hagemeister obtained most of the animals, however, purchasing 68 head of stallions, mares and colts. He also secured Baccarat and retained him until 1906, when he was sold, still vigorous at 19 years of age. Mr. Kellogg’s work as a Percheron breeder has been far-reaching. He sought good animals, placing special emphasis on underpinning and soundness. He was one of the earliest American breeders to appreciate the value of tried sires and dams, and emphasized at all times the importance of accurate and careful breeding. His integrity, courtesy and 298 . A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE broad spirit in reviewing his own or his contem- poraries’ work made him one of the most construc- tive breeders of his time. Percheron interests in America suffered a very great loss in his death just when he was on the threshold of achievement. Reserve Forces in Illinois.—Illinois had a total of 203 breeders in the epoch under consideration and 8 out of the first 20 breeders in the United States re- sided there. The work of the leaders has already been discussed, but there were others of almost equal prominence who must be considered. EK. Stetson & Sons, of Neponset, Ill., with 63 head, Degen Bros., of Ottawa, Ill., with 50 head, George S. Hanna of Bloomington, Ill., with 48 head, and E Hodgson, of Ottawa, Ill., with 40 head, all recorded as bred by the parties named, stood ninth, thirteenth, and eighteenth respectively among the first 20 breed- ers of this epoch. Stetson & Sons.—Hzra Stetson, Neponset, Ill., be- came interested in Percherons at a very early date. He owned a good farm, had considerable means, and was of the opinion that farming operations could be much more efficiently accomplished if farmers had hetter horses. He was a physician of high character and integrity and his education was above the aver- age. He recognized the futility of trying to improve the common horses of the district without purebred sires of desirable type as seed stock, and with this in mind he made an importation of 3 Percherons in 1874. Two were stallions—Richard Coeur de Lion 406 and Duke de Morny 152. The mare was Em- pet OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD 299 press Eugenie 545, a very valuable brood matron. The nucleus formed by this importation was added to in 1882 by the purchase of 2 stallions and 6 mares at the W. T. Walters sale. The original sale sheet made out in Mr. Walters’ own handwriting is here presented: Boccat on WAT. VACTERS & COS No. 68 EXCHANGE PLACE. gee ee pt: Cara. Paaod gee ee 4 hoe Enea! ee eo 7 3 ; Gar Ae tgoen Bee 2 : Je aoe. i 65020 Pe es | i — C7500 yi . : . ia (Pees | “ 2 os a ee Lae 385 02 An importation of 4 stallions and 5 mares was made from France in 1883. Very few mares were 300 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE purchased after this, but nearly all the females pro- duced were kept and the stud soon grew to large proportions. Mares Owned and Colts Raised.—An examination of the old stud records kept by Ezra Stetson shows that 14 Percheron mares were bred in 1883. Hight of these foaled, but the Percheron Society records show that he recorded only 5 colts of his own breed- ing, so it is evident that some of the colts died or were altered before time for registration. The number of colts raised gradually increased. In 1885 5 were foaled to be recorded subsequently, in 1886 6, in 1887 6, in 1888 10, in 1889 8, and in 1890 15. Altogether Stetson & Sons raised 33 stal- lions and 30 mares of their own breeding between 1881 and 1890. Dr. Stetson bred and raised 4 Percherons prior to 1880, all out of Empress Eugenie. She raised 7 foals altogether, most of which were very good. Three of the mares were retained in the stud and proved valu- able producers. The Stetson Sires.—Richard Coeur de Lion was the first sire used and one of the best. He was a rather large, rugged gray, a bit upstanding, but fairly well balanced. On the whole his colts were larger than most of those begot by later sires used by Dr. Stetson; the older breeders, still living, who knew him, consider that he was probably the best sire used in the first 20 years. He sired only 5 pure- bred colts for Dr. Stetson but his get out of grade mares in the country did much good. He stood in OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD 301 Michigan in 1877, but afterwards returned to the Stetson stud. Duke de Morny 152, imported with the others in 1874, sired only 3 purebreds for the doctor, but he also proved a valuable getter of grade stock out of the mares in that section and his descendants are valued to this day. Torreador 1140 (1607) was the next sire used to any extent. He was in the Walters purchase of 1882 and sired 12 stallions and 7 mares in Dr. Stetson’s stud. Monarch 1128 (1606), the other stallion bought at the same time, was also used slightly. Victor 1141 (1600), imported by Mr. Wal- ters, was sold to S. W. Ficklin in 1882, but was pur- chased by Dr. Stetson about 1886. He was used more liberally than any other sire at that time. A gray, foaled in 1874, he was a horse of great style and quality, but upstanding and lacking in depth of rib and size of middle. Mr. Walters gives his height as 17.1 hands, but this is probably a bit too much. He was close to 17 hands, however, but too light in the barrel for modern standards. The best that can be said is that he imparted much style and quality to the Stetson stock at the expense of some of the draft attributes which were more needed. Valuable Brood Mares.—Empress Eugenie was a brood mare of more than average value. Two of her daughters were retained and one of them, Maria Louisa 835, proved to be a fairly good breeder. The best-known son of Empress Eugenie was Leroi 1743, sired by Richard Coeur de Lion. He was sold into Ohio, near Cardington, and is rated as one of the best 302 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE © of the sires used in that section in the ’80’s. Flora 1119, foaled in 1880, and Zoe 1142, imported in 1881, were among the mares bought from Mr. Walters in 1882. Zoe raised a colt in 1882 but did not have another of record until 1889, after which she settled down and foaled 9. Flora did somewhat better. She produced her first colt when three years of age and foaled 4 in succession, missed 2 years, raised 8 in 8 successive years, missed a year, and then foaled 3 more in 3 years—a total of 15 between 1883 and 1900, a record that has been equaled by very few mares. The first 8 were stallions, followed by 2 fillies, 3 stal- lions, and 2 more fillies, a total of 11 stallions and 4 fillies. Her colts on the whole were good, though the later ones by Fearnaught excelled the earlier by other sires. Not much showyard work was done by the Stet- sons, but quiet, steady advertising was resorted to and a great many Percheron stallions were sold and distributed over a wide range of territory. No effort was made to sell the mares as it was desired to in- crease the stud as rapidly as possible. Dr. Stetson’s influence was not as far-reaching as that of some of his contemporaries, but it was never- theless of value. He was a man of lofty character and high ideals, and engaged in the business because he felt the necessity of making better draft blood available to American farmers. His words and acts were such as to assist in putting the business on an honorable basis. Degen Bros.—The firm of Degen Bros., Ottawa, OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD 303 Ill., was quite active during the period under con- sideration. The Degens were dealers, but handled some mares and bred some good colts. They exhib- ited many horses at the leading fairs and were quite successful, but their stock appears to have been so scattered as to have been almost lost to sight. They bred 24 stallions and 19 mares during the time we are considering. These were sired by 10 different stallions, so it is evident that their breeding opera- tions were incidental. The stallion L’Ami 6239 (1649) was imported by this firm and left a few eolts in their stud. He subsequently won first at the Ohio State Fair in 1888 and is now considered to have been one of the best stock horses used in Ohio. - George S. Hanna.—George S. Hanna, a lawyer of Bloomington, Ill., had a stud of Percherons which achieved more than a local reputation. His early stock was imported by George W. Stubblefield, who also imported several of the sires used in this stud. Mr. Hanna’s operations were on farms near Bloom- ington. He himself gave little attention to the busi- ness, and his Percheron breeding seems to have been earried on as an incident to farming. George W. Stubblefield was one of his chief advisers and helped sell some of the surplus produced. The Hanna stud was established in 1882. The number of colts produced gradually increased until in 1887 10 colts of Mr. Hanna’s own breeding were raised. By 1890 24 stallions and a like number of mares had been raised. No records are available as 304 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE to the number of mares owned during this time, but they evidently totalled a fair number. The chief sires used were Vigoreux 3177 (403), a black, imported by Mr. Stubblefield in 1881, and Bendago 11807, bred by M. W. Dunham. Bendago was sired by Brilliant 1271 out of Julia 5676 (7015). He was not used until 1891, and was in active service for three years. King’s Kurope 8258, bred by S. N. King and sired by Extrador 4525 (386) out of Jessie 6096 (1660), was another which has left a good repu- tation in central Illinois, though used but slightly in this stud. Beauty 6480 was a mare of Mr. Hanna’s breeding so well thought of that he bred her to Fenelon 2682 (38) in 1889. To this service she produced Fenelo 14118, a mare which later proved a good breeder under the ownership of I’. H. Waters and Cyrus Orr. Mattie 18116 later passed into the ownership of Hanna & Co., Howard, Kans., and proved a good producer. Rosalie 18843, bred by Mr. Hanna, proved to be a good producer under the ownership of F. T. Fowler, F. H. Schrepel and Murrie Bros. None of the mares owned by Mr. Hanna was especially prolific, but a number of them produced more colts than were raised, the losses being considerable, as they are on every farm where the owner can give but slight attention to the work. Mr. Hanna closed out his Percheron interests in 1894 by sale and trade. Among the purchasers were F. T. Fowler of Illinois, F. E. Waters of Iowa, Hanna & Co., F. H. Schrepel and J. W. & J. GC. Robison of OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD 305 Kansas, and J. H. Mosby of Missouri. Other animals of Mr. Hanna’s breeding were scattered here and there throughout central Illinois in the hands of farmers, and much of the stock has undoubtedly been lost because of neglecting the registration. Much good has accrued through the existence of this stud, however; it aided materially in the dissemination of good Percherons, helped greatly in improving the common stock of the country and contributed towards the fast gaining popularity of the breed. E. Hodgson & Son.—Hli Hodgson, whose earlier operations have already been reviewed, took his son, M. C. Hodgson, into partnership in 1868, so that the firm was in reality Hodgson & Son from the outset. The second and last importation made by this firm was in 1881. This consisted of 5 stal- lions and 11 mares. Only one mare had been im- ported in 1874, so that the purchases in 1881 really formed the foundation of the stud. More than usual interest attaches to the Hodgson collection because of the fact that it is one of the few Percheron studs in America that has been held intact and continued by three generations in one family. Its chronology is as follows: Eli Hodgson from 1859 to 1868; Eh Hodgson & Son, M. C., from 1868 until Eli Hodgson’s death in 1890; M. C. Fide con from 1890 until 1908, when it became what it now is, M. C. Hodgson & Sons, HE. E. and HE. W. The original Hodgson farm contained 480 acres in one tract, which has since been reduced to 320. It was located about 3 miles from Ottawa in one of 306 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE the richest farming sections in Illinois. General live stock farming was followed from the outset and the Percheron mares always had to earn their way in harness. The firm owned more than 40 mares in 1885, but only 14 or 15 of these were Percherons. Few Percheron colts were foaled at first, but 3 were raised in 1885, and the number gradually increased each year, until by 1890 21 stallions and 19 mares of their own breeding had been produced. French Victor 6088 (6125), a gray, was the great- est of the early sires used by the Hodgsons and one of the best they ever owned. He was bought as a suckling colt in France by E. Hodgson, who, with other American buyers, considered the dam Rapide (6124), by Brilliant 1899, one of the greatest Percheron mares in France. French Victor was by Philibert (760) and was consequently close akin in breeding to La Ferte 5144 (452), one of the most noted show horses and sires ever brought to this country. They were sired by the same stallion and both were out of daughters of Brilliant 1899. Hodg- son exhibited French Victor at the Illinois State Fair in 1885 and won first in the four-year-old class. French Victor was not shown to any extent subse- quently, but was freely used in the stud and was just coming into general notice as a sire when his death occurred in 1889 from colic. His daughters were considered to be among the best ever bred by the firm. Bernard 10570 and Loran B. 10567, foaled in 1886 and 1887 respectively, both sired by French Victor OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD 307 out of Margot 4563 (2826), were used to some extent, but the next sire of consequence was Parfait 3d 10727 (12939). This stallion, a black, was imported by W. L. Ellwood in 1889. He was a massive draft horse and got some very good colts, but did not nick nearly so well on the daughters of French Victor as did Confident 3647 (397), owned by Nagle & Son at Grand Ridge, Ill., near Ottawa. In the judgment of good horsemen, including M. C. Hodgson himself, one of the worst errors the firm ever made was in not purchasing Confident to follow French Victor; he was a tried sire of the same line of breeding and his colts were distinctly better than those of any other sire used on the daughters of French Victor. Georgiana 10578 (6123), Lady Tacheau 10520 (6119) and Margot 4563 (2826) were some of the best brood mares in the Hodgson stud during the ’80’s. Georgiana produced to the service of French Victor the mare Georgiana 2d 15099, considered by the Hodgsons to have been the greatest mare they ever raised; she also produced other good colts. Lady Tacheau was a regular producer of good ones, the best being Lady Tacheau 2d 15100. Two of Margot’s colts were considered good enough to use in the stud. The most interesting thing about these mares, to a breeder, is the way they have bred on. Two of the greatest mares ever owned in the stud, and still living, are Hattie 2d 23757 and Lisette 2d 21574. They were foaled in 1899 and 1898 and are eranddaughters of Georgiana 2d and Lady Tacheau 2d respectively; they are both by Confident; both 308 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE > have been unusual brood mares. Details concerning their records will be given later. Ohio Breeders.—Although none of the breeders in Ohio bred enough colts to be included among the first 20 breeders of the United States during this period, there were a number of small breeders who bred some excellent Percherons. Jones Bros. were the leaders, and Samuel Kendeigh, M. V. Bates, K. J. Condit, C. DeLano and J. M. Carr also bred a goodly number. Jones Bros.—The firm of Jones Brose Plain City, O., consisted of Albert and C. M. Jose sons of Thomas Jones, whose early operations have already been discussed. The active direction of affairs rested with C. M. Jones. He had been associated in the business with his father since 1864, but bred and recorded a few animals of his own from 1878 on. In 1885 Thomas Jones discontinued operations and the horses passed to the sons. Thomas Jones bred 3, C. M. Jones 6, and Jones Bros. 31 during this period a total of 40 Percherons from the one farm. The Jones farm, on which Percherons have been bred since 1864, in the hands of two generations, is located at the edge of Plain City. It is not large and there never were more than 10 mares of produc- ing age kept at one time. The development of this stud and its maintenance on the one farm in an unbroken line for 42 years (1864 to 1916) is particu- larly interesting and significant to other farmers who desire to breed a few good Percherons in the course of their ordinary farming operations. Much OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD 309 of the time the number of producing mares was less than 10. The number of colts raised and recorded annually varied from 1 to 7. | A good foundation for the stud had been laid by Thomas Jones. Rose 604 and 3 of her daughters, all by Normandy 351, had been bred to Ajax 5, and from this foundation some excellent females were produced. Between the time when Ajax dropped out and the purchase of Greluchet 11333 (21165) in 1889 the firm had no stallion of consequence; the best mares were bred to horses owned by other parties. Napoleon 328, Valor 951, Mignon 6090 (2894), Lion 273, and L’Ami 6239 (1649) were among the sires so used. Lion was one of the best of these stallions. He was owned by W. H. Case & Co. at Delaware. This horse was a gray, about 16.2 hands high and weighed - between 1,800 and 1,900 pounds in breeding condi- tion. He was a well-balanced horse of drafty pat- tern, good in the underpinning and with proper action. His best son, Martell 2491, bred by the Joneses, was out of Norma 1779, a daughter of Ajax. Martell was sold as a yearling in 1883 for $500. His purchaser, J. P. Thompson, kept and used him till 1888, when he won the silver cup at the Ohio State Fair for the best Percheron stallion bred in Ohio. He was sold immediately afterward to a man near Cleveland for $2,000, but sired no purebred colts after leaving Thompson’s ownership. Mignon, commonly known as ‘‘ Mingo Chief,’’ was another good sire used in Delaware county and pat- 310 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE © ronized by Jones Bros. They raised 4 good colts sired by him. This sire appears to have left an unusually good lot of colts. He was a black, foaled in 1880, and imported in 1884 by J. G. Kemp. He was sold in 1888 to Charles McCurdy, who appar- ently managed to acquire several of the best sires used in Ohio at this period. Mignon was a big, thick horse of excellent proportions and good qual- ity. He was a grandson of Brilliant 1899 through Bon Espoir 1270 (753), and adds more luster to the fame of the Brilliant strain. L’Ami was owned by parties at Cardington, O. Mr. Jones sent some mares to be bred to him and among’ the colts obtained Austerlitz 9145. This horse was a gray, out of the mare Cho 2496. He was a high- class individual and stood for years in the vicinity of Delaware, O., where Mr. Jones sold him. He proved an extremely valuable stud horse, a getter of excellent geldings that were real market-toppers, and he got a few good purebred colts as well. The mare that is now considered the most valuable brood mare in Delaware county, Delia 65193, was sired by Austerlitz and her dam was by Martell 2491. Greluchet was the first sire of note bought by the Jones firm after the death of Ajax. He was imported by Mark W. Dunham as a yearling in 1889 and was selected by C. M. Jones immediately after his impor- tation as the best colt out of 19 yearling sons of Bril- hant 3d. He was about 16.3 hands high and weighed about 1,900 pounds in fair breeding condition. In color he was black with a small star. Greluchet was OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD 311 well-balanced, with extra good feet and legs; he had a typical Percheron head, good neck and sloping shoul- ders; he was deep-bodied and massive, strong in back and loin, with a fairly level croup and heavily- muscled hindquarters. He had quality and much style and action. He was used in the Jones stud from 1890 till 1898. A discussion of his get will be taken up later. In the 20 years from 1880 to 1900 no mares save those of their own breeding were used in the Jones stud, with one exception. One mare, and only one was bought. The mares used were all of one founda- tion family and what outside blood was infused came through the sires. The foundation matrons were good and as a result some extra good brood mares were developed in the stud. Rose 604 was the real foundation mare. She had three daughters, Maggie 578, Belle 522 and Dido 539, foaled in 1869, 1870 and 1871 respectively. All were by Normandy 351. Belle proved decidedly the best of the three, individually and as a brood mare. She was a well-proportioned mare of good quality and was noted for her fiery temperament. Norma 1779 and Alice 1781 were her two best daughters; both were by Ajax. She pro- duced 10 colts of record in 14 years. Belle, Norma, Alice, Clio 2496, Grisette 1778, Helena 1786 and Littie 1785 were the real producers in this stud during the ’80’s, and most of the good things bred on this stock farm have descended through some of these dams. Norma, Alice and Grisette were the most valuable brood mares. They ae A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE were regular producers, raising 9, 9 and 7 colts of record respectively, besides some that were eas- trated or that died before being recorded. Besides this, their colts were good in type, size and quality and sold for good prices, especially Norma’s colts. Martell 2491 was the best colt she raised during the time mentioned. Alice produced Clio, the dam of the good stock horse Austerlitz, already considered. No showing of any consequence was practiced by the Joneses during this period, although the firm did win second at the Ohio State Fair in 1888 on Druid in the yearling stallion class. A few sales were made, but they were scattered. Samuel Kendeigh.—Samuel Kendeigh began in a small way in 1884, and continued breeding Percher- ons till 1900. Buckeye Mark 4666 was the only ani- mal of note bred by him during the earlier period of his work. This horse was out of Veranda 2747 (1571) and sired by Brilliant 1271. Buckeye Mark developed into a very good individual and was used for some time at the head of the stud. He was shown at the Ohio State Fair in 1888, where he won second in the regular class for three-year-old stallions. Mr. Kendeigh’s operations were enlarged after this, and there are 18 colts of record bred and raised by him up to 1890. His foundation stock was prac- tically all drawn from Mark W. Dunham of Oak- lawn Farm. M. V. Bates.—Capt. M. V. Bates, a giant in stature, who at one time turned his size to cash account with the Barnum shows, established a Percheron stud on OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD 313 his farm near Seville, O., a short distance from Mr. Kendeigh’s. Capt. Bates also secured his foundation stock, a stallion and 3 mares, from M. W. Dunham. Bates’ operations began in 1884 and continued till 1900. He achieved no special success, and the horses he had were smaller than modern-type Percherons, but he did aid in distributing and popularizing Per- cherons in Ohio. Twelve colts of record were raised by 1890. His sales were chiefly local. E. J. Condit.—Located at Condit, Delaware Co., O., E. J. Condit was one of the earliest of the Ohio breeders. His operations were on a small scale. Although he began in 1882, he had raised by 1890 only 11 colts of his own breeding. Thirty-nine colts were bred and raised during the next decade. Iowa’s Percheron Breeders.—A. W. Cook, Charles City, la., has the honor of having been the first man to take an imported Percheron to Iowa. This was the stallion Duke of Normandy (John Sheridan) 168. The horse was bought by Cook in 1869 from Peter Bland, Milford Center, O., where he had been in service one year. Cook kept him till 1874, when he sold him in March to Jacob Erb & Co., Ames, Ia., where he died the following August. Mr. Cook also has the honor of breeding the first Percheron of record in lowa. Three mares were bought by him from B. H. Campbell of Illinois early in 1875. These mares raised fillies foaled in 1876, and it is from this date that Percheron breeding in lowa starts. Only 6 American-bred Percherons were raised in Towa up to 1880, but operations expanded rapidly. 314 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE Before 1890 951 stallions and 123 mares were im- ported directly to lowa, and Iowa farmers proved to be liberal buyers of the best horses brought over by importers located in other states. As a conse- quence, Percheron breeding was so increased that 132 stallions and 160 mares, bred in Iowa, were raised by 1890, and the distribution of both mares and stallions was more general in this state than in any other except Illinois. Mr. Cook’s purchases were made in France and from Degen Bros. and B. H. Campbell of Illinois. W. W. & Al Power of Pulaski, Ia., who were, next to Cook, the earliest Percheron breeders in the state, obtained their foundation stock from the Dillons of Normal, Ill. Iowa Breeders of the ’80’s.—Altogether there were 66 breeders of Percherons in Jowa during this time, but nearly all owned only a few head. The leading breeders in the state, so far as number of animals bred is concerned, were Singmaster & Sons, J. H. Barnett, John Lenhart, D. M. Baughman, D. Brown- son & Sons, P. P. & L. H. Humbert and M. L. Ayres, but there were men of real metal among the smaller breeders whose stock has since come into prominence. Maplehurst Stock Farm.—On the fertile prairies near Keota, Ia., Samuel Singmaster had located in 1843. His sons, William and Charles F., grew into the business with him and by 1874 the family was possessed of extensive holdings of good Iowa land. William, a bachelor, was the most keenly interested in horses and prevailed upon his father to finance est. jxpeifobe hap oe oe es Soa, C. PR. Coleman Vv e/. O. Singmaster OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD 315 an importation in 1875. _The horses were selected by William Singmaster, but the business was handled under the name of Singmaster & Sons. Four Percheron stallions constituted the first importation. No more were brought over until 1883 and 1884, when other importations, including both mares and stallions, were made. Percheron breeding by this firm really started in 1885. Two colts of their own breeding were raised in 1886, 2 more in 1887, 12 in 1888, and by 1890 14 stallions and 27 mares of their own breeding had been produced. Romer 7596 (7471) and Francillon 9842 (10428) were the most important sires used and were im- ported in 1887 and 1888 respectively. Both were horses of showyard caliber, and both won first hon- ors in class at the lowa State Fair. Duc Doudaville 2d 11695 (12685), imported in 1889, was another good horse, champion at the Iowa State Fair in 1890, and extensively used in the stud during the next decade. J. H. Barnett.—J. H. Barnett, of Indianola, Ia., was one of the earliest of lowa’s Percheron breeders, beginning in 1883. He did not own many Percher- ons and raised only 15 of his own breeding by 1890, but his horses were good in type, and he won a num- ber of prizes in the open classes at the Lowa State Fair in 1885, ’86, ’87, ’88, ’89 and ’90. He contrib- uted materially to the popularity of Percherons in the central part of Iowa, and encouraged many other breeders to make a start with Percherons. Other Breeders.—D. M. Baughman, Pulaski, Ia., 316 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON IIORSE © John Lenhart, Clarksville, Ia., the Humberts of Corning, Ia., and M. L. Ayres, Shenandoah, Ia., all made a beginning in Percheron breeding in the late ’80’s, but had no more than made a fair start by the end of the epoch we are considering. Further Consideration of Illinois—Lest it be thought that Illinois is receiving undue attention, it must again be noted that more than one-third of all of the breeders in the United States up to 1890 were located in that state. We have now to deal with the operations of men who although not among the leaders in the state were nevertheless men of influ- ence in Percheron affairs. Leander J. McCormick, for many years in active charge of the McCormick reaper interests, retired from active business about 1885. He shortly after- ward purchased 250 acres near Lake Forest, Ill, a short distance north of Chicago. He soon added 200 acres more and set out to develop a stock-farm. Jersey and Brown Swiss cattle were imported. Per- cherons were selected as the breed of horses best suited to Mr. McCormick’s ideas of American needs, and the stud was founded by direct importations. Accompanied by his son, R. Hall McCormick, who had inherited a love for good horses, L. J. MeCor- mick went to France in 1887. EKighteen animals were selected. Martignac (10437) was chosen as the best two-year-old obtainable in the Perche, and was bought from M. Tacheau at a very long price. He was upon importation renamed Reaper 8076 (Mar- tignac 10437) and so appears in the Percheron rec- OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD S17 ords in America. Fourteen head more were im- ported in 1888. Twenty-eight of the 32 head were mares. ‘Twelve stallions and an equal number of mares were bred and raised by the Messrs. Mc- Cormick by 1890 inclusive. Reaper was by Confident 3647 (397), one of Bril- lant 1271’s greatest sons, and was one of the best of his time. He stood about 17.1 hands high, weighed more than 2,100 pounds, and was a big, mas- sive black, with great draft character. He had a very good head, a well-set neck and excellent under- pinning. The mares were a fairly good lot, but not so outstanding as the sire. No sales were made at this time. The influence of this stud on others will be dealt with later. Pre-eminence of McLean Co., I1l—By 1890 Illinois had 203 American breeders of Percherons. Forty- four of these were in McLean, 20 in La Salle, 10 in Dupage, 8 in Tazewell, 8 in Woodford and 8 in De- Kalb counties. McLean county alone had more breeders than any state except the three leaders. The leadership of the counties in the north-central part of Illinois in Percheron breeding, which has continued down to the present day, warrants a con- sideration of the underlying factors. The counties nearer to Chicago have from early days borne the brand of the dairy interests. Farmers within 50 miles were influenced in numerous ways to engage in dairying. Farms were given up largely, or wholly, to this industry and there was no room for horses, other than those actually required. The 318 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE dairyman, accustomed to a pay check every month, was not favorable to an investment which might not return dividends for 3 or 4 years. For these reasons the spread of Percheron breeding in coun- ties near Chicago was slow. In McLean, La Salle, Woodford and Tazewell counties other conditions prevailed. Farms were large and the land well adapted to heavy machinery and draft horses. Beef cattle and hog-raising were the main lines of live stock production. Farmers were accustomed to making good-sized investments and waiting a year or two for returns. They were, on the average, wealthier than the dairy farmers around Chicago. 3 Besides these general factors, the human equa- tion had some bearing. The leading importers in northern [linois, Mark W. Dunham and W. L. EIll- wood, had by unusual advertising built up a nation- wide business. Buyers came from all states. These importers were therefore largely independent of local trade. In central Illinois there were a large number of small importers, who lacked the nation- wide advertising and showring prestige requisite to making sales far from home. Their trade was there- fore largely local. The result was that more farmers were induced to make purchases than would have been the case had the local field been less thor- oughly worked. The advantages of using Percher- ons became so evident that more farmers invested and McLean, La Salle, Livingston, Tazewell, Iro- quois, Woodford, and McDonough counties rapidly OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD 319 developed the leading Percheron breeding district of the United States. William Hurt, whose operations as a Percheron breeder began in 1882, probably bred more high- class Percherons than any other breeder in McLean eounty. His foundation stock was obtained from the Dillons, and he secured in Powerful 6670 (Bay- ard 7519) one of the best sires ever used in central Illinois. Powerful was foaled in 1878 and imported in 1882 by Dillon Bros. He was a gray, about 17 hands high and weighed more than a ton—a mas- sive, well-proportioned draft horse. He was a grandson of Favori Ist (711), one of the best and largest horses of his time. Powerful was purchased almost immediately after importation by Hurt and was owned by him till February, 1898, when he was sold conditionally to A. L. Robison, Sr., who used him till his death in 1905 at the ripe age of 27 years. The colts sired by Powerful had size and good underpinning. Loiret 8181, one of his sons bred by Hurt, won first at the Illinois State Fair in 1888. Capsheaf 16986 was another of Powerful’s sons of showyard character, and he was valued most highly as a sire of market horses. Levetta P. 10285 and Christina P. 16608 were two of his daughters that proved to be show mares and remarkable producers. These were all bred by William Hurt, and his sound judement of what constituted merit in a draft horse made him one of the most influential breeders of his time. He exhibited freely, but chiefly at. local 320 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE shows in central Illinois. The winnings of Percher- ons bred by Mr. Hurt influenced general Percheron operations most favorably, because the animals he won on were the right kind—drafty, well-balanced and far better than the average in feet and legs. They were the durable, long-lived Percherons that continued sound to death and their descendants have done well wherever owned. Mr. Hurt took his sons into business with him after 1890. The sale of stock to other studs will be dealt with in considering the later work of the firm. Ed. Hodgson of El Paso, Zimri Hodgson of Healey, S. N. King of Bloomington, five different members of the Stubblefield family of Bloomington, F. F. Elder and W. M. Bright of Normal, and D. H. Van- dolah were other prominent breeders before 1890. Vandolah imported a great many Percherons as weanlings and carried them for a year or two on his farms. He is commonly accredited with having made more money in the importing business than any other man in the county. S. N. King bred King’s Kurope 8258, foaled in 1885. This horse was a good one, a prize-winner and a sire of merit, but his colts, like many of those of the Extrador 4525 (386) breeding, were rather hard feeders. Mr. King also used Bendago 11807, owned by Mr. Hanna, and Dave P. 14366, a son of Powerful bred by Mr. Hurt, in his stud. He bred some excellent horses. A well-informed horseman has declared that Zimri Hodgson bred better horses than any other member Charles R. Taylor Milton E. clones | W! Hurt iy ‘ypuenneee er So. a OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD 321 of that family. He influenced Percheron breeding very favorably, for his horses were of real merit. G. W. Stubblefield was the leading importer among the men of that name in McLean county, and many of the studs in central Illinois were founded on pur- chases made from him. His early operations as an importer have already been discussed. His breeding operations were incidental, for he was primarily an importer and dealer. Hight stallions and 10 mares are on record as bred by him from 1881 to 1890. He had but 5 or 6 mares, of which Queen of the West 598 proved the most valuable. Henry Abrahams 224 was one of his best sires—an extremely prepotent horse that influenced the grade stock of Mclean county quite strongly. St. Hilaire 3911 (2965), an- other good stock horse, left more purebred descen- dants; he was a well-balanced, massive horse weigh- ing about a ton, and left some very good stock. In Tazewell.—In Tazewell Co., Ill., Percheron breeding was started by the importations made by J. W. Richmond. These horses went to William R. Baldwin and others about Delavan, Ill. Baldwin also bought some horses from Mr. Ellwood, among them Jambe d’Argent 5796 (8233), a black horse of Favori Ist (711) breeding. This horse proved to be extra good and did much good in Tazewell county. Romeo 12725, later used at the head of Wm. Hurt & Sons’ stud, was bred by Baldwin and was by this sire. D. H. & F.S. Allen started in 1888 and have never been out of Percheron breeding. R. A. Brawner, an uncle of the Allens, was in on their first importa- 322 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE tion, and bred a few during the following 20 years. In La Salle.—In La Salle Co., Ill., M. C. Hodgson and W. E. Prichard, the leaders, have already been discussed. Richard Wolf began in 1882 and bred some good Percherons, though his operations were limited. R. Nagle & Sons, Grand Ridge, IIl., in 1883 bought some of the best mares Mark W. Dunham imported and secured Confident 3647 (397), the son of Brilliant 1271. Mr. Nagle later bought some of Mr. Ellwood’s best mares. Confident was a show horse in every sense of the word and a sire of the top rank. Had the members of this firm developed the colts and advertised the stock they would have been among the leading American breeders; they were poor feeders and bad caretakers, however, and the colts were stunted in growth and the stock was never in fit shape for show or sale. The real worth of the blood manifested itself whenever animals bred by Nagle & Sons were given a fair chance, and every man who has been interviewed who bought stock of this breeding declared that the animals grew out and developed into marvelously good draft horses; but the profit went to the purchaser instead of to the breeder, as the animals were so rough and stunted while in the hands of the breeders that no one could be persuaded to pay a decent price for them. It is most unfortunate that conditions devel- oped as they did; but R. Nagle was old and within a few years after starting could not give the horses the attention they deserved. The sons could not be made to realize the need of developing the colts. OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD 323 The net consequence was that a stud founded on good horses of good breeding exerted less than one-tenth the influence it should have had in upbuilding draft horse breeding, and all for the lack of proper feed and care. Other Minnesota Breeders.—Besides the leading breeders in Minnesota, whose work has already been discussed, there were a number of less prominent men who bred and distributed much valuable stock. The most important of these were J. EK. Wilson, James M. Dunn, William Mies & Sons, and T. L. & J. L. DeLancey. J. EK. Wilson was the founder of Wilson Bros., well- known clothing manufacturers of Chicago. He had about 16,000 acres of land around Lake Wilson, Minn. He was engaged in general farming and stock-rais- ing and became interested in Percherons about 1886. Tis foundation stock consisted of mares bought from Dunham and Ellwood. Kleber 7063 (10270), a son of the noted Gerome 3655 (436), was the most im- portant early sire used. A little later Mr. Wilson obtained some mares from Mark M. Coad, either directly or through Mr. Ellwood. His real interest in the breed and his appreciation of the value of good sires are shown by the fact that he shipped a number of mares to Oaklawn to be bred to Bril- hant 1271 at a time when the service fee for that sire was $200. Five colts were obtained, all foaled in 1888. Mr. Wilson’s plans were broken by his death early in the ’90’s. The widow carried the stock 324 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE along for a time until prices improved, but disposed of it all by 1900. Some of the animals were sold in Montana. William Mies & Sons began by purchasing Bap- tiste 3064 (41) from Leonard Johnson in 1886. This was an extraordinarily good horse, fully deseribed in our discussion of Leonard Johnson’s work. The Mieses had no Percheron mares at this time, but imported some in 1887 and 1888, and bred very good ones. The firm later became Mies Bros. Their Per- cheron breeding ceased about 1900. The stock was seattered, but did substantial service in a general way. James M. Dunn was a small breeder who began about 1886. Most of his stock was secured from Leonard Johnson. He bred but few animals. T. L. & J. L. DeLancey made their start in 1874 by buying 2 grade Percheron stallions and several mares in Kane Co., Ill. These were all sired by Suc- cess 452, Mark W. Dunham’s first sire, and had the smooth finish and symmetry which marked all his colts. The stallions were sold at good prices. The mares were kept and bred to Leonard Johnson’s im- ported stallions. The stallions resulting were sold profitably as grade Percherons, and the mares were kept for breeding purposes. In 1878 the firm pur- chased an imported stallion from Leonard Johnson, and subsequently began dealing in stallions to some extent. When Mr. Ellwood started the DeLanceys began making some purchases from him and con- tinued purchasing sale stock from both Ellwood and OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD 325 Johnson until importations were made direct by the firm in 1888. Their Percheron breeding began with the purchase of a carload of mares from Ellwood in 1885. Superieur 5752 (2188) was the first sire used and the first Percheron bred by this firm was foaled in 1887. Six colts were bred by 1890; while many mares were purchased or imported, most of them were soon sold. The DeLanceys exhibited freely at the Minnesota State Fair in the ’80’s with marked success, but as their chief work came after 1890 details will be given later. Other Breeders in Wisconsin.—While Messrs. Pabst and Kellogg, whose work has already been dealt with, were the chief Badger State breeders, there were others whose Percheron breeding was important. Among these were H. A. Babcock of Neenah, H. A. Briggs of Delavan and Elkhorn, N. W. Morley of Baraboo, Peter Truax of Eau Claire and J. M. White of Rolling Prairie. H. A. Babeock was a wealthy lumberman with extensive land interests near Neenah, Wis. He was a man of more than average ability, and before engaging in Percheron breeding had an extensive experience in purchasing horses for use in lumber camps. His keen observation of the essential points of a draft horse, gained through years of purchase and ownership of heavy draft teams engaged in such heavy hauling, made him an unusually discriminat- ing judge. His first Percheron purchases from M. W. Dunham were marked by the men connected with Oaklawn because of the excellence of the animals 326 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE bought. He began in 1880, but did not breed many until after 1884. All told 13 stallions and 15 mares were bred and raised by him in 1890. One of the best early sires used by Mr. Babcock was Canadien 7033 (6653), a gray son of the noted Voltaire 3540 (443). He was a medium-sized horse, standing about 16.2 hands high and weighing about 1,900 pounds when in good flesh. He was compact and well-pro- portioned and a very good sire. Sansonnet was used still earlier and sired the phenomenal show and brood mare Linda 12986. This mare, bred by Mr. Babcock, made most of her record in the hands of Oaklawn Farm, and her history has already been given. The greatest sire ever used was Villers 13169 (8081), of which more anon. Relatively few animals were sold by Mr. Babcock before 1890. Further discussion of his work will come later. H. A. Briggs, who bred and raised 17 Percherons on Prairie View Farm by 1890, began breeding about 1886. He bought some mares from R. B. Kellogg, and made an importation himself in 1887. His farm consisted of 420 acres between Elkhorn and Delavan—a very good farm of dark prairie loam. Mr. Briggs worked his mares as much as the amount of work to be done would permit, and states that the mares which had a moderate amount of work gave him better results than the idle mares did. The largest number of producing mares kept at any one time was 25.° A smaller number was usually owned. The first and best sire used was Louis 6337 (2430), a black with a star. He was OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD 327 about 17 hands high and weighed 2,150 pounds in show condition. He was fairly well-proportioned and very good in action. He won first as an aged stallion at the Wisconsin State Fair in 1892, and was also first in the class for get-of-sire. He won second in the same classes at the Minnesota State Fair the same year. His colts were large and of rugged draft type. N. W. Morley, Baraboo, Wis., began in 1886 by purchasing some Percherons from M. W. Dunham. By 1890 he had bred and raised 5 stallions and 8 mares, and his operations, while not extensive, were with good stock. Ravenstein 1301, sired by Bril- liant 1899 out of a half-sister to his own (Bril- liant’s) dam, was the first sire used. He left some good colts and the best one Morley ever raised, Sadi 8233, a stallion, was sired by Ravenstein out of Florentine 969 (875). Bon Coeur 3479 (367) was an- other good sire used to some extent at an early date. He was a line-bred Brilliant, sired by Brilliant 1271 out of a daughter of Brilliant 1899. His colts were uniform and a good kind. Other Michigan Breeders.—Mr. Palmer’s work, already reviewed, was supplemented by the work of 27 other Michigan breeders. Among the most prom- inent were Savage & Farnum of Grosse Isle, Jacob P. Sleight of Bath, and E. Woodman of Paw Paw. Savage & Farnum were advertising agents, en- gaged in placing advertising in leading papers throughout the country. They had a farm on an island in the river below Detroit and here they 328 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE established Grosse Isle Stock Farm. Their founda- tion stock was obtained from M. W. Dunham and John W. Akin, and they subsequently made some scattering purchases and still later bought a num- ber from Thomas W. Palmer. The Percheron breed- ing operations of this firm began in 1884. By 1890 they bred and raised 23 stallions and 19 mares. The most noted stallion they owned at this time was Romulus 873, imported in 1879 by Mark W. Dunham and sold that year to H. Walker & Son of Detroit. Romulus was a gray, foaled in 1873, and had the distinction of having won first in the aged stallion class at the Universal Exposition at Paris in 1878. He was about 16.1 hands high and weighed about 1,700 pounds in breeding condition, but was an extra- ordinary show horse in every way—beautifully bal- anced, with superb style, finish and action. He was an extremely prepotent sire and some of the best horses imported in the early ’80’s were by him. He sired but ten purebred colts in America, which were bred by Dunham (1) and Hiram Walker & Son (9). Too much showyard fitting apparently interfered with his usefulness, for he got no purebred colts for Savage & Farnum. An item of interest in connection with the opera- tions of Savage & Farnum is the fact that among their importations was the stallion Sebastopol 5272 (7043), later famous as the sire of Armour’s Big Jim, four times champion gelding over all breeds at the International Live Stock Exposition. J. H. 8. Johnstone, whose persistent efforts traced Big Jim OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD 329 to his source, found that he was bred by D. C. Graham, Cameron, Ill. Sebastopol was an aged horse when he sired the world-renowned champion, but this performance was no fluke, as he sired many high-class geldings that sold at good prices. It seems unfortunate that a horse with such a record as a gelding-getter should not have been used on purebred mares, but so far as can be ascertained he left but one purebred colt, the Percheron mare Sebas- tin 17105, foaled in 1892, and she left but few colts. The old horse was owned by B. F. Tinkham, Cam- eron, Ill., at the time he sired Big Jim. Savage & Farnum exhibited quite freely at the Michigan and Ohio State Fairs and with fair suc- eess. This combined with the general advertising done by the firm, assisted materially in popularizing the breed in their territory. Jacob P. Sleight, Bath, Mich., began Percheron breeding in 1882. His first purchases were made from M. W. Dunham, T. Hall and H. Walker & Sons. He bred a few good colts. Abydos 960 (869), bought from Oaklawn Farm, was his best producer. Parsons & Baldwin, Watervliet, Mich., began in 1884, and bred 9 Percherons by 1890. They began with the purchase of Floreda 1490 (1433) and her daughter Flora 2964, sired by Brillant 1271. These were secured from M. W. Dunham. Flora was bred to Confident, owned by Nagle & Sons, in 1886, and to this service she foaled Nancy 10089, one of the three best mares owned by the firm during this epoch. Floreda was undoubtedly the greatest brood 330 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE mare the firm ever owned; all of her colts, even from different sires, were good. Further discussion of the work of this firm will come later. E. Woodman, Paw Paw, Mich., did not begin until 1888 and was but fairly started at the end of this epoch. He raised 9 of his own breeding in 1889 and 1890. His foundation stock was drawn from the Dunhams. Most of his work falls in the next epoch , and will be taken up later. Other Breeders in New York.—Considering later history it seems extraordinary that New York state stood fourth in number of breeders during this epoch, but such is the case. Of the 31 breeders in the state, the leader, John W. Akin, has already been considered. A. P. Wright of Buffalo, E. H. Geiger of Danville, Frank B. Redfield of Batavia and B. B. Lord & Son of Sinelairville were others whose work helped greatly to popularize the breed in the Em- pire State and there were many others who aided materially in the work. Reference must be made also to B. T. Babbit, who was one of the first, if not the first, to breed purebred Percherons in the state of New York. A. P. Wright began in 1884 with a few mares and the stallion Jucher 3512 (2142), all bought from M. W. Dunham. His horses were well bred, but his operations were limited and terminated before much had been accomplished. E. H. Geiger also obtained his foundation stock from Oaklawn Farm, but his operations were too limited to be of much conse- quence. F. B. Redfield was engaged in breeding OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD 331 purebred stock of several kinds, and made his start in Percherons about 1886, with some purchases from Mr. Dunham. His chief sire was the American-bred Belidor 9520, by Brilliant 1271, an extra good colt ‘which we have already mentioned. Redfield bred some good colts, but did not survive the depression of the ’90’s, closing out about 1892. B. T. Babbitt, of New York City, millionaire soap and saleratus manufacturer, bought 7 mares and 9 stallions from Mark W. Dunham in 1874. He was an enthusiastic horseman, but knew little about breeding Percherons and no special good came from his investment except in an advertising way, al- though some of the animals did some good in regions where they were subsequently sold. For some reason few of the Percherons owned in New York state during this period have continued their impression down to the present day. Most of the animals were scattered and passed into the hands of men who permitted their registration: to go by default, and their blood has gradually been swal- lowed up in the common stock of the state. Percheron Breeding in Pennsylvania.—Pennsy]l- vania had 23 breeders by 1890, but Powell Bros. were the only ones whose operations were at all exten- sive. They began breeding in 1884 and by 1890 had bred and raised 16 stallions and 18 mares. They were importers of and dealers in many kinds of purebred live stock, including practically all breeds of draft horses. J. T. Vance of Washington, J. P. Scott of Remington, and F. M. Finley of Finleyville were 332 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE others whose Percheron studs were but fairly started by the close of this epoch, and their operations will be dealt with later. Shadeland, the Powell Bros.’ stock-farm, made its start in Percherons when some stallions and mares were imported in 1884. Additional mares were brought over in following years, and a good- sized band of brood mares was owned from that time on. Cresus 5435 (2513) was the most important early sire used. He was a gray of good type, a son of Selim (749). Noireau 5463 (1675), a gray son of Narbonne 1334 (777) by Brilliant 1899, was the next most important sire used. He was imported at the same time Cresus was in 1884, but was not given any opportunity on the purebred mares until 1888 and later. He left some good stock. The broad basis of operations maintained by Powell Bros. made them distributors of a great many Percherons in the east- ern states, but their influence on Percheron affairs was lessened by reason of the fact that they were dealers in all breeds and necessarily did not give Percherons as strong support as would otherwise have been the case. Their work was of far-reaching consequence, however, and many of the Percherons now in the eastern states trace to Shadeland Stock Farm. The Little Missouri Horse Co., of Meadville, Pa., was another company whose operations were far- reaching in popularizing Percheron sires for breed- ing up common grade stock. The stud was barely started at this time, however, and the story of this ele ae rym Re ee = x = : © x TB. Bowman C.M. North OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD 333 ranch is so fascinating in interest that it will be dealt with in full at a later period. Progress in Indiana.—Indiana had no outstanding leaders and the development of Percheron affairs in that state was slow. S. Crumpacker and R. F’. Small of Westville and H. Hulman of Terre Haute were the only ones who bred more than 10 Percherons each during the time considered. Mr. Crumpacker was engaged in importing and raised some Percherons as early as 1880. His operations were incidental to his work as an importer in the firm of Crumpacker & Winters. Mr. Small obtained his foundation stock from this firm. Orphan Boy 1857, imported in 1882, was his first important sire, and he later used a good horse called Grandee 686 (743). Grandee was a black son of the great Favori 1st, and was a good, big horse, like most of those of this strain. He was 16 years old when he sired his first foals for Mr. Small, but continued in service until he was 21 years of age. Mr. Hulman did not begin until about 1886 or 1887. He purchased his foundation stock from M. W. Dun- ham. In the Sunflower State.—To the Yankee pioneer, Henry Avery, Wakefield, Kans., goes the honor of having bred the first Percherons in Kansas. He had gone into the west when Indians were still plentiful and had secured extensive land holdings near the Republican River, some 12 or 15 miles northwest of Fort Riley and a short distance west of where the Kansas Agricultural College now stands. He liked good horses, had a genuine love for drafters, and 334 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE made his start by purchasing some stock from the Dillons in 1877. In 1880 he bought Vidou 953 from M. W. Dunham. A year later he bought Nyanza 869, bred at Oaklawn, and also bought a mare. In sub- sequent years he made numerous purchases from Mr. Dunham. Mr. Avery’s operations expanded rapidly and he found it advantageous to sell some of the stallions and mares he had taken to Kansas. As a result of increasing business he prevailed upon C. R. Coleman, who was at that time working for M. W. Dunham, to go to Kansas and buy one of his farms near Wakefield for the purpose of engaging with him in breeding and dealing in Percherons. The firm of Avery & Coleman was accordingly formed about 1886. Mr. Avery kept some Percherons under his own management, however, so that from 1886 on he had two establishments, his own and that in which he held a partnership interest. He himself bred 14 Percherons between 1881 and 1890, and the firm of Avery & Coleman bred 28, making a total of 42 head—two and a half times as many as any other person or firm in the state. Nyanza was the most important early sire used. Voltaire 3d 4320 (2963), a good horse sired by the noted show stallion Voltaire 3540 (443), was another used after 1885; he left some very good colts. Waterloo 16th 9287 (14946), imported in 1888, was another extra good one used in the Avery stud. The activities of Henry Avery did more for Per- cherons at this time than those of any other breeder in Kansas, and he is entitled to much credit for the OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD 335 courage which led him to buy some excellent stal- lions and mares and for his aggressive championship of the Percheron cause at a time when the breed was practically unknown to Kansas farmers. Some of his best work came later, and will be taken up in due course. O. L. Thisler, Chapman, Kans., began in 1884 by purchasing some stock from W. L. Ellwood, with whom he continued to deal for a number of years. He was more of a dealer than a breeder, however, and bred but 16 head up to 1890. William A. Pierce came nearly being the first Per- cheron breeder in Kansas; he purchased in 1880 a stallion and mare which had been imported in 1878 by Chas. W. Pierce of Boston. The horses were taken to his farm at Maple Hill, where he continued the business in a modest way, without making any particular effort to expand his operations in this direction. There were 16 Kansas breeders other than those already discussed, but most of them did not start until 1886 or 1887 and their work was only well started at the close of this epoch. In Missouri.—Ethan Allen Hitchcock and William B. Collier of St. Louis, A. F. McKee of Browning and D. Braymer of Braymer were the leaders among the 18 breeders located in Missouri during this epoch. Mr. Hitchcock was a wealthy manufacturer and business man of St. Louis. He was splendidly edu- cated and one of the most cultured gentlemen ever engaged in Percheron breeding. He bought his 336 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE foundation stock from Oaklawn Farm in 1883 and the following year he and Mr. Collier, who was closely allied with him in business interests, bought 15 mares from Mark W. Dunham for $14,500. They were, needless to say, a select band. Mr. Hitchcock also - purchased Cesar 3526 (601) from Mr. Dunham to head the stud, paying $6,000—a price that was prob- ably the record at the time. Cesar was of large size and a remarkable show horse, but hardly as good a sire as he was an individual. Monarque 5149 (2428), a son of Brilliant 1271, was secured and used a little later; he was a good one, standing about 16.2 hands high, deep-bodied, thick and massive, and much on the type of his illustrious sire; he was an exceptionally valuable stud horse, both in France and America; one of his imported sons, Baccarat 11326 (18639), subsequently made the reputation of R. B. Kellogg’s stud. Monarque left more and better colts than any other horse ever used in Mr. Hitcheock’s stud, but Cesar was used to a greater extent in Mr. Collier’s stud. It is extremely unfortunate that the pedigrees of so few of the descendants of animals bred in these studs have been preserved to the present day. Most of the colts raised were stallions which went out in districts where grade mares pre- vailed. Of the mares, the only ones which have done much good were those which were taken to Mr. Col- lier’s western ranch at Lakeport, Cal., where a con- siderable number were bred from this stock by Mr. Collier and by Mrs. Wm. B. Collier. Some of the descendants of Umi 2236, one of the foundation mares OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES OF THE PERIOD 337 bought from Mr. Dunham in 1884, are now in the stud of William Bond, Newark, Cal. A. F. McKee was at one time bookkeeper for Mark W. Dunham. When he left to engage in farming in Missouri he bought some of the Oaklawn mares and also took a few on lease. He was not especially suc- cessful however, and his Percherons lacked develop- ment. D. Braymer was a stock-farmer who bought a few Percherons from Oaklawn Farm about 1883. He bred but few animals, but was a very good judge of horses and his selections were above the average. He obtained as one of his sires Luther 1272 (1384), an extraordinarily good stock horse, but unfortun- ately chestnut in color. Other States——Of progress elsewhere some de- tails might be given, but for the most part opera- tions had only fairly begun in the other states and territorities at the end of this epoch. They can more fittingly be dealt with later, GHAPRPTE RO: AN ERA OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION. Between 1891 and 1900 the United States passed through a period of hard times that is without par- allel in extent and duration. All industries were af- fected, thousands made bankrupt, and hundreds of thousands driven to bitter extremes of poverty. Farmers and stockmen were compelled to sell their products for less than the cost of production. Percheron breeding suffered in common with other industries. The gradual tightening of loans had curtailed importations as early as 1890 and few horses were imported after 1891. The value of work horses was so reduced that incentive to breed bet- ter horses was largely lost. Good work animals could be bought for $50 to $60; purebred mares of all draft breeds sometimes sold as low as $100 apiece, and stallions proportionately low. Percheron breed- ers with well-selected studs representing an average cost of $500 per animal or more saw their invest- ments shrink to one-half or one-third of that value. Many breeders held on until forced to sell; others with independent incomes grew weary of the cost and sold out at the bottom. Some men weathered the storm by allowing the horses to shift for them- selves on pasture or range till the tide turned. A 338 REGISTERED MARES AT WORK IN A HAYFIELD IN THE PERCHE. A PERIOD OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION 339 very few with means and courage bred persistently on, exercising the same careful selection of sires as in better days. . In this period the registration of the colts pro- duced. was neglected. The American Percheron Horse Breeders’ Association recorded but 479 ani- mals in 1894, 539 in 1895 and 392 in 1896. Only 8,807 American-bred Percherons and 1,490 imported animals were recorded in the entire decade, or about as many as were recorded in the single fiscal year of 1914. A large proportion of those which were re- corded were foaled or imported before 1890. More than 1,000 American-bred animals foaled in this period were not placed on the records until many years later. - The depression in value of horses was due to the general tie-up in manufactures and in general busi- ness which began developing about 1890. This culminated in the panic of 1893, when the loss of confidence among money holders was so great that it was virtually impossible to raise money on first farm mortgages or approved bonds. Building and manufacturing were stagnant and prices dropped to abnormally low levels. The most noticeable direct effect of all this was a widespread distribution of Percheron mares. Wealthy owners, lacking knowledge of and confi- dence in the business, sold out for whatever price could be obtained. Others, forced to sell something to raise funds on which to live, sold all or part of their Percherons. Prices were so low that hundreds 340 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE of farmers bought good, big mares at from $300 to $400 per pair, or less, considering the investment a good one when the work value alone was reckoned. Stallion owners and dealers were pressed into service to help sell mares on long-time notes to help relieve men whose bands of mares constituted a heavy ex- pense for feed and care. J. L. Delancey, J. M. - Fletcher and other well-informed horsemen who went through the panic agree in declaring that the best of Percheron mares were actually bought by farmers as low as $300 each—and this for the very best stock. Such expansion of breeding as did occur between 1892 and 1897 was due almost wholly to sacrifice of valuable Percherons by men who either had to sell or who became panic-stricken. From 1897 on there was some improvement in prices and a eradual awakening of interest. It was slight, how- ever, as is abundantly attested by the lack of interest in the breeding classes at the first International Live Stock Exposition in 1900. What the Figures Show.—In 1890 there were 593 breeders of Percherons in the United States; by 1900 the number had increased to 1,634. Illinois came first with 547 breeders; Iowa second with 204; Ohio third with 146; Minnesota fourth with 124; Wiscon- sin fifth with 83; Kansas sixth with 72; Indiana seventh with 64; Michigan eighth with 53; Nebraska ninth with 48, and South Dakota tenth with 47. The remaining 246 breeders were scattered through 24 states and territories, so that more than four-fifths of all the Percheron breeders in the United States A PERIOD OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION 341 were located in the territory of the Mississippi and Missouri valleys. Nearly half of them were in the states of Illinois and Iowa, which explains why these two states now contribute 42 percent of all Perche- rons bred in America. One hundred and fifty-nine mares were imported and 114 bred in America between 1871 and 1880; 2,566 were imported and 2,089 bred in America be- tween 1881 and 1890. Roughly speaking, there were approximately 5,000 Percheron mares available in 1891, yet in the decade we are considering only 4,897 stallions and 4,990 mares, eventually recorded, were foaled, and more than 1,000 of these were not re- corded until long after the close of the decade. The total number of recorded American-bred Percherons produced in the 10 years was but 9,887, or an average of less than two colts per mare in 10 years for the Percheron mares owned by breeders in 1891. In view of the fact that mares in farmers’ hands will normally average two colts every three years it is evident that there was enormous waste of Percheron resources during this period. The mares averaged but one colt each five years. What actually occurred was refusal or neglect of farmers and breeders to breed their mares, and the castration of purebred stallion colts. Besides, hundreds of mares were sold without registration, for work purposes only, and all traces of them were subsequently lost. Inealeulable damage to constructive breeding of Percherons resulted from the stagnation. Carefully selected brood mares, which had been well cared for 242 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE and mated to stallions whose individuality and breeding were such as to warrant confidence in good results, passed into the hands of men who were in- competent judges either of individual horses or of bloodlines. A large proportion of the new owners were poor caretakers and without knowledge re- garding the feeding and development of purebred horses. Their ignorance damaged the breed. Good Percheron mares were mated to stallions that were unfit to be used. Bad breeding was followed by worse feeding. Feed was low in price, but money was hard to get, and the feed given to horses was looked upon as largely lost. The result was that most Percherons had to survive on pasture, straw, some hay and avery little grain. The best live stock in the world will be dwarfed and injured in confor- mation under such conditions.* That Percherons did survive and steadily inerease in popularity speaks volumes for the hardiness, adaptability and easy-keeping qualities of the breed. The injury done to intelligent breeding opera- tions had some compensations: it placed Percherons in the hands of hundreds of farmers who bought them at low prices and became cognizant of their many sterling qualities by actual experience under adverse conditions. Oaklawn Farm.—Under Mr. Dunham’s capable management Oaklawn Farm continued its leadership *For conclusive results regarding injury to conformation of animals through starvation or semi-starvation rations, see pub- lished reports of work done by Dr. H. J. Waters at the Missouri and Kansas Experiment Stations. A PERIOD OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION 343 in Percheron affairs throughout the hard times. Some importations were made each year up to 1893, and while many mares were sold, the number kept at Oaklawn was considerable. Approximately 200 mares were owned and kept at Oaklawn or were out on lease during ’91 and ’92. A good many were sold in 792 and ’93, so that the mares on hand on July 1, 1893, totaled but 115 head. On July 1, 1897, there were 133 and on May 21, 1901, 89 head. The number of colts bred, raised and subsequently record- ed was as follows, by years: 1891, 30 stallions and 23 mares; 1892, 32 stallions and 29 mares; 1893, 21 stallions and 25 mares; 1894, 10 stallions and 16 mares; 1895, 13 stallions and 12 mares; 1896, 21 stal- lions and 15 mares; 1897, 23 stallions and 19 mares; 1898, 26 stallions and 35 mares; 1899, 15 stallions and 14 mares; 1900, 25 stallions and 7 mares—a total of 216 stallions and 204 mares for the decade. It is interesting to note that although in some particular years one sex greatly outnumbered the other, the total for the 10 years is nearly the same for each sex. The chief sires used at Oaklawn in this period were as follows: Brilliant 1271 (755), in 1891 and 1892 (he died early in 1893); Marathon 11410 (10386), for the season of 1890 only; Brilliant 3d 11116 (2919), in 1891 and 1892; Aiglon 13145 (8187), in the years from 1892 to 1896; Introuvable 16875 (24146) from 1893 to 1896; and Villers 13169 (8081) from April 19, 1897, to March 15, 1900. Brilliant 3d— Next to Brilliant 1271, Brilliant 3d was the greatest of this group of great sires. He 344 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE was foaled in 1884 and won the highest honors at the annual show held by the Société Hippique Per- cheronne de France in 1888. He was bought for Oaklawn early in 1889 by James M. Fletcher, who did all of Mr. Dunham’s buying in France from 1887 on. At tlie time of his purchase, he was con- sidered the greatest Percheron in France, individual- ly and as a sire, and the showyard records of win- nings during the past 20 years confirm the estimate which Mr. Fletcher and the leading French breeders placed on him. More prize-winners trace to Brilliant od than to any other horse used in France or Amer- ica since 1886. Individually Brilliant 3d was medium-sized, standing about 16.3 hands and weigh- ing a little over a ton in show condition. He was well-balanced, massive in build, with heavy bone of the best quality, and was excellent in action. In all-around individual excellence he stands among the greatest of the breed. He made three seasons in France, 1886, ’87 and ’88, and probably sired a few foals in 1889 before being imported. His colts were noted for their unusually high-class type, and it is believed that no sire used in the Percheron breed ever begot so large a proportion of valuable colts and so few inferior ones. Plans had been made at Oaklawn to show Brilliant 3d in 1889 at the Chicago Horse Show, and Mr. Dun- ham intended to drive home at this show the value of Brilhant blood by showing four generations— Brilliant 1271, Fenelon, Brilliant 3d and 19 yearling sons of Brilliant 3d imported at the same time. An * aa ge — TWO-YEAR-OLD COLTS AT EDMOND PERRIOT’S. i * 4% J conte -~ ne A PERIOD OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION 345 unfortunate experiment resulted in an extremely acute founder which nearly resulted in the death of Brilliant 3d and he was ruined for use in the show- yard.* He gradually recovered, although he was un- fit for stud use for two years. Some colts were sired by him in 1891 and 1892, 15 in all, at Oaklawn, but he was so badly crippled that Mr. Dunham desired to be rid of him. He was accordingly sold on Dee. 20, 1892, to Avery & Coleman, Wakefield, Kans., where he was used for three years unl then dropped from sight. ) In spite of his foundered condition, the ae sired by Brilliant 3d were good, both at Oaklawn and in Kansas. All of those sired at Oaklawn were blacks or grays, but more than half of those sired in Kansas were off-colors—bays, browns and sorrels. The off- colors were clearly due to the dams, however, as 10 out of the 11 off-colored colts were out of top-cross mares, bred up and recorded by Mr. Avery from some grade mares he bought of the Dillons in 1878. The sorrel and bay colors were so strongly fixed in these dams that not even Brilliant 3d’s remarkable prepotency could entirely offset it, and he has been unjustly faulted for siring a good many colts not of popular colors. The colts sired by Brilliant 3d at Oaklawn were developed and sold at high prices, those on which *Anxiety to have Brilliant 3d in the best possible condition led to the use of whole milk, recommended by another breeder. Too much was given, probably because of inexperience and the greediness of the horse. The result was the most acute case of founder ever known at Oaklawn. Heroic measures saved him, but he was hopelessly crippled for life. 346 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE individual prices can be ascertained averaging $812 each during the time when extremely low prices were the rule. The colts he begot in Kansas were not developed, were small because stunted, and conse- quently sold at very low prices. Despite this they grew out and made good breeding stock, quite profit- able to their subsequent owners. As a whole, how- ever, the chief good done to the breed by Brilliant 3d was in France, as the colts sired by him in America were too few to make his services here especially important. His imported descendants, however, have exerted a profound influence on Percheron breeding in America. He was unquestionably the greatest sire the breed has known in the last 30 years, when his work in both France and America is considered, and his injury just after importation was a great loss to Percheron breeding in this coun- try. Other Oaklawn Sires.—Brilliant 3d’s injuries led Mr. Dunham to use Marathon freely in 1890. Mara- thon was foaled in 1885. He was first in the three- year-old class at the annual show held by the Société Hippique Percheronne de France in 1888 and first in the aged stallion class at that show in 1889. He stood 17 hands high, weighed more than 2,100 pounds in show condition, and was unusual in his muscular development and _ well-proportioned throughout. He was somewhat larger and more massive in type than Brilliant 3d, with hardly so much finish. Both were grandsons of Brilliant 1271 —Brilliant 3d through Fenelon and Marathon ie LA FERTE 5144.—FROM AN OLD PHOTOGRAPH AT OAKLAWN FARM. | “ee ates oft iy + POWERFUL 6670 (BAYARD 7519), ONE OF THE MOST NOTED SIRES EVER USED IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS. THIS PICTURE TAKEN WHEN HE WAS 26 YEARS OF AGE. A PERIOD OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION 347 through Voltaire—and both were out of daughters of Brilliant 1899. Marathon sired colts of great uni- formity, much after his own type. He stands seventh among the sires in France in number of prize-win- ning descendants at the Société Hippique Perche- ronne de France shows from 1901 to 1910. His colts at Oaklawn proved to be extra good—large, heavy- boned, well-proportioned. Before they were all foaled, in 1891, C. P. Jones of Minneapolis, Minn., came to Oaklawn and secured the assistance of James M. Fletcher in purchasing three or four car- loads of grade draft mares in Kane and Du Page counties. After buying the mares he went to Oak- lawn to buy a stallion and would not be put off with anything short of Marathon, then the best individual in stud service. He finally bought the horse for $3,000 cash and shipped him to Minnesota with the grade mares. Marathon did not sire a purebred colt after leaving Oaklawn, and his sale was undoubtedly a serious loss to Percheron breeding interests there, ‘as the sale of Brilliant 3d and the death of Bril- hant 1271 removed the only sires at all comparable with Marathon, and his absence was keenly felt from 1893 on. In this case, as in many others where a valuable sire is lost, the mistake was not fully real- ized until nearly a decade had elapsed. . Introuvable 16875 (24146), champion at the Co- lumbian Exposition in 1893, was used from 1893 to 1897. He was black without markings and a horse of immense size, standing over 17.2 hands high and weighing more than 2,300 pounds in show condition. 348 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE He was hardly as symmetrical as his predecessors, and was a bit coarse; but his colts were large and sold well, and they have bred on very satisfactorily. Introuvable died at Oaklawn Farm on June 22, 1897. Aiglon 13145 (8187) was used in the stud from 1892 to 1896 and sired more colts at Oaklawn than any other horse used during this decade. He is gen- erally considered the greatest son Gilbert 5154 ever sired. His dam, Bijou (4328), was a half-sister of La Ferté 5144. She was a very large mare, standing about 17 hands high and weighing about 2,100 pounds. With all her size she was a mare of unusual finish and was one of the best mares in France dur- ing her time. Individually Aiglon was about 16.1 hands high and weighed about 1,900 pounds. He was of a rather blocky type, deep-bodied, massive, very. heavy in muscling, and symmetrical in build. His quality and finish were excellent, and his colts, while not the largest, were unusually good and sold at high prices. La Ferté 5144, previously discussed, was used to some extent during this time, but was out on lease to M. O. Brownlee, Little York, Ill., in 1893. He died in 1895. Villers 18169 (8081) was sold to H. A. Babeock, Neenah, Wis., and was used by him from 1890 to 1897. Mr. Dunham was so impressed with the char- acter of his colts that he bought him back on April 19, 1897, and he was used at Oaklawn for four seasons. He was about 17 hands in height and A PERIOD OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION 349 weighed over 2,100 pounds in show condition. He was an exceptional horse, fine in head with a clean- eut neck, well set on, strong back, powerful loin, level croup, well-set tail, heavily muscled quarters, thighs and gaskins, deep-ribbed, round-barrelled, extra well-set legs and good feet. He was heavy in bone, with tendons well set back, and was extra good in quality and action. Asa sire he is out- ranked only by Brilliant 3d and Besigue (19602) in number of prize-winning descendants, and he un- doubtedly did more for the breed in America than even Brilliant 3d, owing to longer and more liberal service. He had a touch of founder at one time, which made him a bit short in front. This was the only thing which dissuaded A. L. Robison, Sr., Pekin, Tll., from placing him at the head of the Leslie Farm stud in 1900, and Mr. Robison recently stated that he felt he had erred in judgment, Villers being one of the most perfect Percheron types he had ever seen. Villers was eventually sold to Perry & Porter- field, Wayne, Neb., March 15, 1901, but had no chance on purebred mares. The most noted son of Villers was Jules (37987), a horse that was rated as the leading sire in the Perche between 1900 and the time of his death. Oaklawn Mares and Colts.—Mr. Dunham persist- ently held to his best mares, save in rare instances when it seemed necessary to let a great brood mare go to close the sale of a group. The most important dams have been considered with the exception of Bertha 5340 (7008). She was one of Oaklawn’s 350 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE ereatest dams, a remarkable show mare and a pro- ducer of uniformly high-class colts. She raised 9 colts of record in 15 years, and James M. Fletcher states that to the best of his recollection she pro- duced more dollars’ worth of colts than any mare ever used at Oaklawn. I[lustre 20489 was one of her good sons that later headed the Lakewood stud at Rock Rapids, Ia.; he was sold as a two-year-oll in 1899 when prices were low for $1,350. Some other good colts bred at Oaklawn during this time and sold to head purebred studs were Aleutian 21977, foaled in 1898 and sold to the Denver Trust & Warehouse Co., and Aurelian 21974, also foaled in» 1898, and sold to head a stud in Minnesota. Oaklawn Sales and Leases.—Among important sales or leases during this period were many to men who have since become prominent Percheron breed- ers in their respective communities. Some of the chief ones were as follows: W. P. Reiser, Walla Walla, Wash., on Oct. 10, 1898, bought a stallion and 2 mares. W. F. Mixer, Painesville, O., in 1890 and 1891, bought a pair of mares. C. M. Jones, Plain City, O., bought the stud sire Moreri 16950 (40246). John Yost & Son, Thornville, O., in 1899, bought 6 mares and a stallion. H. H. Lewis, Selma, Ind., in 1892 and 1893, bought a pair of mares and a stallion; he also leased 11 mares about 1893. Dilley Bros., Hebron, Ind., in 1890, ’91 and ’92, A PERIOD OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION ek bought a stallion and 4 mares. They also had some mares on lease. KH. J. Wigle, Kingsville, Ontario, in 1899, bought a stallion and 3 mares. H. G. MeMillan, Rock Rapids, Ia., in 1899, bought a stud stallion. Willard & Fuller, Mapleton, Minn., in 1890, bought 3 stallions and 3 mares. This firm leased 2 stallions and 10 extra good mares in 1893, and also leased another stallion in 1894. M. C. Brownlee, Little York, Ill., about 1893, leased the stallion La Ferte and 14 mares. This lease ter- minated July 25, 1896. A. P. Nave, Attica, Ind., leased a stallion and 11 mares in August, 1897. He bought a stallion and 5 mares in 1899. W. H. Penny, Raritan, Ill., bought a stallion in each of the years 1890, ’91 and ’95, and 3 mares in 1891 and 1899. W. L. Houser, Mondovi, Wis., in 1900, bought a stallion and 2 mares. G. H. & F. A. Reed, Lilylake, Ill., in 1897 bonght a pair of mares, and in 1898 bought another pair of mares and a stallion. H. A. Babeock, Neenah, Wis., leased 8 mares early in the ’90’s. Elijah Walker, Macon, IIl.,had 3 mares, and Rolley Patterson & Bros., Hunrich, Il., and Harry Dunbar, Galesburg, Ill., were others who had 4 mares each out on lease during this time. This does not begin to be a complete review, but 352 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE it does give a glimpse into operations during the depressed times. The Great Leader.—Over and above all details, the most striking feature of Oaklawn’s work at this time is to be found in the personality of Mark W. Dun- ham himself. His genius for organization and his extraordinary ability as a salesman enabled him to maintain the great Oaklawn stud intact in spite of the financial panie and the hard times. When other men could not sell Percherons, or sold at ridiculously low prices, Mr. Dunham inspired con- fidence in the final outcome, encouraged many men to hold on, and was successful in making sales at good prices. There was not a season, even in the worst years, when he was not well sold out by May, so far as stallions of serviceable age were concerned. It is true that he did not make importations for several years and that his operations were limited; but the stallions he raised or bought in America were sold at prices that left him a good profit, and he was instrumental in causing several wealthy men to enlarge their Percheron holdings at a time when the vast majority of breeders had given up all hope. He had faith, enthusiasm, foresight, and a knowledge of human nature which made him more than ever a commanding figure in the business when others had failed to weather the storm. His death in February, 1899, aged 53 years, was as great a loss to Percheron interests as the death of a general of military genius at the critical point in a great battle, for Percheron breeding was just rounding into shape for a mar- a A PERIOD OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION 353. velous recovery from years of depression. Mark W. Dunham’s death removed the one leader in whom all interests had confidence, the one who could have brought order out of chaos in the breeding field and in record association affairs. The bitter strife which split Percheron breeders into three rival camps and did incalculable damage between 1900 and 1911 would undoubtedly have been averted had he sur- vived. No more honorable breeder ever lived, and there were few indeed, in any land, who possessed his genius for constructive work and his ability to com- mand support from all classes of men. Time, giving true perspective, reveals him as the great Percheron leader of his period, and the fleeting years only in- erease the estimate which thoughtful Percheron breeders place on his work. At the time of Mark W. Dunham’s death his son WiuthS. was but 21 years old, and the two daughters were young. Mrs. Dunham had died some years be- fore. It was Mr. Dunham’s request that the business should devolve on Wirth, but that he should take James M. Fletcher and C. R. Coleman into partner- ship in the selling organization, retaining control of the farm and brood mares under the name of the estate. James M. Fletcher, a nephew of Mark W. Dunham, attained a high place in Percheron affairs. He was a horseman by birth and training, and was developed by frequent trips to France with Leonard Johnson and by association with Mr. Dunham’s operations at Oaklawn. He spoke French fluently and from 1887 354 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE to the time of Mr. Dunham’s death bought far more horses in France than any other buyer. His judg- ment of horses was conceded to be second to none and he was a careful buyer. Oaklawn’s importance as a purchaser gave the farm the first option on the colts held by the leading stallioner and breeder of France, Ernest Perriot, Sr., and on those held by many other leaders. Mr. Dunham had well-founded confidence in James Fletcher’s judgment and integ- rity. C. R. Coleman had been with Mr. Dunham in the early ’80’s, had subsequently been in partnership with Mr. Avery at Wakefield, Kans., for about a de- eade, and had again worked for the Oaklawn organi- zation as a salesman. He had formed a partnership with James M. Fletcher about 1896 or 1897 and the firm had a good many horses in ’97 and ’98. Mr. Dunham realized Mr. Coleman’s ability as a sales- man, and felt that with Fletcher to handle the pur- chasing and Coleman the selling the firm would be on a safe foundation, despite the fact that Wirth, on account of having been kept away at school, knew practically nothing of the business. Mr. Dunham’s judgment proved true in this as in other matters, and the firm of Dunham, Fletcher & Coleman, organized in 1899, maintained the prestige of Oaklawn until the ripening experience of the son enabled him to succeed to sole control of the busi- ness. Other Illinois Breeders.—Daniel Dunham’s stud was sold in 1892 or ’93. The Ellwoods sold and A PERIOD OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION 300 traded their horses for land so rapidly that they raised but few after 1893 and were virtually out of business by 1899. The Winter & Munger stud was scattered to the four-winds by private sales in 1894, 95 and ’96, winding up entirely in 1899. Geo. S. Hanna’s stud was dispersed, largely by trades for farm land, in 1892, ’95 and ’94, and the mares were -widely scattered. Jesse M. Stetson succeeded to most of the Percherons owned by Dr. Ezra Stetson on his death about 1895, but Jesse M. himself died about 4 years later and most of the stock was seat- tered all over the United States by sales held by the estate in 1899, 1900 and 1901. John and Mat Huston of Blandinsville, Ill., began breeding Percherons early in the ’70’s, but did not breed many until after making heavy importations late in the ’80’s. They kept on during the depression and raised 20 stallions and 24 mares during this period. Their stock was unusually high-class in character, because of the selection of extra good sires and dams. Plein-D’Avenir 11287 (7361), Figaro 5961 (7708) and Forfait 16873 (28578) were a trio of exceptional sires. A large proportion of the colts bred by the Hustons went into use on purebred mares, which is significant of their high-class type and character. John Huston considered Plein- D’Avenir the greatest Percheron he ever saw, indi- vidually and as a sire, and while his opinion may be considered somewhat biased, it is certain that he was an extremely massive, heavy-boned sire, weigh- ing more than 2,200 pounds, and a getter of high- 356 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE class colts. He was crippled while young, which de- barred him from the showring, and undoubtedly limited his use to some extent. He was a grandson of Brilliant 1271, through Childebert 4283 (451). Forfait was somewhat smaller and a show horse of much finish, somewhat on the type of Gilbert. He was useful in imparting more style and finish. The stud was dispersed in November, 1901, and while the stock did much good in the hands of new owners, more would have been accomplished had it been held intact by John Huston, who was a most observant, constructive breeder. E. Hodgson and W. E. Prichard, both of Ottawa, Ill., held persistently on, and raised some extra good mares during this time, most of which were sired by Confident 3647 (397), at the head of the Nagle stud. Mr. Prichard used Confident a little more freely than Mr. Hodgson did and got more high-class brood mares by him. The best animals owned in both studs at the present time are daughters or grand- daughters of Confident, and both these veteran breeders, now in their ’70’s, agree in declaring that they should have bought the old horse early in the ’90’s. As it was, his colts raised at Nagle’s were stunted and the breed lost much good blood it should have received from a really great sire.* *M. C. Hodgson & Sons wrote the following interesting note in January, 1915: “Hattie 2d 23757, foaled in 1899, by Confident, has raised 8 colts in 11 years, besides foaling 2 which died young. We still own 3 of these colts, which we value conservatively at $1,600, and have sold 4 of her colts, foaled in 1905, ’07, ’09 and ’10, for $4,400 —an average of $1,100 each. Three were sold as two-year-olds and one as a three. We sold the first colt out of her oldest aes la . Rone es wn i,’ pte pir oath pyle vie hd Cad ge ng “ —s Ls 1 0p0 ete aie | [ie — Eg cl. C. Robison Vv A.L.Robisonelr_. A PERIOD OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION Bon James Brown, Dwight, Ill, bred a few good colts from 1891 to 1897, but discontinued in 1899. Wil- liam Hurt and W. R. Baldwin were among those who held on through the dark days, breeding a few eood ones each year and encouraging farmers in their localities to stick to good horses and be ready for the tide to turn. New Blood.—Much credit must be given to the men who had the courage and foresight to found purebred studs of consequence during the darkest days. Among those in Illinois entitled to special mention in this connection are A. lL. Robison, Sr., of Pekin, Ill., and Dan Augstin of Carlock, III. daughter, Hattie 3d 41634, for $900, and have four other colts left out of Hattie 8d which we value at $2,400, conservatively figured. Modesty 70296, the second colt produced by Hattie 3d, was foaled in 1909, raised colts in 1912, 713, and 714 and is due to foal again in 1915. Lisette 2d 21574, a half-sister to Hattie 2d, also by Con- fident, was foaled in 1898, and has dropped a colt every year from 1901 till 1914 except in 19138, a total of 13 colts in 14 years. Four of the colts died young, however, so that she has actually raised 9 colts in 14 years. We have sold 6 of her colts as yearlings and two-year-olds—none older—for $5,150 and think those remaining are worth at least $1,000.. We still have the mare, now 17 years old and carrying her 14th colt. She is worth at least $400, con- sidering that she is still good for several years in her breeding career.” W. EH. Prichard says of his two aged mares by Confident in the 1914 Christmas issue of “The Breeder’s Gazette’: “Beauty of Highland 18611 was foaled in 18938, and is still living and breeding regularly at 21 years of age. I have sold of her direct produce colts to the value of $8,650 and have the old mare and 7 of her produce conservatively valued at $6,500. Litta 17192 was foaled in 1892, and is still breeding at 22 years of age. I have sold colts produced by her to the value of $5,850 and still have the mare and several of her produce valued conservatively at $3,300.” Both breeders are agreed in declaring that they have done no more than hundreds of other good horsemen can do if they select good stock and give it proper care. It must be noted, however, that both men are dealers as well as breeders, and sold their horses direct to the final user, thus eliminating or absorbing the middleman’s usual profit. - 358 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE A. L. Robison, Sr., made his start in 1894, upon the urgent insistence of his father-in-law, Wilson Richmond. Of the latter Mr. Robison says: ‘‘H[e was a born horseman, always bred and owned good horses and for 50 years was never without a cood stallion available for his own use and for other breeders. I think he was the keenest judge and had the best eye for a sire of any man I have ever known. Ie was confident prices would soon swing back, and repeatedly urged me to buy all the good Percheron mares I could while prices were low. Some of my first mares were bought from him, and it was largely et his suggestion that I bought Powerful 6670 (Bayard 7519) in 1889, when he was 20 years old. He always insisted that a man breeding Percherons should, if possible, never place other than a tried sire at the head of his stud. His sound counsel and reliable judgment were of incaleuable value to me in founding Leslie Farm stud. Powerful made our stud at the outset, and I subsequently bought Se- duecteur 8850 (7057) and Rabelais 52564 (43442), both tried sires and horses with the best of breeding behind them. The veteran has left us, but his in- fluence is still with us.’’ To this definite policy—the use of tried sires only —the remarkable progress of the Robison stud is justly due, and it is questionable whether many other breeders in America can point to a record so free from mistakes in stud sires used. Dan Augstin had been breeding good draft horses from sometime in the ’80’s, and stepped into the Percheron ranks in 1895. He, too, was influenced to make purchases while horses were low. John Baughman was his first counselor, and Ferdinand ee ~~ gree IMPORTED HORACE 7884, AN OLD-TIME WINNER AND POPULAR SIRE IN MICHIGAN. A PERIOD OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION 359 Basting, Yuton, Ill., and William Hurt, Arrowsmith, Ill.; were others whose excellent stock and enthu- siastic support of Percherons did much to encourage him to make a start in dark days. Augstin’s foundation stock was drawn largely from Ed. Hodgson and William Hurt. He had some of Hodgson’s mares on lease for a time and also pur- chased some. In this case, as in the one previously cited, mistakes were avoided and good foundation stock secured by heeding the counsel of experienced breeders who had no ulterior motives. These cases and hundrds of others which could be given empha- size the value of experienced advisors when begin- ners are founding studs, and the extreme importance of starting right. Countless breeders of live stock have rushed in ‘‘where angels fear to tread’’ and have found to their sorrow that buying breeding animals is vastly different from purchasing sugar or salt. | There are other important breeders in Illinois who started during this period, but it 1s impossible to consider all. The number increased materially, espe- cially in counties where much stock was already available. In McLean county Percheron breeders increased to 81; in La Salle to 39; in Tazewell to 24; in Woodford to 18; in Fulton to 21; in Iroquois to 19; in Livingston to 28; in Bureau to 29; and in DuPage to 19. North central Illinois had laid the foundation which makes it today the most central- ized and most heavily stocked Percheron breeding district in the United States. 360 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE Progress in Iowa.—The number of breeders in Iowa increased from 66 in 1890 to 204 in 1900, more than trebling during the hard times. Singmaster & Sons, H. G. McMillan, L. H. Humbert, M. L. Ayres, William Sprole, J. H. Barnett, L. G. Parker and H. 8. Hoyman were the leading breeders of this period. The Singmasters continued operations along the same general lines as in the ’80’s, but leased a good many mares and sold some on a share basis, agree- ing to take the first 3 colts at weaning time in full payment for the mare. The mares kept at the home farms ran out on pasture and received scant atten- tion during the hard times, but breeding was kept up and many colts raised, although records were not kept as carefully as they should have been. The breeding was done largely in hit or miss fashion, without making special effort to mate certain mares to sires best suited to them in type and bloodlines. As a consequence the horses bred during this time lacked uniformity in type, color and prepotency. These faults were so apparent that they have of their own weight forced a revision of policy. Prog- ress has been marked in later years, but nothing of consequence was done by the firm during the ’90’s, save in the production of a large number of Per- eherons. J. H. Barnett, whose work has previously been touched on, bred 40 Percherons at Chestnut Farm during this period. He was one of the best farmers and stockmen of central Iowa and his personal A PERIOD OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION 361 standing and popularity were such that he was elected to the state senate as a Democrat, although the district was strongly Republican. He served in the state senate in 1888 and 1890, and his influence, admittedly great in Iowa, was thrown strongly in favor of Percheron horses. He counselled farmers to hold their good mares and to buy more while they were cheap. He practiced this himself and bought R. A. Noble’s entire stud of 26 head in 1897. His best colts, on which he won many premiums at the Iowa State Fair in the ’80’s and ’90’s, were descended from his foundation mares bought of M. W. Dunham Oct. 23, 1882. Itala 1456 was the most profitable. She was struck by hghtning when about 4 years old and blinded for life, but raised 10 colts of record between 1884 and 1897, and proved to be the most profitable mare he ever owned. The best sire ever owned by Mr. Barnett was Champagne 2312 (1117), a bay grandson of Coco 2d (714), bought from M. W. Dunham in 1883 by the Warren County Breeders’ Association, in which Mr. Barnett was a leader. This horse continued in use well into the ’90’s and left some very good stock. Mr. Barnett’s influence was at all times for careful, constructive breeding, and he gave much needed support to Per- cheron interests during depressed times. William Sprole was one of the most substantial farmers. and cattle breeders near T'raer, Ia. He began Percheron-breeding in 1886 by selecting a pair of the best mares obtainable at Oaklawn. He gave $3,000 for the pair. One was a daughter of Brilliant 362 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE 1899. In the next few years he bought some of the best mares W. L. Ellwood imported and also bought the stallion Superior 14042, bred by Ellwood, to use in his stud. He held on throughout the ’90’s, despite discouragements, and as might be expected from the high character of his foundation purchases, bred some exceptional colts. He was not a dealer, how- ever, and sold most of the colts at modest prices to a local trade. James M. Fletcher thought so well of the colts that he bought a number of them about 1897 or 1898 and paid $1,000 for one which Mr. Sprole had sold to a neighbor... The good done by Mr. Sprole’s operations was far-reaching; he was a man of strict integrity, careful in his breeding opera- tions, and very influential in his district. The Traer district was noted for extra good draft horses dur- ing the late ’90’s and the early part of this century. No small share in this is directly attributable to Mr. Sprole’s work. L. G. Parker was another lowa breeder who bred some good horses, near Mason City. Although the number he raised was not large—33 in this decade— the animals were good and bred on well. He bought Cagliostro 11115 (18849), one of the best sons of Bril- lant 3d, imported with that sire, and used him to good advantage from 1890 till about 1898. Some of the best things subsequently owned by G. N. Haugen and Martin Tagesen were sired by or descended from him. The Parker stud was dispersed shortly after 1900, but the stock has done much for Percheron breeders in northern Iowa and adjacent states. P/1. Poindexter A PERIOD OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION 363 L. H. Humbert was one of the leading breeders in southern Iowa. French himself, he selected some very good breeding stock in the Perche. He had started before the depression, had faith in the final outcome, and held to his good stock through the worst years. He ranked fourth in Iowa in number of animals bred during this decade, sold most of his surplus locally, and did much to encourage others to keep on. M. L. Ayres, like Mr. Humbert, had started before the hard times. He was a rugged farmer, with de- cided ideas regarding the values of good horses; he hung tenaciously to his best stock, although the panic crippled him to a considerable extent finan- cially. Many of the stallions produced by him dur- ing the ’90’s were castrated, and a great many of the mares sold without registration. He kept the best, however, and was in a sound position to go on when times changed for the better. He handled good horses and was one of the best feeders Iowa has ever had engaged in the development of Percherons. The best sire he used during this period was Said 4895 (674). Massena 26143 (40251) and Blande 29259 (36577) were valuable sires used a little later. Blande was a son of Brilliant 3d and had been used some time in Ernest Perriot’s stud. Mr. Ayres has undoubtedly exerted a greater influence on Per- cheron breeding than any other man in southwestern Iowa. He bought and developed a good many American-bred colts and always insisted that the colts he bought in the district near Blandinsville, 364 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE Ill., were heavier-boned, more rugged, draftier horses than any he could buy elsewhere. H. S. Hoyman, Stanwood, Ia., bred only 19 Per- cherons during this decade, but helped give stability and encouragement to Percheron interests in east central Iowa, and started a great many others in Percheron breeding when times changed for the better. A factor which cannot be overlooked in consid- ering Percheron breeding in Iowa is the influence of Percheron sires in communities where there were no Percheron mares. Jowa farmers believed in draft horses, purchased more Percherons than the farmers in any other state except Illinois, and even in dis- tricts where only grade mares were available were liberal buyers and patrons of the best Percheron sires obtainable. Some noted Percheron horses were used in the state on grade mares only, and while the breed as a whole suffered a loss, farmers in general made an immediate gain by having available sires good enough in individuality and breeding to have been at the head of some of the best purebred studs. The record of Brilliant 1899 was an illustration of this, and there were numerous others almost as im- portant. The ultimate effect, however, was to strengthen the esteem of Iowa farmers for Perche- rons, and the breed is more widely distributed now in that state than in any other. Lakewood Farm.—A number of studs that sub- sequently became widely known were founded in Iowa during the depression. The most important A PERIOD OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION 365 was that of H. G. McMillan, whose Lakewood stud at Rock Rapids, Ia., has furnished more American- bred prize-winners than any other stud in America in the past 20 years. Mr. MeMillan had grown up with good horses, as his father, located near Washington, Ia., had been a strong supporter of draft horses for farm work and a patron of the earliest Percheron sires taken to that part of Iowa. H. G. McMillan himself, after being admitted to the bar, located at Rock Rapids, Ta., and soon won prominence in law and polities. He was a heavy purchaser of farm land, and Lake- wood Farm, located near Rock Rapids, comprised about 1,000 acres during the ’80’s and ’90’s. To Lakewood Farm Mr. McMillan took some of the good mares of his father’s breeding—mares which had 4 and 5 top crosses by purebred Percheron sires. The economic advantage which these heavy draft mares had in farm operations impressed him, and as he had faith in the ultimate outcome for horse- breeding he bought in 1896 the entire Percheron stud of J. H. Funk, consisting of about 30 head. Mr. Funk had started in the ’80’s, while located near Dwight, Ill. His foundation stock was drawn from the Dillons, D. H. Vandolah, J. J. Kemp and Copeland & Holder. He had selected some of the best stock obtainable from these importers and transferred his Percheron horses to a farm near Towa Falls, Ia., about 1890. Here he bred Nubian 17467, foaled in 1892, the horse at the head of the stud when it was purchased by Lakewood Farm. 366 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE Mr. Funk had other business interests and could not give personal attention to his Percherons. His men had not been good horsemen and he had grown so discouraged that he took Mr. McMillan to his farm in the winter, when the horses were thin, ill-con- ditioned and rough in the extreme, and practical- ly forced their sale at a mere song. Despite the bad condition of the horses, they had real merit in blood and individuality and soon grew into high- class horses when put under proper conditions. Nubian developed into a very large, massive stallion, standing over 17 hands high and weighing over 2,200 pounds when in good condition. He was fairly well-proportioned, and heavy in bone, with flint-like quality in cannons and joints. His colts averaged well in size and type and were above the average in soundness. The mares bought from Mr. Funk proved good breeders and one, Myrtha 8133 (12601), was one of the most valuable brood mares owned in the early history of the Lakewood stud. She was the dam of Nubian and of several other good ones. The same year, and shortly after purchasing the J. H. Funk stud, Mr. McMillan bought about 25 Percherons from Winter & Munger, Princeton, Il. This stud was one of the good ones in Illinois, and has been fully discussed in earlier chapters. In this bunch Lakewood Farm acquired some very valuable brood mares and some good young stock. The Win- ter & Munger horses, like Funk’s, had been allowed to fall into very bad condition, and they were bought cheaply, but as in the case of the others, the good pa Beet Shag G.W. Phillips A PERIOD OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION 367 breeding soon showed itself when feed and care were properly given. On Dee. 5, 1899, Illustre 20489, bred at Oaklawn, was bought to supplement Nubian in the Lakewood stud. He was by Introuvable 16875 and out of Bertha 5340, and was very good individually, but did not prove as effective as had been hoped. Through advertising Illustre, however, Mr. McMillan discovered Seducteur 8850 (7057) and bought him in the spring of 1900. The old horse had been in the hands of Jacob Waltemeyer, Melbourne, Ia., for several years and had sired some extra good colts, but had not been very sure. He was taken to Lake- wood Farm and made seasons there in 1900 and 1901, but was sold in the spring of 1902 to A. L. Robison, Sr., to head the Leslie Farm stud at Pekin, III. In the fall of 1900, a deal was made for the mares and young stock owned by the Upson Farming Co., Cumings, N. D. The horses owned by this firm had been bred from some of the best stock obtained from Leonard Johnson. In this lot were Norma 9672 (13394) (the mare that subsequently produced Tolanthe 40925, twice an International champion), Gondole 6696 (10862), a great brood mare, and a number of other females. This rounded out the foundation purchases made for the Lakewood stud in this decade. Three com- plete studs, in which breeding operations had been earried on for from 12 to 22 years and in which the best breeding mares had been retained, were bought outright. This took some exceptional breeding ani- 368 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE mals to Lakewood Farm, both as to individuality and bloodlines. From this foundation winners were bred and developed. ; Developments in Ohio.—Despite all digeonraen! ments, and in part because of them, the number of paced in Ohio increased from 55 in 1890 to 146 in 1900, almost trebling during the depression. AI- though third in number of breeders, the state stood fifth in the number of recorded Percherons produced during the decade, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin outranking Ohio in the order named in number produced. Jones Bros., whose actual work was directed by C. M. Jones, retained the leadership held since 1864 and bred 53 Percherons during the time considered. Several men who had been prom- inent during the ’80’s dropped from front-rank posi- tions, either dispersing their studs, or materially cur- tailing their operations, and a number of new men, most of whom made their start before 1890, took their places. Bell Bros., H. A. Rohrs, Garfield & Rudolph C. Green, John Yost & Son and G. C. Steiner were the most prominent new breeders. E. J. Condit and §. Kendeigh were the only old breeders to hold rank with Jones Bros. among the leaders. Pleasant Valley Farm.—Small in numbers as Jones Bros.’ Pleasant Valley stud was, never comprising more than 10 mares of producing age, it held the lead in the state in numbers and in class of horses produced. The stock, as previously shown, was all descended from one foundation mare of the right kind and the sires were good. Greluchet 11333 A PERIOD OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION 369 (21165), already considered, remained in use till 1898, when he was sold to John Yost & Son, Thorn- ville, O. He was a very prepotent sire and his colts possessed real draft qualities. Yost had bred mares to him for some time before purchasing, and his colts were so good that C. M. Jones later sent a number of mares to be bred to him. The most valuable sire used in Ohio during this period, however, was Moreri 16950 (40246). He was the first-prize yearling at the Columbian Exposition in 1893 and was bought that fall by C. M. Jones. He was used in 1894, ’95 and ’96 at Pleasant Valley, and then was sold to a company at Marion, O., in which Wesley King was a leader. Here he remained in service until his death. Moreri was black with a star, stood about 17 hands high and in show econdi- tion weighed over 2,200 pounds, or about a ton in breeding condition. He had an excellent head, a elean-eut, well-poised neck, deep chest, and strong back and loin. His well-proportioned croup was a trifle high, and he showed heavily muscled hind- quarters. He was a very massive, bold-appearing, stylish horse, with a perfect set of feet and legs and the best of quality. His colts were characterized by good Percheron type, and were sound and clean. His daughters stand second to none in the estimation of Ohio breeders, and there is no question but that he did the breed more good than any other horse used in Ohio during his time. Moreri’s greatest son was Mark 20288, out of the mare Norma 1779, a daughter of Ajax 5. Mark was a massive, power- 370 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE fully built gray, standing over 17 hands high, with the style and action typical of his sire. He was used for several years by Mr. Jones, and while but few purebred mares were available, he sired more market-topping geldings than any sire ever used in that vicinity. Four of the crack gray geldings that drew leather in the gray show teams of Packingtown were by Mark, and while none achieved champion- ship honors, they gave a good account of them- selves. One of these geldings was out of a daughter of Ajax 5, and one out of a daughter of Greluchet, so that Mark’? s pathway was made easier by me work of his predecessors. Ruth 20284, later the dam of a ton horse of great character used for several years at the head of C. F. Camp’s stud, was another of Moreri’s daughters, and Hstella 21479, later a showring winner for John Yost & Son, was still another. Besides these, however, there were dozens of his daughters, both purebred and grade, that did splendid service in raising the draft horse standard in central Ohio. It was not an easy matter for a small breeder to pull through the hard times. C. M. Jones in com- menting on this says: ‘‘T was often discouraged and almost ready to quit, but I always had faith that the tide would turn. Mark W. Dunham was to me, as to others, a steady support. He counselled me, even in the darkest days, to hold on to all my good mares and buy more if I eould. I would not have sold Moreri had times been better, but $2,600 for him in 1896 meant more to me A PERIOD OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION 371 than $10,000 would now and I let him go in order to hold all my good brood mares. The tide did turn at last, and my Percherons have paid well, as they will pay any other man who sticks to the best.’’ Other Ohio Breeders.— Mention has already been made of KE. J. Condit, of Delaware Co., O. He too hung on through the depression and raised from 3 to 5 colts per year, a total of 39 in the decade. His Percherons possessed the requisite weight, were of a good type, and were utilized by various successful breeders. Some subsequent owners, who frankly admit they have made good profit in Percherons descended from the Condit stud, state that the horses were not on the whole as sound and clean as they should have been. Despite this, considerable good was accomplished by this stud. Bell Bros., Wooster, O., had been importing and breeding Shires up to 1890. They engaged in the Percheron business in 1893 and have been in it ever since. H. A. Rohrs of Napoleon, O., made his start in 1886 by importing a mare and a stallion. He had previously visited Oaklawn Farm, but could not agree on prices, so imported direct. The stallion Sapeur 6327 (4484) was of medium size, but well- proportioned and proved exceptionally prepotent as asire. The mare, Charlotte 12321 (18182), was much of the same type, and proved a valuable producer. In 1889 Mr. Rohrs imported Monarque 12315 (12402), a son of La Ferte 5144 (452), and some mares, so that he was well established at the time aie, A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE of the depression. He held out, and had the nerve to ship some of his mares away to be bred to Fenelon 2682 (38) in 1893. The colts produced justified his judgment. He later shipped mares to Theudis 25015 (40871) and Carnot 66666 (66666) with satisfactory results. Such work stamps Mr. Rohrs as a construe- tive breeder. His operations were small, he did not show or advertise largely, and most of his horses were sold for use on grade mares, but his contribu- tion to Percheron breeding in Ohio was material in its stabilizing effects during the panic and is worthy of emulation by other small breeders. Ohio’s breeders, other than those mentioned, were for the most part farmers who owned but a few Percheron mares. They were too frequently handi- capped by not having access to a high-class sire, and few had the courage to ship their mares away during the period of low prices. The real advancement made during this time was therefore slight. In Minnesota.— Minnesota dropped to fourth place in number of breeders by 1900, but held her former place, third, in number of Percherons bred and raised. The number of breeders increased from 30 in 1890 to 124 in 1900. This was a greater propor- tional gain in numbers than was made in either Illinois or Iowa. A total of 691 Percherons are of record as bred in Minnesota during this period. The Minnesota Percheron Horse Co., L. C. Hodg- son, J. Koester and T. L. & J. L. De Lancey were the leaders who survived the hard times. Leonard Johnson and George EK. Case, whose studs were A PERIOD OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION ae - among the best in the ’80’s, were forced to sell, and their stock was widely scattered. Many of the good animals from these studs went to men who knew nothing about Percherons and were virtually lost to the breed. Some of Leonard Johnson’s best horses, however, went to the Upson Farming Co., and later did considerable good for the breed. The William Mies stud passed into the hands of his sons, under the name of William Mies & Sons, about 1894, and they continued the business for a short time, but closed out before prices recovered. Willard & Fuller was a strong firm and had the only prominent Per- cheron stud established in Minnesota during the depression. The Minnesota Percheron Horse Co. had by far the most important stud in the state during this period. One hundred and five Percherons are of record as raised by this firm during the time considered and the stud ranked first in Minnesota and eleventh in the United States at this time. Niger 4986 (2951), _already described, continued at the head of the stud up to and including the season of 1895. His colts, like those of his illustrious grandsire Picador 1st (7330), were large, stylish and good in the under- pinning. They were sound and clean for the most part, and demonstrated the value of the Picador blood, noted for these characteristics. Fier-a-Bras 15746 (13555) was put into service in 1894 and proved valuable, especially on the daughters of Niger. Fier-a-Bras was a black son of Briard 5317 (1630), and was a large, massive stallion of good pro- 374 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE portions. He was first in aged class at the Colum- bian Exposition in 1893 for Oaklawn Farm, from which he was purchased. He continued in service throughout this period and eventually succeeded Niger as the head of the stud. The use of these good sires, with others almost as good, but less important, gave the Minnesota Percheron Horse Co. some very good Percherons, and it is much to be regretted that the stud was dispersed about the beginning of the century. The Paynes, who controlled this great stud, had other business interests which finally led them to close out their Percherons, but the Percheron breeders of the northwest owe them a substantial debt for their steadiness and constructive work dur- ing a most discouraging period. L. C. Hodgson was another who began in the ’80’s and held on throughout all the lean years. He was originally from Ottawa, IIl., a cousin of the Dillons, and bought his foundation stock of 3 mares from Adolphus Dillon in 1884. He removed to Minnesota in 1886, taking ‘his Percherons and adding more from time to time. The business subsequently passed to the sons, now Hodgson Bros., of St. Cloud, Minn., so that this stud has been earried on through two generations. Sonora 1636 and Marie Keet 1608, two of Mr. Hodgson’s foundation mares, were probably the most profitable he ever owned. Both were reg- ular producers of good stock. Marie Keet produced Norman Chief 12516, foaled in 1884, to the service of French Victor 6088 (6125), then at the head of E. Hodgson’s stud at Ottawa. Norman Chief was a A PERIOD OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION 319 high-class horse, both individually and asa sire. He won first in the aged stallion class at the Minnesota State Fair and was made champion over some im- ported horses that had won blue ribbons in many a hard-fought showring. His only defeat came when he encountered Gilbert and 3 of his get in the class for get-of-sire. Norman Chief was a black, standing about 17 hands high and weighing 1,950 pounds in good condition. He was a well-balanced, active horse, and proved very prepotent as a sire. He was sold about 1894 for $2,000 to South Dakota. The price speaks volumes for his merit, when his age and the low price of horses is considered. Victor 2d 12780, sired by Norman Chief out of Sonora 1636, was another good sire used, and Richelieu 21567, bred by M. C. Hodgson and used a little later, left a notable impress on the horses of Rock county. While Mr. Hodgson did not breed many Percherons, they were above the average in merit and the stud has been a valuable one in the northwest. J. & D. Koester, Northfield Minn., was another of the smaller firms which held on to Percherons through dark days. They did not breed many, but their success in the showring attests the fact that they had some good ones. The Koesters made sub- stantial winnings at the Minnesota State Fair in 1896, ’97 and ’98, defeating such exhibitors as the De Lanceys and Willard & Fuller in some classes. The influence of this stud was valuable because of the good quality of the horses owned. Belleview Farm.—T. L. & J. L. De Lancey, whose 376 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE earlier operations have been discussed, kept on through the depression and were persistent exhib- itors at their state fair during the ’90’s. They did not breed many Percherons, but unlike most men who were active dealers, did give careful attention to constructive breeding. They held their best mares and selected their stud stallions with care. Their re- sult was colts that made good in the showring and the stud. The most valuable brood mare was probably Char- mante 10931 (20451). She was imported in 1889 by the De Lanceys, and raised 9 colts in the 11 years 1891 to 1901 inclusive. Seven of these were produced in consecutive years. Her colts were uniformly good, though she was bred to 4 different stallions. All 5 of her stallion colts went to head purebred studs and 3 of them left numerous purebred colts. Klondike 21633 was sold to H. N. Lightley in 1899 and remained at the head of that stud for about 10 years; Titus 2d 21634 was sold to H. A. Briggs in 1898, who sold him to head the purebred stud of W. H. Miller at Alpena, 8S. D. Spuller 2d 23607 sired some purebred colts in the Uehling & Golder stud at Oakland, Neb. All these sons of Char- mante were show horses and all weighed more than a ton. Charmante herself was a show mare, having won second at the Société Hippique Per- cheronne de France show in 1889, and was repeat- edly a winner at leading shows in America, even when laboring under the disadvantage of nursing foals. She was champion mare at the Minnesota A PERIOD OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION Siti State Fair in 1890 and was again made champion in 1898 after raising 7 colts in the intervening time. Her daughters were good also, and one, Charlotte 21635, won second as a two-year-old at the state fair. Charlotte went to the Jean DuLuth Co., and did much toward building up that stud. Milena 21636, another daughter of Charmante, was also a show- yard winner and was sold by the De Lanceys to Charles B. Crandall, Randolph, Minn., in 1898. Milena was really owned for a time by Crandall Bros. They bred her to Spuller 17123 (20848) and to this service she foaled in 1900 the stallion Titian 25925, used for a number of years at the head of the Crandall & Danforth stud at Randolph, Minn. The chief sires used by the De Lanceys during this time were Pluton 10921 (15387), Sophocle 13575 (20845), Titus 17122 (36778) and Lyceen 21630 (42509). lLiyceen is considered to have done them the most good, and his stock, sired in France and America, has been on the average of superior type and quality. liyceen was sold to G. W. Patterson _and later went to Jean DuLuth Farm. Lyceen was bought by the DeLanceys from Ernest Perriot, Sr., and was of Brilliant breeding. Titus was one of the best sires used and was a big, rugged, heavy-boned horse, weighing more than 2,200 pounds. He did not remain long in the Belleview Farm stud however; James M. Fletcher bought him about 1896 or ’97 and sold him to Wyatt Stanley, Stronghurst, Il. Here he sired some very good colts, including a num- ber of purebreds. 378 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE Although the number of horses bred by the De Lanceys was small, their influence in Minnesota was considerable; they were active in the showring and good advertisers, even in the hard times. Their horses were of superior merit, especially good in the underpinning. Sales were made from this stud to Geo. W. Patterson, Crandall & Danforth, H. N. Lightley, and the Jean Du Luth stud, as well as to numerous smaller breeders, so that a considerable proportion of Minnesota studs of the present day are founded wholly or in part on purchases made at Belleview Farm. Willard & Fuller.—As has already been stated, the number of breeders in Minnesota increased more than four fold between 1890 and 1900. Most of the new men did not start till about 1897 or 1898 and many did not purchase until later. The only new Minnesota stud of any consequence established dur- ing the depression was that of Willard & Fuller at Mapleton. This stud was really started in 1890, when the old show horse and sire Dagobert 5151 (2431) was purchased, together with a few mares. Two more stallions were bought in 1893, and 10 mares were leased the same year. All foundation animals were obtained from Mark W. Dunham. Dagobert was the best sire ever used, but Noir Coco 13163 (20768) also got some drafty colts. Willard & Fuller placed great emphasis on size and massive- ness and their horses were all of this stamp. Mr. R. E. Fuller, a member of the old firm, is now located at Redwood Falls Minn., and still breeds A PERIOD OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION 379 Percherons, but on a less extensive scale. He reports that Coquette 4366 (5310) was the most valuable mare Willard & Fuller ever owned, as she was very typical, weighing over a ton, and her descendants, even to the fifth generation, have all developed, or give promise of developing, into ton horses or better of the right type. Some of the best mares ever owned at Oaklawn were held by this firm on lease and some of them were later purchased. Asa whole this firm contributed materially to the development of Percheron interests in the northwest. Willard & Fuller bred big, rugged drafters of good type and soundness, and through the distribution of such stock made it possible for farmers to improve the general average of their horses. In Wisconsin.— Wisconsin made substantial gains during the hard times, the number of Percheron breeders increasing from 23 in 1890 to 83 in 1900. In number of colts raised and recorded the state stood fourth, with 602 Percherons for this period. The chief breeders were substantially the same as in the ’80’s. Fred Pabst, H. A. Briggs, H. A. Babcock, G. N. Mihills and Peter Truax all held on to their good stock despite discouragements. R. B. Kellogg’s death broke the well-laid plans for his stud, and while the business was carried on for some years by the estate, constructive work could not be looked for. Some of the animals were sold to E. Stetson and others, but H. F. Hagemeister obtained most of the Percherons and the great sire Baccarat about 1896 or ’97, so that the stud was continued without 380 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE material changes. All these breeders had faith in the ultimate outcome and possessed the means to earry their studs through the hard times. Consid- erable advertising and showing was done, even in the worst years, especially by Briggs and Pabst. The horse-breeding interests of Wisconsin were material- ly conserved by the stability and confidence of her leading breeders. Progress in building up a better average class of horses in the state was greatly facil- itated by the distribution of good stock horses, which persisted, though at low prices, throughout this entire period from all her Percheron studs. As a consequence Wisconsin farmers were in a sound posi- tion when prices did turn for the better and had a keen appreciation of the value of Percheron sires. So marked was this, that in 1914 more than 74 per- cent of all the purebred draft stallions in the state were Percherons—eloquent testimony to the sound foundation laid by the early breeders of the state. In Kansas.—Kansas advanced from 20 breeders in 1890 to 72 breeders in 1900, and stood sixth in num- ber of Percherons raised and recorded during this period, with a total of 383 head. Henry Avery and his partnership firm of Avery & Coleman and O. L. Thisler were again the leaders. M. D. Covell, J. Fuhrman, Thomas McGee, C. Spohr and S. C. Bart- lett were others whose studs were founded in the ’°80’s and who had the confidence and courage to hold to their Percherons through hard times. Hanna & Co., with stock from the long-established stud of George Hanna in Illinois, began making Kansas Per- ees A oer 4 ol hae eval gee an LF. Stubblefield LT [AP Nave MD Anos ES A PERIOD OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION 381 cheron history in 1895. Wyatt Stanley, one of the best Percheron breeders from Stronghurst, Ill., was another addition about the same time. Both these ~ studs had good stock and were controlled by men of experience, so that the state was a material gainer by their operations. The great handicap to draft horse breeding in Kansas during this period was lack of feed. Dry years predominated. Pastures, never too abundant, were burned brown, and were in far too many in- stances overstocked. Crops were short, grain cheap, and money hard to raise. What grain was produced had to be sold to enable the farmer to live, and the horses were forced to rely almost wholly on the none too abundant pasturage. Asa result the Percherons produced during this period were almost all lacking in size, as must inevitably be the case under such conditions. Lack of interest in horse-breeding in the state and in states still farther west, which were the natural outlets for the Kansas Percheron breeders, made it difficult to sell good horses and prices were exceedingly low. Even the veteran Henry Avery told J. C. Robison, who went to him in 1897 to buy the first Percheron mares for Whitewater Falls Stock Farm, that he could take one or all of the Percheron mares he owned at $100 a head. In this bunch were mares of splendid individuality and breeding, though all were lacking in size. Among the mares were half a dozen or more daughters of Brilliant 3d, now recognized as the leading sire of the breed; and yet they were for sale at $100 apiece. 382 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE Mr. Robison bought one, and one only, and has often since deeply regretted his own lack of foresight. M. D. Covell was in reality the oldest Percheron breeder in Kansas; he made his first importation of Percherons in 1871, while located in Ohio. His first Kansas-bred Percherons were not foaled until 1884, and from that time on the stud was very influential in southern Kansas. C. L. Covell took control when M. D. dropped out in 1893, and the stud was carried on by him until after the close of the century. The horses in this stud were good, and they formed the foundation, wholly or in part, of many of the good studs now in Kansas. J. W. & J. C. Robison were the most prominent new breeders who established Percheron studs in Kansas during the years of depression. J. W., the father, moved from Illinois to Kansas in 1874, and took good grade Percheron mares with him. His first sire, Norval 1369 (794), was bought of G. L. Cushman in 1883, and he used Percheron sires con- tinually from that time on. His grade mares by successive crosses were bred up to splendid type and size, and many of them were subsequently recorded as French Draft under the top-cross rules. J. W. Robison was a horseman reared in the heart of the Percheron district in Illinois, and he foresaw the inevitable recovery in horse values at a time when prices were lowest. Percheron mares were accord- ingly bought in 1897, ’98 and ’99, and from that time on until they were numerous enough to justify re- liance upon mares of his own breeding. The son, A PERIOD OF PROFOUND DEPRESSION 383 J. C., was taken in at the outset and has continued the business since the death of the father. There were numerous other breeders in the Sun- flower State who began about the same time and who have bred good stock. Many quit just a little too soon to reap the harvest of their labors, but their work has benefitted the breed in the hands of later breeders. A notable instance is that of S. W. Me- Millan, Topeka, Kans., who had a few very select mares bought from the Ellwood stud. He lost heart and sold 6 of them to J. W. & J. C. Robison in 1900 for a small sum. In this group was the mare Fine 13085 (26998), considered to have been the best brood mare ever owned at Whitewater Falls, and her foal Zaza. Zaza was afterwards first at the St. Louis exposition in 1904 and sold to KE. B. White for $1,000, who considers her the greatest brood mare he has ever owned; in 1914 Mr. White had sold nearly $10,000 worth of her descendants and had all but 2 of her female descendants left. Yet this mare Zaza, now one of the greatest living brood mares, was bred by an obscure Kansas breeder who knew and loved good Percherons, but who lost courage when victory was within his grasp. There were many other instances of like character in Kansas, and in other states. Such cases were unusually frequent in the Sunflower State, however, for the reason that good horses of good breeding had been taken there and widely distributed, but so decreased in size by unfavorable environment that their real value was lost to sight for a time. The 50+ A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE ‘breeders of the state have eome back, however, in a remarkable manner, and the work done by the men who held on during trying times has aided beyond calculation in raising the general average merit of horses bred in the state. APH TAKEN AT NOGENT-LE-ROTROU GHAPTER XII. THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY. The extreme depression in business which had prevailed during the ’90’s had shown considerable amelioration prior to 1901. Business conditions in general showed much improvement during the first few years of the twentieth century. The period from 1901 to 1910 inclusive was fraught with momentous changes for Perclieron in- terests. The commercial demand for horses of all kinds, particularly draft horses, steadily grew. With the exception of the year 1908, when some de- pression in values occurred as the aftermath of the panic in the fall of 1907, prices advanced year by year until 1910. Values were at pre-panie levels in 1909 and made further advance in 1910. ' The purchase of horses for export contributed to some extent to the rise in prices, particularly in 1901, 1902 and 1903. The British were heavy buyers on account of the Boer War, and after the war had closed made extensive purchases of horses and mules in the United States to restock the farms of South Africa. The exports amounted to 82,250 head in 1901, valued at $8,873,845, and in 1902 103,020 head, valued at $10,048,046 were taken. The purchase of these horses on foreign account had an effect upon 385 386 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE horse-breeding in the United States that was much more far-reaching than the figures would seem to indicate. The wide publicity attending the inspec- tions focused attention on the fact that there was a shortage of horses abroad and that the United States was the best place in which to make pur- chases. Confidence in horse-breeding was gradually regained, and the steadily increasing demand for commercial horses and the increased prices which users of draft horses were willing to pay served to strengthen it. Wyoming bronchos that had sold for $5 or $10 a head during the ’90’s brought $55 in 1902 for shipment to South Africa. The opening decade of the new century saw an advance in prices paid for farm products of all kinds. Farmers began to bestir themselves to an appreciation of the increased yields resulting from more thorough tillage of their lands. Improvements in agricultural machinery made it possible for one man to do more work on the farm; to operate his improved machines additional horsepower was re- quired. The increase in the number of draft horses used in farm work and the increase in the weight and strength of these horses, were among the more marked developments of this period. The Interna-— tional Live Stock Exposition, founded in 1900, had fairly struck its stride by 1902; its unequaled dis- plays of draft horses of all breeds, both in the pure- bred and market classes, aroused interest and in- spired the leading farmers and horsemen of the United States to redoubled efforts in improving the THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 387 common stock. The waves set in motion by the In- ternational extended to the state fairs, which broad- ened their classifications and increased greatly their exhibits of horses. All of these factors combined to focus public at- tention upon horse breeding, particularly upon the sort of breeding stock which would increase the size and weight of the common class of horses. The draft breeds all reaped increasing benefit, the Per- eheron, already the most widely distributed, best known and most popular draft horse in the United States, to the largest degree. The Actual Increase.—In 1900 there were 1,634 breeders of Percherons in the United States; by 1910 the number had increased to 5,338. Between 1890 and 1900 only 8,807 American-bred Percherons and 1,490 imported Percherons were recorded. Between 1901 and 1910 inclusive 31,900 American-bred and 10,048 imported Percherons were recorded. In round numbers there were approximately 9,000 Per- echeron mares available for breeding in 1901. These mares, their filly foals and such females as were im- ported during the decade were responsible for the 31,900 American-bred animals recorded during this period—only about 3 American-bred colts during the 10 years for each Percheron mare. As this is below the normal production it shows that many mares were not bred and that many of the colts which were foaled were never recorded. Many were the men, particularly the smaller breeders, who had so lost faith in horse breeding by reason of the long- 388 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE continued depression of the ’90’s that they were timid even when prices began to rise and they did not immediately grasp the opportunities which lay before them. The actual experience of one well-known Percher- on breeder is a case in point. He attended a sale of well-bred Percherons in 1900. The stud was one of the oldest in the United States, the management had been good, and the mares sold were excellent. Yet this breeder, fearing the outcome, bought only a few. For those he did buy he paid from $95 to $175 each, and within 5 years mares of the same breeding and quality brought 5 times that price. Large as was the increase in the number of Per- cherons between 1901 and 1910, it was by no means so great as it would have been had breeders had a clear conception of the extent and far-reaching character of the commercial demand for draft horses. Pedigree Publication Suspended.—The decade beginning with the panic of 1893 was characterized, as has already been indicated, by a depression in the Percheron importing and breeding industry so profound and so widespread in its operation that the association which, up to that period had control of pedigree registration in the United States, was unable to maintain itself. Meetings were poorly attended. Funds ran low. The salary of the Sec- retary, Mr. 8. D. Thompson, was in arrears, and finally through a forced sale of the assets of the bankrupt organization he acquired legal title to the sic neyo Mh , ‘je Gra ah 9 Oar Ny Vie Fi ihe co ag gearae ? x £ A ey’ Te, VG. MMillan THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 389 books and records. Mr. Thompson maintained an office where pedigrees of imported and home-bred horses could be filed and certificates issued, but be- tween 1898 and 1905 no stud book was actually printed. New Association Formed.—Interest in the produc- tion of Percherons, which had during the dull years of the middle and later ’90’s receded almost to the vanishing point, in the meantime began to revive, and on Dec. 23, 1902, at a meeting held in Chicago a new organization was formed for the purpose of establishing upon a substantial footing and under the direct control of owners of Percheron horses, an association which should become responsible for the further registration of pedigrees, and to promote the general interest of the breed. Mr. H. A. Briggs of Elkhorn, Wis., presided, and Mr. George W. Stubblefield of Bloomington, Ill., was chosen Secre- tary. The following were named as Directors for a term of one year each: Messrs. H. G. McMillan, then of Cedar Rapids, Ia.; W. S. Dunham, Wayne, ~ Ill.; J. L. DeLancey, Northfield, Minn.; C. R. Taylor, Williamsville, Ill.; A. P. Nave, Attica, Ind.; C. O. Keiser, Keota, Ia., and H. A. Briggs. The Directors met and elected H. G. McMillan President, H. A. Briggs Vice-President, J. L. DeLancey Treasurer and Geo. W. Stubblefield Secretary. At a meeting held at the Great Northern Hotel, Chicago, on Aug. 8, 1903, the number of Directors was increased from seven to eleven, and Messrs. H. F. Hagemeister, H. W. Avery, G. W. Patterson and C. M. Jones were 390 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE duly chosen to fill the new directorships thus created. Old Records Acquired.—At a meeting of this or- ganization held in Chicago, Dec. 6, 1904, President McMillan said in the course of his address: ‘“We are now in possession of all of the original books and records heretofore controlled by Mr. Thompson. We are the only association having such records. We have all records and original data in the United States pertaining to the pedigrees of Percheron horses, including the original applica- tions, affidavits and correspondence connected there- with. We are the only society in a position to issue accurate and complete pedigrees and that can pub- lish a stud book that is full and authentic in all respects. We now own all the records. The certifi- cates of pedigrees issued by us will be carefully verified and ean be relied upon as truthfully stating the pedigree of the horse to which it relates. We propose to issue stud books within the coming year that will be a reliable and trustworthy record of pedigrees issued up to date. Breeders and buyers of Percheron horses everywhere can then verify their pedigrees and know when they are being imposed upon. ‘That the work of our association is appreciated, there can be no doubt. A year ago we had less than one hundred members; today we have 315. By our next annual meeting I firmly believe we will have over 900 stockholders. It should not be forgotten that our membership represents live members who are actually engaged in importing and breeding Percheron horses and who have pedigrees to record. With our present large list of active breeders and importers and being in possession of all the original THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 391 records and data pertaining to Percheron horses our future growth and success is assured and I prophesy that it will not be long before we will be in possession of the field without serious opposition or rivalry.’’ A new era of prosperity and pogress began with the organization of this powerful association. With the exception of some little opposition growing out of the refusal of certain interests, headed by the Messrs. McLaughlin, to co-operate in the work un- dertaken by the new association, there was a general feeling of relief that the further conduct of Perche- ron registration in America had now been settled in responsible hands. The McLaughlin faction organ- ized the Percheron Registry Association in 1904, and issued five volumes of what was called the Percheron Register, in which some 4,800 pedigrees were re- corded, but the inclination of breeders and importers generally had been to discourage division of energy and effort, and by 1911 the general association, now known as the Percheron Society of America, so dominated the field that the Messrs. McLaughlin, in the interest of harmony, gave up their enterprise and became affiliated with what was now really a national organization, approved by the United States De- partment of Agriculture, and commanding the re- spect and support of an overwhelming majority of all interested in Percheron progress in the United States. Influence of Dealers and Importers.—The dealers and importers exerted a paramount influence in de- 392 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE veloping the interest in Percherons during this per- iod. The existing stock in the United States was badly scattered, much of it unrecorded and a great deal of it in the hands of men who were giving their Percherons no particular attention. Leading dealers gathered this stock together and distributed it through private sales and public auctions into the hands of a large number of new admirers of the breed; they also sold Percheron mares to many small breeders who lacked the means and acquaintance- ship necessary to seek out and assemble them. In many instances dealers bought fillies or young mares, bred them to their own stallions and sold them as bred mares, thereby receiving credit for breeding a vastly larger number of animals than they would otherwise have had. Importers reaped an unprecedented harvest. Good imported stallions were syndicated all over the United States and Canada on the company plan at prices ranging from $2,000 to $5,000 each. These prices were abnormal, but importers justified them on the ground of the heavy expense involved in placing horses by this method and on the additional plea that most of the horses were sold on long-time payments. This plan of selling horses did result in distributing thousands of high-class stallions throughout the United States. The larger portion of these went into communities where they were bred exclusively to grade mares, so that the Per- cheron breed lost the services of many of the best breeding stallions brought over during this time. ve RESERVE CHAMPION AT THE INTERNATIONAL LIVE STOCK EXPOSITION IN 1900. SIRED MORE INTERNATIONAL PRIZEWINNERS THAN ANY OTHER SIRE USED IN AMERICA BETWEEN 1901 AND 1912. THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 393 This loss was compensated in large degree by the general improvement wrought upon the grade horses of the country. The progeny of these sires proved so much more valuable in farm work and sold for so much higher prices that farmers were awakened to the worth of Percheron sires. This in- ereased the demand for Percheron stallions, whether bred in America or imported from France, and led many other men to establish small studs of Percheron mares. The work of the importers, therefore, re- sulted in a widespread and marked improvement in the character and value of the common horses bred in the United States, and also caused a general expan- sion in Percheron breeding on this side of the water. The large exhibits of Percherons made at the leading fairs by importers and dealers also proved a potent factor in educating farmers in Percheron type and aided materially in popularizing the breed. The Development by States.—Illinois, as was to be expected, showed the greatest increase in the number of breeders during this period, there being 1,476 by 1910. Iowa was second with 860, Ohio third with 471, Kansas fourth with 319, Indiana fifth with 284, Minnesota sixth with 279, Wisconsin seventh with 269, Nebraska eighth with 229, South Dakota ninth with 171, and North Dakota tenth with 160 breeders. Illinois, Iowa and Ohio, the pioneer states in Per- cheron breeding, had more than half of the Percher- ons in the United States by 1910. Percheron breed- ing naturally increased most rapidly where the 394 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE horses were already in most general use and where their value was best known. It is significant, how- ever, of the widespread interest in Percherons to note that the breeders were scattered over 41 states and Canada by 1910. In Illinois—Oaklawn maintained its position as the leading Percheron breeding establishment in [h- nois during this period. Selling horses proved so much more profitable than breeding them that a large number of the Oaklawn mares were sold and the breeding operations were materially curtailed. Nevertheless, 162 Percherons bred at Oaklawn were recorded during this period. Every effort was made to keep the best sires available in service: Theudis 25015 (40871), one of the best-known sires in France, was imported in 1900 and placed at the head of the stud. He had been for some time the stud sire of M. Tacheau, the younger, at whose establishment he had divided honors with his sire Besigue (19602). Theudis’ get had won high honors in France and many of the best stallions imported in the late ’90’s and the early years of the new century were sired by him. His get won first and third at the Inter- national Live Stock Exposition in 1901, beating the get of Jules (37987), another of the well-known contemporary sires of the breed. Theudis was an eight-year-old when imported. He was one of the largest of the sons of Besigue, a stallion of great substance, standing about 17 hands high, and weigh- ing approximately 2,200 pounds in show condition; he was very deep-bodied, massive and well propor- BESIGUE (19602), ONE OF THE GREAT SIRES USED IN FRANCE BETWEEN 1898 AND HIS DEATH IN 1904; VERY PREPOTENT. PICTURE TAKEN WHEN HE WAS 14 YEARS OLD. HE DIED ON WATER EN ROUTE TO AMERICA IN 1904. Z LEADING FRENCH SHOWS. MARE SUZANNE (81567)—WINNER AT THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 395 tioned, with excellent quality, symmetry, style and action. Three of Theudis’ sons, Calypso, Rabelais and Casino, subsequently headed the Lakewood, ‘Leslie Farm, and the Whitewater Falls Farm studs, and practically made the reputations of those breed- ing establishments. Unfortunately Theudis had seen very heavy service in France and was not a sure getter after being imported. He made but two seasons at Oaklawn and died Oct. 1, 1902, at 10 years of age. His failure to round into breeding form after importation was undoubtedly a distinct loss to the breed, as his colts were high-class in character and had more size than most of the grand- sons of Besigue. Invincible 22715 (38109), a Black stallion of un- satel size and scale, was also used at Oaklawn for a time. He was bred from the M. Lefeuvre stock and weighed in breeding condition 2,200 pounds. He left a number of colts of excellent type at Oak- lawn. Pieador 27370 (48373), a winner of second prize in the aged class at the International Live Stock Exposition in 1901 and 1902, was also used to some extent. He was black, of the Picador strain and was an extremely deep-bodied, massive, powerfully muscled sire. He was so wide and thick as to give the impression of being lowset; he stood almost 17 hands high, however, and weighed 2,250 pounds in show condition. With all his size, Picador possessed symmetry and style, but was somewhat deficient in straightness of action. Among his progeny at Oak- 396 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE lawn was the mare Britomart 40427, which subse- quently won the championship at the International Live Stock Exposition in 1905. : Picador was succeeded by Pink 24765 (47513), a grandson of Besigue. Pink was the most noted show horse that ever headed the Oaklawn stud; indeed he probably was the most noted Percheron to grace our showrings during the decade. He won first place as a three-year-old at the Iowa and Minnesota State Fairs and at the International Live Stock Exposi- tion in 1903, and was the grand champion at Minne- sota and the International. He was first as an aged stallion and champion at the International in 1904, and stood second in the aged classes at the Inter- national in 1905 and 1906 despite heavy seasons in the stud. He remained at the head of the Oaklawn stud and in active service from the spring of 1904 until 1911, when he was sold to R. W. Bradshaw of Canada. Individually Pink was considered by many good judges to be well-nigh perfect as a Percheron type. He stood 17 hands high and weighed 2,100 pounds in fair condition. He was very deep-bodied, strong-backed, well ribbed down in the hind flank, and a model in the set of his legs from front, side and rear. His symmetry was faulted by a slight droop in the croup, but this was not marked, and in general proportions, style and finish he was one of the most remarkable horses of the period. His quality was extraordinary, as his cannons and joints were clean-cut, his skin fine and the bones of his head as clearly outlined as in any Thoroughbred. THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 397 Pink’s colts, as a rule, were very uniform, early maturing and exceptionally good sellers. Mr. Dun- ham states that none of his stallion colts had to be kept past 2 years of age and that very few of them sold for less than $1,000. They matured into large, massive horses. Many of the mares sired by Pink weighed more than 2,000 pounds in breed- ing condition. One of his sons, Pink Borodino 57905, out of the champion Britomart, a daughter of Picador, went to head the H. IL Messinger stud, where he rendered excellent account of himself. A daughter of Pink, the mare Pink Mirabella 57902, out of the champion mare Mouvette 30012 (43850), was second in the open classes and champion Ameri- ean-bred mare at the 1913 International. Another daughter, Pink Brillante 57897, foaled 1908, raised foals from 1911 to 1915 inclusive. Her 1916 foal, past 2 months old, was accidentally killed. The mare, though thin, won the championship at the Towa State Fair and was later champion Percheron female at the 1916 International. Many of the sons of Pink have been used on purebred mares with excellent results, and the value of his blood is now adequately recognized. It is difficult to particularize as to the females in any breeding stud, but some of the brood mares owned at Oaklawn during this period are worthy of special mention: Jeanne D’Are 17894 (37422) was champion at the International in 1900. Linda 12986 was champion in 1901. Mouvette was champion in 1903. Britomart, the daughter of Picador, bred at 398 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE Oaklawn, was champion in 1905. All of these mares were valuable breeding matrons, as were numerous others not selected for showyard fame. Oaklawn Farm gave special prominence to ex- hibits of Percherons at the leading state fairs and at the International, being one of the most consistent and heaviest winners of prizes at the Internationals of 1901, 1902, 1905 and 1904 and bringing out the champion stallion for 4 successive years. A large number of the prizes and the reserve championship in stallions were won in 1905 and 1906, while the mare championships fell to this stud in 1901, 1903 and 1905. Showing was discontinued in 1907, 1908 and 1909, but the Oaklawn entries were back in the ring in 1910. The large and well fitted exhibits of Percherons from Oaklawn Farm spurred others to greater exertions and stimulated draft horse im- provement generally. Extensive publicity in the agricultural journals supplemented the showyard advertising. John C. Baker was one of the large Illinois breed- ers of this period. Hercules 19985 was his chief stud stallion. He was a gray, foaled in 1904, and was out of a daughter of Brilliant 1271. He was a very large, massive type; possibly he lacked a bit in sym- metry and finish, but his colts were large, drafty and good sellers. So good was Hereules that he went to the stud of S. S. Russell & Sons when 14 vears of age. He was also used by Stetson Bros., Neponset, Ill. Mr. Baker bred a large number of Percherons, but buyers complained that he was not Ht ao, PINK 24765 (47513), CHAMPION STALLION, CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL, 1903-04. THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 399 a good caretaker and that his colts were not so well developed as they should have been. This, coupled with the fact that Mr. Baker did not exhibit at the fairs to any extent, undoubtedly lessened the in- fluence of his stud. Dan Augstin bred a total of 150 Percherons during this period and raised most of them himself. They were by a number of different sires. Mr. Augstin was located in a community where there were many stallions above the average in merit, and he mated his brood mares with many different horses besides those owned by himself in an attempt to obtain the best results. : Kellermann 10715 (20594) was one of the sires used to advantage on Mr. Augstin’s mares, and his son Absolom 27014 was also of decided value. Keller- man was a black, imported in 1889 by W. L. EIl- wood and purchased shortly after by L. F. Stubble- field. He was of Favori and Coco breeding, a horse of great scale and substance, a bit on the rugged type, weighing about 2,200 pounds in good condi- tion. He sired 53 purebred colts in the McLean county district. A large number of purebred colts left by Kellermann were bred in the stud of Mr. Augstin, although Wm. Hurt & Sons, L. F. Stubble- field, several other members of the Stubblefield fam- ily, S. Noble King, and H. M. Rollins had colts by him—Hurt and King even more than Augstin. Absolom by Kellermann was also used by Dan Augstin and some of the best mares which he re- tained were sired by this horse. Coquette 50404, 400 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE | the most noted show mare ever bred in the Augstin stud, was one of Absolom’s daughters; her colts were always of showyard character. One of them, Roseland 87467, was second in the open class at the Illinois State Fair in 1914 and the champion mare bred by exhibitor. Kimberly 25726 (44616), imported by Dunham, Fletcher & Coleman in 1901, was for some time at — the head of the Stubblefield stud. He was freely used by Mr. Augstin, and to good advantage. He represented a most unusual and desirable combina- tion of bloodlines, as he was a son of Besigue and had for dam Biche 44501, a daughter of King of Perche 4975 (6738). King of Perche will be remem- bered as one of the most famous horses in the HIl- wood stud in the ’80’s, and Besigue was the ranking sire in France between 1893 and his death in 1904. Kimberly was a large, powerfully-built, rugged horse, standing over 17 hands high. He weighed 2,060 pounds at one time when in show condition and in breeding flesh scaled 2,200 pounds. He left 35 purebred colts, a number of which were in Mr. Aug- stin’s stud. 7 Roland 42911, bred by C. W. Hurt but purchased in dam by Mr. Augstin, was the most valuable sire used after 1906. The horses produced in the Augstin stud were of the thick, massive, drafty kinds, in- clined to be a little lowset, and of the ‘‘Dutchman’s type,’’ but a rugged sort and valuable for breeding purposes. The care and management which Dan Augstin gave his horses was decidedly above the THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 401 average and the colts had an opportunity for full development. LL. F. Stubblefield, McLean, Ill., did not breed nearly so many horses as many of his contempo- raries, but his work was constructive in a high de- gree. The sires Kellerman and Kimberly headed this stud for a time and left a number of excellent colts. Some of the best mares retained in this stud were by those sires, and the Kellerman blood has been particularly valuable in the production of Per- echerons of showyard caliber. Forfait Jr. 40974 was placed at the head of the Stubblefield stud in the spring of 1908 and was used to good advantage. He was not of the largest type, but stood 16%4 hands high, and weighed a ton in show condition. He was very deep-bodied, well- ribbed, and powerfully-built throughout, with an unusually good set of legs, excellent feet, and rare quality. He was fortunate in having an unusual lot of mares in his harem, daughters of Kellermann and Kimberly, and his colts were uniform in style and of superior character. A number of them have won honors in the leading showrings. The mare Elsie 94834 was one of the good daughters of For- fait Jr. She was out of a daughter of Kellermann and was good enough to win fourth in the open class for two-year-old mares at the Illinois State Fair in 1914. The three sires, Kellermann, Kimberly, and For- fait Jr., were responsible for the improvement in Mr. Stubblefield’s Percherons during the decade 402 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE and marked progress was evidenced at each suc- cessive cross. The quiet, persistent accomplish- ments of this stud had a telling effect upon breeders conversant with L. F. Stubblefield’s work, and the influence of this collection has undoubtedly been far greater than that of many contemporary establish- ments of greater numbers. H. I. Messenger, Lockport, Ill., bred 109 Perche- rons foaled during this decade, nearly all of which were raised by himself. Morse 22714 (40383), one of the good sons of Besigue was used with success and added materially to the size of the Messenger stock. Extrador Jr. 12569 and Rochefort 29886 (45787) were used to some extent, and the stallion Charlemagne 41259 (Hang 52519) also did good sery- ice in this stud. Pink Borodino 57905, a son of Pink out of the champion mare Britomart, was bought by Mr. Mes- senger from Oaklawn as a foal, and from the time he became old enough was at the head of the stud. His colts possessed size, good conformation and soundness. In earlier years Mr. Messenger did not feed his colts liberally enough to permit of the best possible development, but they have gone on well in the hands of new owners and have rendered excel- lent service. Mr. Messenger did relatively little ex- hibiting at fairs and no advertising until after 1910, so that the stud really exerted less influence than the merits of the animals justified. The Leslie Farm stud founded by A. L. Robison & Sons, Pekin, [ll., during the period of depressed THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 403 values in the ’90’s, was another breeding establish- ment that exerted material influence upon Percheron development during this period. Powerful 6670 (Bayard 7519), purchased in 1897, was continued in service until his death. He was a tried sire with a wide reputation when he went to head the Leslie Farm stud, and his colts were large, well-propor- tioned and good breeders. When the Powerful fil- lies became old enough to breed Mr. Robison cast about to obtain another sire and finally decided that Seducteur 8850 (7057) was the horse he wanted. Seducteur had made a great showyard record while in the hands of W. L. Ellwood, and after 8 years’ service, chiefly on grade mares, had passed into the hands of H. G. MeMillan at Lakewood Farm. Mr. Robison went to Iowa in the spring of 1902 deter- mined to buy the horse, although he was then 18 years old and known to be an uncertain breeder. After laboring all day in an attempt to obtain a price on Seducteur Mr. Robison finally succeeded in inducing the owner of the Lakewood stud to place a figure on him. The price was purposely placed so high that it was thought to be prohibitive. Noth- ing daunted Mr. Robison bought the horse and shipped him to Leslie Farm, where he remained in service until his death in 1905. While he sired but few colts, those he did beget were of superior char- acter, possessing great size, symmetry and rugged- ness. On the death of both Powerful and Seducteur within a few months of each other in 1905 search 404 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE had to be made for a new sire. The Robison policy of obtaining tried sires had proved so successful that it was continued. Every horse-buyer of note in Illinois was communicated with and attempts were made to locate stallions that already had proved of more than average merit in improving horses in the communities where they had been standing. After long search and the following of many blind trails Rabelais 52564 (43442), foaled in 1897 and imported in 1899, was located. He was a son of Theudis, of Oaklawn fame, and out of Biche (28196), a daughter of Seducteur. Mr. Robison and his son Archie rode for 3 days looking at the grade colts which this horse had sired; he had not been used on any purebred mares. At the conclusion of this eareful investigation it was concluded that if Rabe- lais would prove as prepotent on purebred mares as he had already proved on grade mares, he was exactly what the Leslie Farm stud wanted, and as he was of exceptional breeding and closely akin in bloodlines to the horses already in the stud he was purchased and placed in service at Leslie Farm in 1906. Results were all that had been hoped. Rabelais’ colts were uniform in type, possessed ample size, and were of the deep-bodied, well-ribbed, massive kind, heavy in bone and of very drafty type. He remained at the head of the stud until his death in 1914. The use of these 3 tried sires resulted in steady improvement at Leslie Farm. Very few studs made more consistent progress in improving the weight, THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 405 size, style, symmetry and quality of the Percherons produced. The care and management of the young animals was far above the average, with the result that a large proportion of the colts bred and raised at Leshe Farm were sold as weanlings and yearlings at prices far in advance of the usual figure. Little was done in exhibiting at leading shows during this period, but the influence of the breeding operations earried on at Leslie Farm was widespread. Special attention was given to the encouragement of small breeders in the immediate vicinity. The result was the development of a large number of small breed- ing establishments founded on purchases made at Leslie Farm and the general improvement of all horses within the Tazewell district. Numerous other breeders have contributed mate- rially to the upbuilding of Percheron interests in Tazewell county, but men best acquainted with the rise of Percheron breeding in that territory are free to concede that Leslie Farm has led in the develop- ment of the Tazewell country as a Percheron center until it now stands second in the United States in that regard. M. C. Hodgson and W. E. Pritchard, both of Ottawa, Ill., whose operations have been reviewed at length in preceding chapters, continued their Percheron-breeding operations during this period and made material progress. No sires of special prominence were in service in the Hodgson stud during this period; most of the stallions were of Hodgson breeding and used for a short time. This 406 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON THORSE procedure was not calculated to develop sires of reputation, but the animals produced gained steadily in size and draft character. ‘‘Billy’’ Pritchard also used stallions of his own breeding during most of this time. Sultan 41622, out of a daughter of Confident 3647 (397), was one of the best.- The stallion Noirot 62489 (67573) was imported in 1909 to head the stud and gave good results, although criticized by many breeders on the score of coarseness. Both Pritchard and Hodgson were persistent ad- vertisers and exhibited at many shows. Both did considerable dealing in addition to their breeding operations, and were thereby enabled to place the horses of their own breeding at prices considerably higher than the majority of breeders obtained, as they sold direct to the ultimate user instead of to dealers. The Stetson stud at Neponset, Ill., and that of Russell & Sons, at the same place, both bred some good Percherons during this period, although the number was not particularly large. The sires in the Stetson paddocks during this time did not nick so satisfactorily with the mares as was desired; few of the colts were as good as their dams. Most of the mares kept in the stud during this period were daughters of Fearnaught 16302, son of Bac- earat 11326 (18639), the famous head of the Kel- logg stud. The daughters of Fearnaught were roomy, well-proportioned mares, ranging from 1,700 to 2,000 pounds in weight, with unusual quality and STALLION BAMBOCHEUR (62018)—PRIZEWINNER AT FRENCH SHOWS. MARE ERICA (68318)—PRIZEWINNER IN FRANCE, THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 407 finish. They were particularly good in the under- pinning, and as the owners themselves expressed it, were a better lot of mares than most of their daugh- ters proved-to be. This was undoubtedly due to failure to obtain the right sire to nick with the daughters of Fearnaught. Despite this, many ex- cellent Percherons were sold from this stud and it contributed materially to the breed’s improvement. Russell & Sons did not breed extensively, but the horses they produced were a good, useful sort, of very drafty pattern. The foundation laid during this period was so sound that at the first and only exhibit made by the firm at the International Live Stock Exposition in 1913 first and third prizes in the futurity stakes were won on stallions of their own breeding. William Rumney, Somonauk, Ill., bred a number of Percherons during the decade, but did not give any special attention to their development. Buyers complained that his colts had not been well nur- tured, and while later they grew into useful horses, lack of feed and care undoubtedly detracted from their influence on our horse stocks. Important Illinois Dispersions.—The dispersion of the studs of Wyatt Stanley, Stronghurst, IIl., and of John Huston, Blandinsville, Ill, in No- vember, 1901, were important events. The Stanley stud had been established in the ’90’s by the pur- chase of an excellent group of Brilliant-bred mares and the stallion Titus 17122 (36778). Titus was a big, rugged, heavy-boned, massive draft horse, 408 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE weighing more than 2,200 pounds, and his colts were of the same pattern. Buyers of these animals came from a wide territory, and a number of breeders were among the leading purchasers. G. H. & F. A. Reed, Lilylake, Ill, G. W. Patterson, Worthing- ton, Minn., J. W. & J. C. Robison, Towanda, Kans., and W. S. Dunham, Wayne, Ill. were prominent among the buyers, especially of mares. The entire lot of 34 head, including young, old and blemished animals, sold for $11,117, an average of $327.50 per head. bai The John Huston sale was held on the following day. Mr. Huston’s work as an importer and breeder. during the ’80’s and ’90’s was well known and the attendance at this sale was more numerous and from more widely scattered territory than at the Stanley sale. The dispersion of this stud was the culmination of 25 years’ work with Percherons, and Percherons only. Mr. Huston had bred persistently for the up- standing, drafty sort, with special emphasis on un- derpinning and quality. His horses were of the large pattern, the stallions standing about 17 hands high, and the mares 161% hands high, or more, yet well proportioned. In the opinion of the horsemen present at the vendue it was doubtful whether half- a-dozen of the best mares could have been duplicated in America for size, weight, bone and quality, and the other matrons were not far behind the tops. A. P. Nave, Attica, Ind., was one of the heaviest buyers, and added some grand breeding matrons to the stud he had previously started. Isaac Agen- THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 409 bright, G. W. Patterson, J. H. Barnes and Granville Kesling were active in the bidding and obtained a number of animals. Thirty-four head sold for $11,405, an average of $356.55. These two sales distributed some of the best Per- cherons to be had among a number of new studs and encouraged Percheron breeders generally. The wide publicity given to these auctions and the crowd of buyers from all parts of the country which as- sembled to bid on good Percherons gave notice to breeders that conditions had changed, and that many men had confidence enough in the outcome of the horse business to pay good prices for Percherons. New Studs Founded in Illinois—Hundreds of new breeding establishments were: started in Illi- nois during the period under discussion. It is impossible to mention all of these. One of the most important was at Gregory Farm, Whitehall, Ill., by W.S. Corsa, whose later operations in the Percheron field have made him one of the best-known breeders. Gregory Farm required a number of draft horses for general farm work and many heavy mares were in use on Mr. Corsa’s farm in Nebraska. Cocardos 16949 (35219), the black son of Brilliant 3d, was bought by Mr. Corsa and placed at the head of his Nebraska bunch of grade mares. Mr. Corsa did not at that time know that Cocardos had won first prize in the three-year-old class at the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1903, neither did he know that he was the sire of the noted stallion Lyceen 21630 (42509) and other good ones. Cocardos’ get 410 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE out of the grade mares in Nebraska were of super- lative excellence and Mr. Corsa often has regretted since that he did not know this stallion’s true value in time to use him on purebred mares. Radziwill 27328 (44228) was purchased in the fall of 1901 or spring of 1902 to use on the mares at Gregory Farm. He had been imported by Dunham, Fletcher & Coleman and shown at the International in 1901, where he attracted much attention. The use of these two sires on the grade mares at Gregory Farm and at the farm in Nebraska impressed Mr. Corsa most favorably, and having noticed a rapidly in- creasing demand for Percherons he determined to purchase a few purebred mares. The first purchase of mares was made from H. 8. Hoyman & Son in 19038, when Electress 31729 and Bona 31730 were purchased. Lucretia 19582 was bought about the same time. Some good mares were bought from Parsons & Baldwin shortly afterward and a few purchases were made from Oaklawn. A little later some mares of Brilliant breeding were bought from Lee Bros. of Kansas. Among these was Folichonne 31518 (54111), one of the most valuable mares ever owned in the stud. She was an inbred Brilliant, having for sire Besigue and for her dam a daughter of the same Besigue. These mares and the others which had been added from time to time gave Greg- ory Farm quite a band of matrons by 1908. Their produce, sired by Radziwill, was so satisfactory that Mr. Corsa determined to secure the best stallion obtainable to succeed Radziwill in the stud, and for s oe CARNOT 66666 (66666), CHAMPION AT INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION, 1909. THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 411 use on the fillies sired by him. Carnot 66666 (66666), a winner of first prize at Paris and with practically an unbroken string of victories in the United States to his credit, was champion stallion at the International in 1909. His purchase at the hitherto unheard of price of $10,000 was consum- mated and he went to the head of the Gregory Farm stud in 1910. Actual breeding operations at Gregory Farm during the first decade of the century were carefully planned, but no showing or advertising of consequence was done until after the purchase of Carnot in 1909. The mares that had been purchased and those bred at White Hall, however, had given Mr. Corsa a strong foundation, worthy of the high- priced sire selected, and subsequent breeding opera- ‘tions, combined with unusually skillful advertising in the showring and agricultural press, have placed the Gregory Farm stud among the leading Percheron breeding establishments of the present period. Progress in Iowa.—lIowa, second in Percheron breeding from an early period, maintained its rank during this decade. While there were fewer noted and extensive breeders of Percherons in Iowa than in Illinois, the operations were more widely scattered through all parts of the state than was the case in Illinois. A foundation was laid which has brought the state very close to Illinois in the number of Percherons produced. The Lakewood Farm stud was the leading Per- eheron-breeding establishment in Iowa during this period, and bred more Percherons than any other 412 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE in the United States during this time. To the pur- chases made prior to 1900 Mr. McMillan added some of the best mares from the E. L. Humbert stud, the Minnesota Percheron Horse Co., and the Wyatt Stanley stud, and also numerous other mares bought from seattered breeders. Seducteur was bought in the spring of 1900. Calypso 25017 (44577), first- prize winner in the three-year-old class at the Inter- national in 1900 and reserve champion at that show, was purchased in time to make his first season at Lakewood Farm in 1901. He was a line-bred Bril- liant, a son of the noted Theudis and out of a daugh- ter of Brilliant 3d. Individually he was not of the largest type, but stood about 16°%4 hands in height and weighed 1,900 pounds in breeding condition. He was a remarkably well-proportioned horse, beauti- fully balanced throughout, with two good ends and a good middle. His underpinning could not be sur- passed and his style, quality and action have seldom been equalled. All in all, Calypso was one of the most perfect types of the breed used in America _ after 1900, and the only serious criticism ever lodged against him was on the point of size. He proved to be one of the most prepotent sires ever known to the breed. His get won more prizes for get-of- sire than that of any other stallion used in America during his time; his excellence as a sire made the reputation of Lakewood Farm. He worked under the disadvantage of being bred to large numbers of mares that were intended solely for sale purposes; they were not really good enough to be mated to a THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 413 sire of such outstanding excellence. Despite this, time has demonstrated that no sire ever begot a more uniform and a more excellent lot of colts than Calypso, when the character of the mares used is taken into consideration. It must not be inferred from this that there were no good mares in the Lakewood Farm stud. There was a large number of mares of the best type and breeding, whose progeny by Calypso carried the colors of the Lakewood stud to the front in the strongest of competition at the leading shows. Olbert 42815 (53109), first-prize aged stallion and reserve champion at the 1905 International, was purchased and used in the Lakewood stud during the seasons of 1906 and 1907. He was an upstanding gray, over 17 hands high and weighing 2,100 pounds in fair condition. He was an upheaded, stylish stal- lion, rather more rangy in pattern than most of the horses of 1905 and 1906. He was a horse of surpassing quality, with flintlike bone, tendons well set back and joints clearly defined. Olbert was pur- chased for the particular purpose of being mated to the daughters of Calypso, with a view to in- creasing the scale and draftiness of the Lakewood Farm Percherons. He begot size, but his colts were so rough and rangy in appearance as yearlings and two-year-olds that he was disposed of before his real value as a sire became apparent. His get did not round into sale form until 3 and 4 years of age, but they were horses of tremendous scale and massiveness, with more than usual quality. His 414 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE blood, at first unappreciated, was later highly valued by breeders who were seeking to increase the size of their Percherons without sacrificing quality. His subsequent development into a sire of high rank vindicated the judgment of Joln Huston, who in- sisted, as one judge on the committee at the Inter- national in 1905, that Olbert showed every evidence of developing into a great stock horse. Had this stallion been given an opportunity to head a great band of brood mares, no one ean estimate how far- reaching his influence might have been. As it is, Ol- bert has a conspicuous place among Percheron sires. Actual breeding operations at Lakewood Farm were subordinated to the work of purchasing and distributing Percherons. Mr. McMillan was one of the first to realize the opportunity open to men who were good judges of Percherons and who had the means and inclination to assemble the Percheron stock which had been so widely scattered through- out the years of depression. For years he made heavy purchases of both mares and stallions, par- ticularly in Illinois and Iowa. After carrying these animals long enough to put them in shape for sale they were sold at public auction and were widely distributed throughout the northwest. A large num- ber of the animals which were recorded as bred at Lakewood Farm were from mares purchased for sale purposes, bred to the Lakewood Farm sires and sold in foal, so that the number actually bred and raised at Lakewood Farm is but a part of the grand total. L. 7. Humbert Charles F Curtiss aN LY THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 415 The showyard winnings of the Percherons from the Lakewood stud constitute an important contri- bution to the showyard history of this period, be- ginning at the International of 1906, where the purple ribbon for grand champion mare fell to Tolanthe 40925, and where the get of Calypso won first for get-of-sire. McMillan & Son showed re- peatedly at the Iowa and Minnesota State Fairs and at the International with marked success. The mare Tolanthe, bred at Lakewood Farm, was first-prize three-year-old at the Jowa and Minnesota State Fairs and won the championship at Minnesota, as well as at the International, in 1906. She came back as an aged mare and won the championship at the In- ternational in 1910, the only mare that ever accom- plished this feat in the history of the show. The American-bred colts brought to the front from the Lakewood stud were the first successfully to com- pete with imported horses in the leading showrings. This stud did more to overcome the erroneous in- pression that American-bred horses were not so good as the imported ones than any other breeding establishment of the period. Singmaster & Sons, Keota, Ia., continued opera- tions on an extensive scale, both as importers and as breeders. The other draft breeds which had re- ceived considerable attention from them prior to this time were relegated to the background and Per- eheron interests became paramount at Maple Grove Farms. C. F. Singmaster and his son, J. O., were the most active in the development of this stud, 416 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE although Thomas Singmaster, brother of C. F., also carried on extensive breeding operations. The heavy importations made by the Singmasters led them to test out a large number of different sires, and more than 25 were in service during this period. While this practice resulted in the production of a large number of high-class Percherons, it did not. lead to the development of any sires of outstanding reputation. Bataclan 21264 (43368) was given more. liberal opportunities in the stud than most of his contemporaries, and he subsequently sired a number of purebred colts in the studs of J. H. Letts and Brockway & Sons. Niagara 32338 (48905) was also used rather extensively and left many good colts at Maple Grove in 1905 and 1906. He later saw service in the stud of O. L. Thisler of Kansas, and still later went to P. W. Cox & Sons. A number of mares bred to him were sold to Glover & Son of North Dakota, where they contributed to the success of their stud. While no sires of nation-wide reputation were used in the Singmaster studs during this period, the type was materially improved by persistent selection of the best mares and by carefully mating them to such sires as seemed to be best fitted to overcome deficiencies. Relatively little was done in the way of showyard exhibitions until 1907, but from that time on the Singmaster stud was most strongly rep- resented in the leading shows. The persistent, wide- spread advertising done by this firm and the ex- tensive sales made affected most favorably draft horse development in all sections, and a large num- ie stag ‘ 7 MOULINET 79126 (68017), FIRST-PRIZE AGED STALLION AT PARIS 1911, AFTERWARDS IMPORTED TO AMERICA, INDIVISE, A PRIZEWINNING MARE AT FRENCH SHOWS, THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 417 ber of breeding establishments were founded on the purchases of mares and stallions from Maple Grove. The quality and character of the animals purchased has improved steadily, and the stud today ranks among the leading breeding establishments in the United States. Maasdam & Wheeler, Fairfield, Ia., were ex- tensive dealers and importers from 1901 to 1910. Their breeding operations were subordinate to their other activities, but they were well to the front in the showrings. They exhibited the gray mare Amorita, champion at the International in 1909. They distributed a large number of animals of drafty type and their sales in the western states were most extensive. L. M. Hartley, one of the early draft horse breed- ers in southeastern Iowa, was another breeder who produced a number of Percherons during this period and was also-active as a dealer. His horses were characterized by heavy bone and extreme rugged- ness and massiveness. They were very powerful, well-proportioned draft horses, possessing more draftiness than finish. They proved extremely valu- able in increasing the size and bone of the stock they were used upon and a number of the best sires of market horses trace to this stud. Samson 27328 and Tavernier 35719, whose dam was a daughter of Samson, were the leading stallions used. Both were prepotent. Samson was sired by Martigny 2528 (1271), a gray stallion imported in 1883 by Mr. Dunham and sold to Mr. Hartley in 1884. Martigny 418 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE was of the Favori and Coco breeding, and the most valuable of the early sires used in the Hartley stud. Bred to Tontine 5756 (4240), a grand-daughter of Brilliant 1899, he begot Samson. Samson stamped his foals so indelibly with his own likeness that ex- perienced horsemen who knew the old horse could pick his colts with almost unerring certainty out of bands containing numerous animals of other breed- ing. Little was done in the way of showing the horses bred in this stud, but persistent newspaper advertising was resorted to and the horses were sold over a wide range of territory. K. D. Seaman, a neighbor of L. M. Hartley, had stock of much the same pattern and was also an extensive breeder during this period. F. E. Waters, West Liberty, Ia., confined his work largely to actual breeding operations and produced some very drafty, useful stock, particularly after acquiring Morse 22714 (40383) and Brilliant D. 45336. These sires were both above the average in size and draftiness. Crossed on the thick mares already in the stud they begot some very useful stock which has been widely distributed through- out the northwest. M. L. Ayres, whose work has already been dis- cussed, was among the ten leading breeders in lowa during this period. Blandé 29259 (36577) was the leading sire used; he was a son of Brilliant 3d out of a daughter of the noted show horse La Ferté 5144 (452) and had been at the head of M. Tacheau’s stud in France for some time prior to his importation by THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 419 Mr. Ayres. Blandé was a black with strip and snip in his face, and a horse of excellent pattern, stand- ing about 16.3 hands high and weighing 2,000 pounds. He was deep-bodied, strong-backed, long and level in the croup, with excellent feet and set of legs, and possessed good quality and action. He was an extremely prepotent sire and many of the best stallions imported from France were sired by him. He was the sire of the Olbert referred to in the discussion of the Lakewood stud and of many other good horses. His colts sired in Mr. Ayres’ stud were uniform and closely resembled their sire, even to color and markings. Mr. Ayres was an ex- cellent feeder and gave his foals every opportunity for development. The colts sold from this breeding establishment were of the heavy-boned, deep-bodied, thick, drafty kind, and rendered excellent service wherever used. Mr. Ayres’ advanced age and lack of general education handicapped his operations, but the horses bred by him were undeniably of great value to Percheron interests. James Loonan was another of the 10 leading breed- ers in Jowa during this period, and his operations were strictly along breeding lines. His horses were rather low-down, thick, wide and drafty, somewhat on the ‘‘Dutchman’s type.’’ Superior 40605, out of a daughter of Confident, one of the most noted sons of Brilliant, was the greatest sire used in this stud. He was about 17 hands high and a deep, thick, drafty horse, weighing 2,200 pounds in show condition. His colts were uniform in type and of high average ex- 420 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE cellence; he rendered excellent service from the time he entered Mr. Loonan’s stud as a three-year-old in 1906. Some showing was practiced, animals bred in this stud being exhibited at the International in 1910 and 1911, where for both years the second prize was won on the get of Superior. Mr. Loonan’s gen- eral advertising was somewhat limited in character, but horses have been sold from this stud over a large part of Iowa and to some extent in the northwestern states and Canada. Isadore Link was another Iowa breeder whose work already has been touched upon. While he did not breed a large number of Percherons, they were of good type and were much sought after by dealers who recognized their excellent conformation and quality. There were numerous other breeders in Iowa whose operations are deserving of attention, but they were for the most part men who bred limited numbers of Percherons. They contributed materi- ally to the improvement of draft horses in Iowa, however, by the use of high-class sires and by dis- tributing animals of good type and breeding, there- by aiding materially in bringing lowa to its present premier position among the states in number and total value of all horses. Ohio’s Contributions.—Ohio, third in Percheron breeding with a total of 471 breeders by 1910, bred 2,286 Percherons during the decade. The Hartman Stock Farm, Columbus, O., was the ranking breed- ing establishment in the state, and a heavy importer THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 421 as well. Its operations began in 1901 with the pur- chase of a number of American-bred mares. This was followed in 1902 by the importation of more than 50 mares and several stallions, and additional importations were made in 1903, 1904 and later. Ugolin 31488 (46131) was the first stallion used, but he sired only a few purebred colts. Dr. Hartman was very wealthy and ambitious to build up the greatest Percheron breeding establish- ment in America. He bought a number of the best mares from the Dunham stud, several from A. P. Nave, and purchased the best he could obtain in France. He also secured at a long price the stallion Besigue, the most noted sire used in France between 1893 and the time of his purchase by Dr. Hartman in 1904. Unfortunately the horse died on shipboard, so that Dr. Hartman’s plan of bringing over the greatest sire France possessed to head his breeding establishment failed of completion. He had more than 120 Percheron mares in his stud in 1904, but results were extremely unsatisfactory. A large num- ber of the mares were worked in teams at heavy hauling by teamsters who were every thing but horsemen. Heavy pulling and backing of the mares while in foal resulted in the loss of many foals. The plan of running the mares in large bands favored the spread of abortion, which cut down the number of foals produced. The supposed tendency of imported mares to be shy breeders on account of acclimation fever for the first 2 or 3 years after importation was another retarding factor, so that 422 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE the number of foals produced was very small in proportion to the number of mares owned. Lack of success in producing and raising colts discouraged Dr. Hartman, and he sold most of his mares before 1910. The steady importations of stallions and the tendency of the men in charge continually to try out new horses led to the use of more than 20 dif- ferent stallions in the Hartman stud, with the result that none of them was given a thorough enough trial to achieve any particular reputation. Dr. Hartman exhibited at the Ohio State Fair and at the International with fair success. Con- siderable newspaper advertising was instituted and the Percheron importing and breeding operations earried on by the Hartman Stock Farm did much to increase the popularity of Percherons, besides leading to the direct distribution of a large number of valuable mares and stallions. The mare Folichonne, already referred to as one of the most valuable brood mares in the Gregory Farm stud, was one of those imported by the Hart- man Stock Farm, and many other mares that have done much good in other breeding establishments were imported or bred by this stud. While the experiment was a failure from a financial standpoint so far as Dr. Hartman was concerned, it nevertheless benefited Percheron breeding interests in the United States in a material degree. C. M. Jones, Plain City, O., the oldest living Percheron breeder in the United States, whose opera- THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 423 tions have already been reviewed in some detail, was another of the most influential breeders in Ohio during this period. His work was continued along the same conservative lines, but the animals bred in this stud, while few in number, were of uniformly high character. Most of the stallions produced by Mr. Jones went to head purebred studs, and such mares as were sold proved valuable additions to other breeding establishments. Diamant 30018 (46611), first prize two-year-old at the 1902 Inter- national, was purchased by Mr. Jones at that show and was the head of his stud from that time on. He was almost black when shown, but subsequently developed into a typical gray. He stood 17 hands high, weighed more than a ton in breeding condi- tion and was a stylish, deep-bodied, massive, heavy- boned horse, with excellent underpinning and good quality; he could have been a little deeper in the back rib to advantage. Diamant proved to be an excellent breeder, siring drafty colts of excellent conformation, quality, style and action. Although he stood at a higher service fee than any other stal- lion in the community he always had all he could do. His colts, whether grade or purebred, com- manded top prices. He was the sire of some very good mares which went into the C. F. Camp and John Yost & Sons studs, and was also the sire of Dorus 51052, used for some years at the head of C. F. Camp’s stud. Dorus sired Dora C. 81201, a prizewinner at the Ohio State Fair. Some of the daughters of Diamant bred to Aiglon 34397 (51598), 424 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE a son of Besigue, by C. F. Camp produced colts that were good enough to win the Eastern Percheron Breeders’ Futurity. The colt Algernon 112779, win- ner of these Futurity stakes at the Ohio State Fair in 1915, was bred on this identical line. Mr. Jones did not do much exhibiting, but the influence of his stud was marked, even during this period. John Yost & Sons, Thornville, O., whose horses have been discussed in some detail, were among the leading breeders in Ohio during this period. Some of the best mares in their stud have been drawn from the C. M. Jones establishment, and three of the Jones stallions, Wamba 22034, Moreri Jr. 26195, and Dunham:42077, were used in the Yost stud be- tween 1901 and 1910 with excellent results. Henry A. Rohrs, Napoleon, O., who founded his stud in 1886, and whose work has been briefly touched upon, was one of the five leading breeders in Ohio during this period. He shipped some mares to Oaklawn in 1902 and got a couple of fillies by Theudis. One of these died without produce but the other, Theudisanna 35420 proved to be a good breeder. Mr. Rohrs shipped her to White Hall, D1., to be mated to Carnot in 1912, obtaining a filly Carnole 108892. These two instances indicate Mr. Rohr’s willingness to go to considerable expense in his breeding, and his influence upon those breed- ers who came in contact with him was effective in leading them to exercise greater care in the selec- tion of their stock, particularly the sires. Lonzo McClain, E. D. Koli, D. L. Buchanan, B. L. See RE 5 (63516), CHAMPION AT CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL, 1907. =} ee = Q fe) A OU is} ma ot THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 425 Robinson, F. M. Camp, E. J. Condit and A. B. New- son were other breeders whose work was valuable to Percheron interests in Ohio during this period. And there were many others whose operations, while less extensive, were potent, particularly in the local field. Of those named Mr. Camp has bred more prize- winners than any other, and his success has been due largely to his insistence upon procuring the best possible foundation stock and to his unusually intelligent care in the management and feeding of the colts he has produced. His stock was character- ized by size, good conformation, excellent under- pinning, ample style and action. He has demon- strated that it is possible for a small breeder whose chief interests are in farming to produce horses capable of winning in the hottest competition. The filly that won the first EHastern Percheron Futurity stake at the Ohio State Fair and the stal- lions that won the same futurity stakes in 1914 and 1915 were all bred by Camp. The stallion that won the futurity in 1914 won second in the two- year-old stallion class at the Iowa State Fair, and third at the Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Fran- cisco in 1915, proving that his early performance was no fluke. These winnings, convincing evidence of the soundness of Mr. Camp’s methods, should serve to drive home to thousands of other farmer- breeders who have but a few Percherons the fact that large numbers are not required to produce prize- winners that sell for long prices. Sound judgment in the selection of foundation stock, the use of good 426 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE sires, and intelligent management in the breeding and development of the colts mean far more than the possession of a large band of mares. McLaughlin Bros., whose headquarters were at Columbus, O., were among the most extensive im- porters operating in the United States during this period. They confined their operations exclusively to imported horses and rarely bought mares except on special orders. They imported. a large number of very high-class stallions, excellent both in in- dividuality and in bloodlines, between 1901 and 1908. Nearly all their stallions were sold to syndicates on the company plan at high prices, and as a result comparatively few of the many stallions which they imported were ever used on purebred mares, as most of them went to neighborhoods where only gerade mares were available. There were some notable exceptions to the rule, but the majority of the stal- lions imported by this firm have been lost to the breed. The firm was very active, however, in adver- tising and popularizing Percherons. The McLaugh- lins were extensive exhibitors at the leading shows, | sending forward horses that were as a rule well brought out. They were aggressive and extensive advertisers in the agricultural press. The large amount of notes taken on horses sold finally brought about the downfall of the firm, as great sums proved impossible of collection and eventually forced a liquidation of the business. The Percherons bred in Ohio during this period were good, although they did not possess on an THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 427 average so much scale as the Illinois and Iowa horses. Progress in Kansas.—Kansas, fourth in Perche- ron breeding, with 319 breeders by 1910, bred a total of 2,039 Percherons during this period. Slower progress was made in this state than in Illinois, Jowa or Ohio. This was due in part to the fact that the farmers had been harder hit by years of depression, and also to the fact that they had se- vere drouths and short crops in 1902 and 1904. The steadily increasing demand for draft horses for farm use was a stimulant, and the sale of many im- ported stallions in the Sunflower State by strong importing firms hastened the liking of Percheron sires. J. C. & J. W. Robison, whose first Percheron mares were purchased in 1897, had the leading stud in Kansas during this period. The first mare purchased was Rosalie 4894, a daughter of Nyanza 869. J. C. Robison bought her from Henry Avery, Wakefield, Kans., and at the time he was there Mr. Avery offered to let him take one or all of the mares at $100 each. This band of mares contained several daughters of Brilliant 3d and many others of excellent breeding, but the horses were then lack- ing in size and Mr. Robison was entirely un- acquainted with Brilliant 3d’s reputation as a sire. He finally purchased the one mare with considerable trepidation, but has regretted often since that he did not buy the entire band. In the spring of 1900 J. C. Robison bought for 428 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE the firm 4 imported mares and 2 colts at the side of their dams, from S. W. McMillan, Topeka, Kans. These mares were of the Ellwood stock and ex- cellent individuals, but Mr. McMillan had become discouraged by reason of the long depression in values. He sold the entire bunch to Mr. Robison for $610. Among the band thus purchased for a song was the mare Fine 13085 (26998). She had a filly foal at side when purchased, which Mr. Robi- son recorded as Zaza 24618. Zaza subsequently won first in the aged mare classes at the St. Louis Ex- position in 1904. Her half-sister Fauvette 27223, produced by Fine in 1901, won first in the three- year-old class, and the two were sold immediately after the show to E. B. White of Leesburg, Va., for $1,000 each. Fine produced another foal in 1902, but after that time quit breeding. Three other valuable mares were added to the Robison stud in 1901 by purchases made at the Wyatt Stanley sale. One was Albertine 5119 (7587), a daughter of Confident. Another was the mare Azalia, sired by Brilliant 1271 and out of Albertine. The third mare was Idalia, another daughter of Brilliant 1271. These mares were excellent indi- viduals and had been good producers in the hands of their previous owners, but transplanting them to Kansas apparently interfered with their breeding, for none of them proved to be satisfactory producers after passing into the ownership of the Whitewater Falls stud. Their failure to breed regularly was a sore disappointment to Mr. Robison, as they were THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 429 mares of the most desirable bloodlines and excellent individuals. Endymion, another grand, big mare, a daughter of Brilliant 3d, also proved to be an unreliable pro- ducer. She was bought by the Robisons in 1903, and although bred regularly proved barren until 1907. She was subsequently sold to C. N. Miller, Lindsay, Ark., who got a foal out of her in 1909. He in turn sold her to W. S. Corsa in 1910, who did not succeed in getting a foal from her until 1914. She produced altogether only 5 foals in 17 years. Some mares were purchased by Robison & Son from Thodore Moore, Arkansas City, Kans. These were of the Dillon stock and Victorine 61629, later one of the best brood mares in Mr. Corsa’s stud, was bred by Mr. Robison out of Victoria 41198, one of the mares included in this purchase. Rosa Bon- heur 11324 (10382) would probably rank next to Fine as a valuable brood mare. She was a daughter of Confident and was imported by the Ellwoods. She passed into the hands of O. L. Thisler and later to T. K. Tomson & Son, from whom Mr. Robison bought her. She produced 4 foals from 1902 to 1905 at the Whitewater Falls Farm, and they were all exceptionally high-class. The last one, Brilliant 42592, was used for some time in the home stud. Some other good mares were bought from S. C. Hanna, who had obtained some of the best matrons from his brother’s stud at Bloomington, Ill. Some of the best things bred by the Robisons during this period came from this foundation. 430 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE .- The chief stud sires used at Whitewater Falls during this period were Fantome 25972 (43683), Social 9311 (18468), and Casino 27830 (45462). Casino was the stallion that really made the repu- tation of the stud. He was imported in 1901 by Singmaster & Sons, and was a line-bred Brilliant, a son of Theudis out of a granddaughter of Brilliant 1899. He went to the head of the Whitewater Falls _ stud in 1902 and is still in active service, although now 20 years of age. He was a winner of numerous prizes at state fairs in 1902 and 1903, won first in the aged stallion class in 1904 at St. Louis World’s Tair, and has a long record of prizes to his credit, both individually and as a sire. He stood about 17 hands high and weighed from 1,900 to 1,950 pounds in breeding condition. He was a deep-bodied, strong- backed, well-ribbed horse, symmetrical throughout, and with the stylish carriage of head and neck and the freedom of action so much desired in Percherons. His colts were uniform in type, and while he, like Calypso, suffered the disadvantage of being bred to many mares that were intended purely for sale, his progeny has been considerably above the average and he is justly entitled to rank among the noted sires of the breed. He wrought decided improve- ment in the Whitewater Falls Farm Percherons, and had his best daughters been carefully retained this breeding establishment would have had a band of mares of very much more excellence than it did possess. High prices tempted Mr. Robison to sell many of Casino’s daughters, however. This policy, THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 431 while successful from a financial standpoint, un- doubtedly interfered with the development of the stud. Mr. Robison’s operations as a dealer were ex- tensive. In the later years of this period he bought large numbers of mares in various sections, par- ticularly in Illinois and Iowa, and distributed them through the southwest by public auctions held at Whitewater Falls Farm. This resulted in the estab- lishment of a large number of new breeding places and aided in popularizing Percherons in Kansas and the states to the southwest, where the bulk of the sales were made. Henry Avery, Wakefield, Kans., whose earlier operations, both individually and as a member of the firm of Avery & Coleman, have already been fully reviewed, was one of the leading breeders in Kansas during this period. He exhibited at the St. Louis Exposition in 1904, where he won first and third on two-year-old mares. The stallion Bosquet 40105 (46612) was the last sire in use and left some very good colts, a number of which went to the stables of J. H. Tangeman when the Avery stud was dis- persed in 1905. The prices realized were satisfac- tory, considering the fact that everything, old, young and blemished, was sold. . There is no doubt but that Henry Avery rendered a great service to Percheron breeding in Kansas. His stud was dispersed at a time when victory was practically within his grasp. The animals sold passed into the hands of many breeders in Kansas 432 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE and wherever given a fair opportunity for full de- velopment have demonstrated the good breeding they possessed by maturing into large, well-pro- portioned, valuable Percherons. J. H. Tangeman, one of the heavy purchasers of Avery stock, did not breed a large number of Per- cherons, but produced very good stock. Many of his animals were considerably above the average in breeding. O. T. Thisler also bred a number of Percherons during this period. He was always more of a dealer than breeder and we have: previously referred to his purchases from the Ellwood stud. He also made some purchases at a later date from Singmaster & ° Sons. He came quite active in developing Percher- ons in Kansas and at points farther west. C. H. Spohr, one of the five leading breeders in Kansas during this period started with stock from the Covell stud. The mare Mollie 19915, bred from this foundation, was a valuable brood mare, a reg- ular producer of good colts. She raised colts of record in 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1912 and 1914, an achievement that is sur- passed by few brood mares. Three of her stallions, Castillon 1st, Castillon 2d and Castillon 3d, are re- ported to have sold for $800 each, and the mare was a money-maker from the start of her career. Cas- tillon 27318 (46308) was the most valuable sire used in this stud. He was a black with a star in his fore- head, foaled in 1900 and imported in 1901 by H. A. Briggs. Sired by Paladin (Conat 34847) and a THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 433 grandson of the noted sire Champeaux 6218 (2248), he was out of a line-bred Brilliant dam. He was a large, well-proportioned, rugged stallion, weighing 2,350 pounds in show condition, and his get has been distributed throughout the southwest. The management of the stud has since passed into the hands of John and John A. Spoblr. Other Kansas breeders who came into prominence during this period were F. H. Shrepel, G. E. Clark, S. S. Spangler, Snyder Bros., Lee Bros., Clark A. Smith, S. C. Hanna and Dr. J. T. Axtell. None of these had bred very many animals at the close of the decade, but.they laid strong foundations for later work. Dr. J. T. Axtell achieved some note by attempting to create a strain of bay Percherons. He bought a number of typical animals of that color and by breeding these together attempted to create a defi- nite strain. Results proved embarrassing, for prac- tically 50 percent of his Percherons were blacks and greys. It should be possible, by persistent effort to develop a strain of bays, and if the doctor’s efforts are not interrupted something of this kind undoubt- edly may be accomplished. The chief work done by Percheron breeders in Kansas during this decade consisted in popularizing the breed and in improving the size, quality and type of the market horses and the Percherons in the state. Extensive sales were made into Oklahoma, Texas and other southwest states. The breeders of Kansas have exerted a greater influence upon Per- 434 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE cheron development in the southwest than have those of any other commonwealth. Progress in Minnesota.—Minnesota, fifth in Per- cheron breeding during the decade under econ- sideration, had 279 breeders by 1910, and 1,583 Percherons bred in that state are of record as foaled during that period. G. W. Patterson, the Patterson-Erickson Co., T. L. & J. L. Delancey, the Jean DuLuth Co., H. W. Lightley, Crandall & Danforth, L. C. Hodgson and L. W. Orr were the leading breeders. T. L. & J. L. DeLancey, whose operations have already been sketched, were the most aggressive of the Minnesota firms so far as exhibitions at the leading state fairs were concerned, and at this time probably were the most active in distributing Percherons. They did not breed a large number, but the horses they did produce were of superior character and successfully contended in the open classes at the Minnesota State Fair during 1900, 1901, 1902 and 1904. The mare Charmante 10931 (20451) was their most valuable breeding matron and held her showyard form to a late age. Her colts without exception were of high character and winners in the leading shows. The DeLanceys sold foundation animals to a number of other studs in Minnesota and wielded a decided influence in the development of Percheron interests during the early part of this period. George W. Patterson, Worthington, Muinn., founded his stud in 1901 by purchasing 6 mares THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 435 and a stallion at the Wyatt Stanley and John Huston sales, held late in the fall of 1901. Forfait 16873 (28578), head of the John Huston stable for years, was purchased to head Mr. Patterson’s stud, but died before being used. Mr. Patterson thereupon purchased Lyceen 21620 (42509) from T. L. & J. L. DeLancey, and used him until the spring of 1908, when he sold him to the Jean DuLuth stud. The first colts bred by Mr. Patterson were dropped in 1903, and Lyceen was the chief sire dur- ing the first 5 years, although Collegian 22744 (43609), a son of Lyceen and also imported by the DeLanceys, was used to some extent. In addition to his 6 foundation mares Mr. Patterson secured several from Nagle and Sons, Grand Ridge, IIl., and others from the Minnesota Percheron Horse Co. The mare Frou Frou 22681 was bred by H. G. MeMillan, passed into Mr. Patterson’s stud and proved to be a most regular breeder for him and also in the hands of her later owners A. J. Lasby and G. J. Gilbertson. Some mares were also ob- tained by Mr. Patterson from T. L. & J. L. DeLancey and M. C. Hodgson. Among the best ones were those purchased from Hodgson & Nagle. They in- cluded Rose Bonheur 12962, a daughter of the fa- mous Confident which proved a very satisfactory breeder. In the spring of 1907 Mr. Patterson transferred his business to Patterson-Hrickson Co. and extended his holding of Percherons. A disappointing number of colts was produced, which might have been due 436 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE in part to the fact that he carried a large number of his mares in idleness. Many failed to get in foal and the loss of colts was heavy, but despite these difficulties this breeding establisment bred 106 Percherons during the 10 years. Numerous sales were made, and the mares produced were widely scattered throughout the northwest. Some of them went to A. A. Sandahl of Montana and were subse- quently sold to Prof. Oliver Jenkins of the Leland Stanford University, in California. A. J. Lasby obtained some mares from this breeding establish- ment and others were sold to the Jean DuLuth Co. Lyceen was bought by the Jean DuLuth Co. in the spring of 1908 and stood at the head of that stud until 1913. All in all, the breeding operations conducted by G. W. Patterson and the Patterson-Erickson Co., re- sulted in increasing the popularity of Percherons in Minnesota and in distributing a number of animals throught the state and the northwest. The state fair showrings saw some of the horses during the latter part of the decade. The stud was finally dispersed in the spring of 1914, U. L. Burdick of North Dakota taking all of the remainder. H. W. Lightley, whose work has been touched upon previously, was another of the leading breeders in Minnesota. He added some mares by purchase, but for the most part extended his Percheron hold- ings by retaining mares of his own breeding in the stud. The stallion Klondike 21633, bred by T. L. & J. L. DeLancey, was the chief sire used by Mr. THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 437 Lightley in the early part of the period. This was a very rugged, big horse, his sire being the noted Titus 17122 (36778) and his dam the DeLancey mare Charmante. He proved an effective sire. Dewey 23968 was used a little later with good results; he was bred by Mr. Lightley and while not so massive in type as Klondike, left some excellent colts. This stud bred only 33 Percherons during the 10 years, but the business was carried on steadily and on the death of the father passed into the hands of the sons, who are still conducting it. The Jean DuLuth Co., Duluth, Minn., began in 1904. The foundation mares were obtained from T. L. & J. L. Delancey, G. W. Patterson, and a few others, but the breeding operations were limited in eharacter until about 1908, when the business was expanded. Special attention never was given to pro- ducing Percherons however; the horses have been bred as a sideline to general farming. The purchase of Lyceen, placed a valuable sire at the head of the stud in 1908, and while he did not beget many colts, they were of superior character. In 1913 the entire stud was sold to U. L. Burdick of North Dakota. Crandall Bros., Red Wing, Minn., reorganized as Crandall & Danforth, Randolph, Minn., about 1905. The foundation mares used by Crandall Bros., were secured from Levy Bailey, G. W. Patterson and Wil- liam Mies & Co. These purchases, together with other scattered ones, formed the basis of their Per- cheron stud, and when Mr. Danforth became a mem- ber of the firm the business was carried on with the 438 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE foundation stock already assembled. The first sire of consequence was Spuller 17123 (20848), purchased from T. L. & J. L. DeLancey. He was a horse of rugged character and great size, and proved an extremely prepotent breeder. One of his best colts was the stallion Titian 25925, bred by Crandall Bros. out of Milena 21636, a daughter of the great sire Titus whose merits were discussed in our con- sideration of the DeLancey and Wyatt Stanley studs. Titian was a dark-gray, foaled in 1900. He was large, rugged and massive, and proved prepotent. He probably was the most valuable sire used by Crandall Bros. and Crandall & Danforth during this period and really made the reputation of the stud. He was used freely by neighboring breeders, inelud- ing A. J. Lasby, T. L. & J. L. DeLancey, L. W. Orr and others, and begot 50 colts of record, whose de- scendants are scattered all over Minnesota. A num- ber of prizes in the open classes at the Minnesota State Fair are to the credit of the Crandall firm, but the exhibitions were not long continued and did not extend beyond the limits of the state. The bulk of the sales were local. The main work of this stud was to popularize Percherons in Minnesota, and its influence is still marked. L. C. Hodgson continued breeding Percherons in a small way during the early part of the century, and recorded 22 colts. Richelieu 21567 and Sanson- net 2d 24588 were his most important sires during this time. L. W. Orr, Afton, Minn., was one of the smaller THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 439 breeders in the state and his work was unique. He began in 1900 with a single mare which he bought from Jacob Koester. This was Fany 20458; she raised colts of record every year from 1901 until 1910, inclusive, then missed until 1914, when she pro- duced another foal. Mr. Orr kept two of her best daughters for some time and these were also regu- lar breeders in his hands and in the hands of later owners.* His entire stud was originally developed from this one mare and her produce. The financial returns to Mr. Orr were such as to seem almost, fictitious, but they are well attested—an indication *Regarding the produce of Fany 20458 Mr. L. W. Orr of Afton, Minn., writes: “T bought the mare Fany in 1900 from J. Koester of Minne- sota. She was foaled in 1895 and had produced some colts before I bought her. During the years 1901 to 1916, inclusive, a period of 16 years, she has never failed to get in foal, and I have saved and reared 12 colts produced by her in the 16 years (four were lost through abortion or shortly after birth). Of the colts foaled by her in my possession I sold the first, Rosalie 30609 as a mature mare for $500; her second colt, Pickador 33150, a stallion, I sold for $800; her third colt, a mare, Gladdis 34797, I sold at maturity for $500; her fourth colt, a stallion, Canton 425411, I sold for $1,000; her fifth colt, a mare, Blanche 43448, and her sixth colt, a mare, Rosette 46841, I still own and consider the pair easily worth $1,000; her seventh colt, a stallion, Donald 53982, I sold for $600 as a yearling rising two; her eighth colt, also a stallion, Pluton 59395, I sold for $800; her ninth colt, a mare, Hazel 72135, I reared, but she died before she foaled a colt for me; her tenth eolt, a stallion, Tripoli 82581, I sold for $800; and her eleventh colt, a stallion, Superior 115223, I still own, and consider him easily worth $800. Her last colt, foaled in 1916, is one of the best stallion foals she has ever produced, and I think $350 is a moderate estimate of his value. “T have sold seven of her colts for $5,000 in cash, and still Own four, valued conservatively at $2,150. Fany has been a regular work mare, and has done as much work as any mare I have ever owned, taking her turn in the teams most of the time the year around. She has never been shod except when I have chosen to take her out to county and district fairs, but it is interesting to note that I have won more in prize money by exhibiting her than the mare herself cost. Her daughters have been prolific, have reared excellent colts, and I believe that two of them will in time make a better record than the old mare as money-makers. “T have never made an investment that has paid me as well as ‘the purchase of this mare.’ 440 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE of what a small breeder can do if he has a good mare to start with. Among the many other breeders whose opera- tions were more extensive than the average were Manuel Cross, A. J. & W. J. Lasby and D. N. Tollman. Most of the Percheron breeding in Minnesota, however, was conducted by farmers who had from one to three mares. The large establishments which had made this state famous in an earlier period, notably those of Leonard Johnson and the Minne- sota Percheron Horse Co., had for the most part been dispersed. The mares passed at moderate prices into the hands of farmers who have built up Percheron studs of importance from a beginning of one or two mares. The Hoosier Horsemen.—Indiana, sixth in Per- cheron breeding, had a total of 184 Percheron breed- ers by 1910 and 1,582 Percherons bred in the state were foaled during this period. A. P. Nave, George D. Enyart, C. A. Randolph, William Day, L. A. Rickel and Granville Kesling were among the most active Percheron breeders in the state. J. Crouch & Son and L. W. Cochran were heavy importers and very active as dealers, influencing Percheron prog- ress in the state to a marked degree. J. Crouch & Son, although strictly importers and dealers, were especially influential in encouraging Percheron breeding in Indiana as they imported a large number during this time. The horses which they brought from France to Lafayette Stock Farm Pata ENS a css © N) S ‘Ss © = ) THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 441 were high class, including many of the most noted prizewinners in France. Crouch & Son were ag- gressive exhibitors in the showring, winning a large portion of the prizes at the Indiana and Ohio State Fairs, and at the International Live Stock Exposition. Through their widespread newspaper advertising they did a great deal towards popular- izing Percherons in Indiana and adjoining states. A. P. Nave was the most active and influential breeder in Indiana during the decade. The founda- tion of his Walnut Grove stud was laid in 1897 by leasing mares from M. W. Dunham, a number of which he subsequently purchased. He also made a number of purchases from William Rumney & Sons, David Risser and the Stetson Estate in Ilh- nois, and was a heavy buyer of the best mares sold by John Huston, Blandinsville, [1., in 1901. The mares which A. P. Nave purchased for foun- dation purposes were among the best to be obtained in the United States at that time, and these were added to by importations from France. Mr. Nave has the distinction of being the first Percheron breeder in the United States to make importations of mares from France after the depression of the ’90’s. He also bought all the good mares he could find in various parts of Indiana and Illinois. One of the most important bunches of well-bred stock which he secured was purchased from Ben Miller, Mount Ayr, Ind. Mr. Nave also bought the entire stud of KE. L. Packer, Toulon, Ill., as well as that of T. L. Newton, Beaverdam, Wis. Later Mr. Nave 449 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE obtained the entire collection of John Hanchett, Big Rapids, Mich., which included the grand stallion Gauthier 57626 (70231). He also bought some very good mares from: Robert Burnham, of Champaign, Ill., and from W. H. Parker, Maroa, Ill. These numerous purchases of well-bred Percherons of good type gave Mr. Nave a most extensive band of more than average merit. He selected big, rugged mares standing around 16% to 17 hands in height, deep- ~ bodied, strong-backed, symmetrical, and of extreme draftiness. Those secured from the Huston stud were among the best; Minerva 31076 (43173), Rose 31068 (50734) and Lisa 31071 (46682) were well up in the prizelists at the 1902 International. Cora B. 22867, Castillonne 40389 (52602) and Juhe 40388 (51192) were winners for Mr. Nave at the 1903 International, Castillone and Julie being first and second in the two-year-old filly class, while the best American-bred mare at the show was Cora B. Brilliant 19648 was the first sire of importance used at Walnut Grove and proved a very effective breeder. He was followed by Abo 22626 (43517), a massive black horse standing 17 hands in height and weighing more than a ton. Abo was very potent, begetting a uniform lot of heavy-boned black colts. Victoria 24449 (42905) was the most noted sire used in the Nave stud. He was one of the most famous sons of Besigue. Black, with a star and white hind feet, he was one of the largest sons of Besigue, standing over 17.1 hands high, and being THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 443 deep-bodied, well-proportioned and of very massive type. He had been imported in 1900 by McLaughlin Bros., who sold him to Iowa. He came into promi- nenece when his son Pink won the championship at the International in 1903. Two of Mr. Nave’s im- ported show mares were sired by Victoria and he decided to make a trip to Iowa to locate the stallion. He found him in the hands of a farmer who had given him very poor care and who had no idea of his real worth as a sire. Mr. Nave had a favorable impression of his value, as he had seen many of his eolts and knew that many of the best horses im- ported in 1900, 1901, 1902 and 1903 had been sired by him. He had imported some of these colts him- self. He succeeded in purchasing Victoria at a mod- erate figure, but had an opportunity to sell him shortly afterwards to a breeder in Virginia, so that only a few colts sired by this stallion were bred at Walnut Grove. Mr. Nave was among the first to hold public sales of Percheron horses, and his auctions in November, 1901, and in March, 1902, were important events in breed history. They were the first public sales of Percheron horses in eastern territory. Satisfac- tory prices were obtained, and the mares sold were distributed among many small breeders who now trace their success to this foundation stock. All in all, Mr. Nave’s work as a breeder, exhibitor and advertiser of Percheron horses was of greatest importance. He undoubtedly did more to encourage farmers to use Percheron mares on their farms than 444 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE any other breeder in the state of Indiana during this decade. H. B. Lyman, Lafayette, Ind., began breeding Percherons a little before the opening of the cen- tury. Among his foundation mares were Jessie 24942, bred by George Shawver, Lewiston, ILL. Celestine 12216 (22835), bought from Evan Jones, and Lafayette Fair 20783, bred by G. H. Van Dolah of Illinois. He also picked up a few good mares from other sources, and though his breeding operations were not extensive he produced some very good Per- cherons. Noble, bred by L. M. Yoder, was his first sire and left some excellent colts. Mr. Ly- man’s Percheron breeding was incidental to his other business and to his farming interests, but he bred and sold many Percherons in Indiana and contributed to the popularity of the breed. C. A. Randolph, Fowler, Ind., established a Per- cheron stud in 1903 by the purchase of a few mares, most of which were bought in northern Indiana and central Illinois. These mares were not of the largest type, but had the quality, and the size was increased by mating to good sires. Protecteur 30043 (47573) was the first sire placed in service. He was an imported stallion, a dark-brown in color, but of good size and type; he left some excellent colts. He was followed by Trasbot 34694 (51036), and he in turn was succeeded by Glorieux 50743 (59261). Glorieux sired a few high-class colts, but was not so extens- ively used as Buck 44521, bred by Mr. Randolph and sired by Trasbot. Buck was used for several THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 445 years and his colts were of very satisfactory type, with more quality than the average. Mr. Randolph was successful in the showring with the sons and daughters of Buck, and this stallion undoubtedly contributed materially to the up-building of this breeding establishment. The horse was extensively used from 1908 until 1913, Mr. Randolph’s disper- sion sale on Jan. 30, 1914, was one of the most suc- cessful ever held in Indiana. Mr. Randolph’s opera- tions were not so extensive as those of some others in the state during this decade, but he was a man of high character and extremely popular in his com- munity, so that his influence was much greater than the number of Percherons bred by him would indi- eate. He was unusually helpful in encouraging and assisting small breeders to get a start in Percherons. William Day, Fowler, Ind., bred only 30 Percher- ons during this decade, but laid a strong foundation for later work. He, like numerous others among the smaller breeders in the state, was an aggressive | champion of Percheron interests and assisted 1 in pop- ularizing the breed. Wisconsin’s Workers.—Wisconsin, seventh in Percheron breeding during the time under consid- eration, had a total of 269 breeders by 1910 and pro- duced 1,388 Percherons of record during the dee- ade. Fred Pabst and G. N. Mihills were the leading breeders in the Badger state. The Richland County Horse Co., the Hagemeister Stock Farm and C. D. Holt & Son also produced a good many Percherons, and H. A. Babcock, Louis Lewellen, Jacob Burgy 446 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE and James J. Boyd were influential in Percheron affairs during this time. | The Pabst Percheron business was greatly in- creased by the purchase of the entire stud of the Little Missouri Horse Co., of North Dakota, in 1906. This gave Fred Pabst a large band of high grade Percheron horses, including about 1,000 suckling colts that carried 3 or 4 crosses of Percheron blood. About 150 purebred Percherons were also included in this purchase, and while many of them lacked size on account of having been raised under range conditions, they were well bred and for the most part of good type and superior quality. More than 30 of these mares were retained in the stud and proved good breeders. Mr. Pabst bought from the Hagemeister Stock Farm in the early part of the decade, and scattered purchases were made from H. D. & F. A. Reed, the Hartman Stock Farm and various small breeders in Wisconsin. Due 50740 (53786) and Mylord 54216 (64236) were the sires most in use, and both were effective in getting more size. Mr. Pabst and his family controlled the Pabst Brewing Co., of Milwaukee, and employed there and in branch establishments nearly 800 draft geldings. Experience had satisfied Fred Pabst that grade Percheron geldings were the most satisfac- tory for heavy draft work in the cities, and his su- perintendent, James G. Boyd, has long been recog- nized as one of the shrewdest judges of durable draft geldings. Practically all of the horses pur- THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 447 chased were high grade Percherons, and it was de- cided to exhibit a six-horse team. In 1904 a six- horse team bearing the Pabst colors won the cham- pionship at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition and at the International. The exhibition of this great team at leading shows was another factor in popu- larizing Percheron breeding. Much credit is due the Pabst establishment for showing the geldings at leading shows and for the exhibits of this firm at the Wisconsin State Fair. Every effort was made to encourage and assist small breeders in obtaining a start in Percheron horses, and a large share of the credit for Percheron improvement in Wisconsin must go to the Pabsts, father and son. G. N. Mihills, lumberman, had begun breeding Percherons in the ’90’s and continued throughout this period. He made a number of purchases from the Pabst Stock Farm and reserved many of the females which he himself had bred. In spite of his Percherons being a side issue, Mr. Mihills pro- duced 100 of his own breeding during this period and made numerous sales throughout Wisconsin, assisting materially in the upbuilding the state’s Percheron interests. Brentt 24062 and Ripon 22299 were the chief sires used in the early part of the decade. Both were valuable stock horses. Brentt was more freely used than Ripon. The Richland County Horse Co. was composed of a number of farmers at Richland Center, Wis., who purchased a band of mares in 1905. J. W. Martin and R. C. Lybrand were the leading spirits 448 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE in the movement. Although the mares were pur- chased and the business was conducted in the name of the Richland County Horse Co. the mares were in reality owned by the individual farmers. The stallions were owned by the company. The mares were purchased from various sources, but mainly in southeastern Iowa. They were of the rugged, drafty sort, but some were lacking in finish. While the Richland County Horse Co. bred many Perche- rons during this period, very few of the farmers gave sufficient care and feed to their horses to obtain the best results. The criticism generally lodged against the colts bred in Richland county was that they lacked size, frankly admitted to be due to lack of feed. A number of browns, chestnuts and bays were produced from this stock, which did not add to its popularity. All in all, however, the efforts of the farmers in the Richland County Horse Co. resulted in popularizing Percherons in that part of the state and induced more farmers to make a start with better horses. The Hagemeister Stock Farm, C. D. Holt & Son and Lewis Lewellen bred some good Percherons and sold many to local buyers. None of these firms did much in exhibiting at the leading shows, though Lewellen has been more active in later years and has made many exhibits of highly creditable Per- cherons at the Wisconsin State Fair. Mr. Lewellen also sold the foundation mares which P. F. Wick- ham of South Dakota used in founding his stud. The Lewellen mares have proved profitable in the THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 449 hands of later owners, as they have been regular producers of saleable colts. H. A. Babeock’s work was limited during this decade, but the horses he did breed were superior. Had his operations been larger Wisconsin’s draft horse interests would be further advanced. James G. Boyd, of Milwaukee, Wis., bred a few Percherons on his farm near that city. His pref- erence always has been for the thick, drafty, easy- feeding kind, and while the horses which he had produced have not been so large as the Perche- rons bred in Illinois and Iowa, they have effected a decided improvement in the stud where they have been used. Most of Mr. Boyd’s sales were made in Wisconsin, though he sold some Percherons to go to Canada. He has always been an aggressive champion of Percheron interests and because of his position as superintendent of the Pabst stables, for which he has purchased thousands of geldings, he has exerted a potent influence for draft horse improvement in the state. Work in Nebraska.—Nebraska, eighth in Perche- ron breeding during this period, had a total of 229 breeders by 1910, and 1,518 Percherons bred in the state are recorded as foaled during this decade. North & Robinson and M. M. Coad were the lead- ing breeders, but Uehling & Golder, Rhea Bro.. and James A. Barr were also active. North & Robinson had a large ranch near Cairo, Neb., and practically handled their mares under ranch conditions. During part of the time the stal- 450 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE lions ran in pasture with the mares. The firm made heavy imporations, mainly of stallions. The mares were purchased from many different sources, but chiefly in Illinois and Iowa. The trade was largely with the ranchmen of the west and the colts were raised in the pasture, so that many of them did not develop so much size as was to be found in the Percherons of Illinois and Iowa, but they were rugged, hardy youngsters, thoroughly accus- tomed to the range and profitable to the men who purchased them. The firm conducted numerous public sales, advertised liberally especially in the west, and exhibited to some extent at the Nebraska State Fair. North & Robinson contributed mat- erially to the building up of draft horse interests in the northwest and to the popularization of Per- cherons in that territory. Mark M. Coad’s stud was continued on the lines already discussed, until his Percherons were dis- persed about 1905. It was unfortunate that they received so little feed and attention, as they were of superior breeding. Despite the fact that Mr. Coad’s horses were not well grown out, they were of such type and quality as to win high honors year after year at the Nebraska State Fair and their merits were recognized by shrewd Percheron breeders. The mares bred in this stud were widely distributed, and their descendants have been found in’ many good breeding establishments, notably those of J. E. Wilson and Thomas Irvine of Minne- sota, C. H. Winship, William Thatch, Rhea Bros. ava LB BELLE 34982, BRED IN SOUTH DAKOTA, DEVELOPED IN IOWA, AND NOW OWNED IN VIRGINIA. A GREAT BROOD MARE. CHAMPION AMER- ICAN-BRED MARE AT INTERNATIONAL LIVE STOCK EXPOSITION IN 1911. {Brae s = ees NAR Gycia a ey, PERCHERON MARE GEORGIANA 28622, TAKEN AT 22 YEARS OF AGE AFTER SHE HAD PRODUCED 19 LIVING FOALS. foun THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 451 and EK. T. Graham of Nebraska and. James H. Letts of Iowa. One of the best brood mares ever used at the Missouri Agricultural College came from the Coad stock, and many of the good Percherons in southwestern [Iowa now trace to this breeding. Mark M. Coad left a profound impression upon Percheron breeding west of the Missouri River, and did more to popularize the breed in that country than any other breeder of his time. The work of Uehling & Golder, Rhea Bros. and James A. Barr already has been discussed in earlier chapters. All continued breeding Percherons throughout the entire decade, and all made improve- ments in the size and quality of their stock. There were numerous smaller breeders in the state. North Dakota’s Great Range Project.—North Dakota, ninth in Percheron breeding during this decade, had a total of 160 breeders of Percherons by 1910, and 765 Percherons of record were bred in the state during this period. The Little Missouri Horse Co. had the most im- portant breeding establishment. While the stud was dispersed in 1906, the work done by this breed- ing establishment was uniquely important and rep- resentative of the improvement of range horses. The story of the Little Missouri Horse Co. is a romance of itself. A. C. Huidekoper, while hunt- ing buffaloes in North Dakota in 1880, was so im- pressed with the good grasses there that he started a cattle ranch. The heavy winter losses in ’86 and ’87 caused him to swing to horses, and in 1889 452 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE he took 7 Percheron stallions and 26 mares to the ranch, about 30 miles south of Medora, S. D. With this seed stock he began the improvement of about 500 grade horses. Many of the mares were of the trotting type, weighing not over 900 pounds. The work of grading up this mixed band of mares until in 1906 the holdings numbered more than . 4,000 head, with approximately 1,000 foals branded that season, all of true Percheron type, was an object lesson of incalculable value to western horse- men. Some size was lacking, due to the fact the colts were raised on the range without grain, but the grades matured at weights from 1,500 to 1,800 pounds and were so uniformly good that the type became famous among marketmen. Mr. Huide- koper, commenting on his reasons for preferring Percherons for his work, says: ‘‘T can not refrain from calling attention to the activity of the Percheron horse. My experience at the ranch taught me that a Percheron stallion turned into a large corral will take the exercise that he requires to keep him in good, serviceable con- dition. Furthermore, he does it intelligently. When first turned out he takes several minutes to play, to work off his surplus spirit, and then looks over the corral to see what is going on outside. He watches the men at the cookhouse, the men at the stable, the people around the ranch. If he sees a cowboy saddling up, he knows the rider is going out to get the harem. During the interval of waiting he trots around and around his enclosure, and takes his exercise like an athlete in training. This disposi- tion of the Percheron to be active and’ to keep THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 453 himself in serviceable condition we considered to be of decided economic importance on the ranch. Our Percherons, as the result of their activity proved surer than any other draft horses we used. Our Percheron stallions proved to be the most pre- potent of any draft sires we ever used. So marked was their impress on the range mares that the Percheron foals could be picked out without diffi- eulty or question.’’ Jericho 12609 (18827) was one of the first stal- lions used. Included in the importation made by Mr. Huidekoper in 1889, he was a_ high-class horse, heavy-boned, with great finish, and weighed over a ton. He was a horse of showyard eal- iber in use on a ranch, and while his merits seemed wasted in some degree, his type was so distinctive that he proved an extremely valuable sire on the purebred mares, as well as on the grades. One of the best stallions used later was Rival 22471, bred on the ranch and sired by Jericho. Although range-bred he weighed over a ton and was a beaut- ifully balanced, deep-bodied, heavy-boned, sym- metrical horse of real showyard character. Peer 14379 was another range-bred sire of much the same type, but smaller. The Percheron sires used by the Little Missouri -Horse Co. were so notably successful that the draft stallions of other breeds were soon discarded. The colts by the Percheron sires were uniform in type, whether from large or small mares, and were so like the sires in conformation, symmetry, quality and spirit that they proved to be durable, saleable 454 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE horses. A large number of the gelding were ship- ped to the breaking and fitting stables at Conneaut Lake, Pa., from which they were sold to ice com- panies in Boston and New York. These horses aver- aged about 1,550 pounds each, although some of them weighed more than 1,800 pounds. The brand proved a handicap, but the true worth of the horses overcame this difficulty. Here was a powerful influence at work in favor of the Percheron breed for range conditions. Horse- men from all over the northwest came to this ranch to study the results obtained and to purchase range- bred sires for use on their own grade stocks. The purebred Percherons proved as hardy as the range- bred grades. The Percheron mares lived on the range both summer and winter. The stallions were - taken up late in the fall and fitted for spring serv- ice. The Percherons proved durable, adaptable, hardy, and preeminently suited to the improvement of the light-weight range-bred mares. No other breeding establishment in the northwest carried out such a persistent and extended campaign along well-defined lines in the improvement of the native horses. The fact that the Huidekoper family pos- sessed an eastern establishment where the horses could be broken and fitted for sale was another fac- tor of importance, as it provided for the placing of these range horses on the leading eastern city mar- kets on the basis of their true value as draft horses. The brand became so well known in the eastern markets that horses of this type and breeding THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 455 speedily came into general demand in spite of the prejudice against branded western horses. Work effected in North Dakota by the Little Mis- sourl Horse Co. was far-reaching, resulting to a greater extent than that of any other breeding es- tablishment in the northwestern states in popular- izing Percherons for use on the range. Great credit must be given to A. C. Huidekoper, who founded this enterprise and to Karle C. Huidekoper, who as general manager after 1896 directed the systematic improvement of the horses bred on this ranch. Per- eheron breeders generally have known little of the work of this breeding establishment, and it has been belittled by some on account of the fact that some of the Percherons raised there, which subsequently passed into the cornbelt states through Fred Pabst’s stud, were lacking in size. This was due to the fact they were raised under range conditions and was not traceable to any weakness in the foundation stock. The story of the work of the Little Missouri Horse Co. is an epic of the northwest. It is fitting that due credit should be given in the history of the Percheron to the mighty influence wielded by this stud in the development of Percheron interests on the ranges of the west. The Riverside Ranch Co., controlled by Cosgrove Bros. of St. Paul, carried out on a somewhat smaller seale the same kind of work that had been done by the Little Missouri Horse Co. This stud was closed out just before the beginning of the century, and reference is made to it here on account of the fact 456 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE that the horses bred on Riverside Ranch were dis- tributed into some of the leading studs in Canada and their descendants are to be found today among the Percherons owned by George Lane, D. J. Wylie and Upper Bros. White Bros., C. F. White, O. O. Ellison, P. A. Manseau and the Coal Harbor Stock Farm were other North Dakota Percheron breeders of import- ance during this time. None of them bred a large number of Percherons, but they did produce good horses and by their work in distributing Percheron sires aided in popularizing the breed for range horse improvement. P. A. Manseau, in particular, although a small breeder, was instrumental in en- couraging many other farmers and ranchmen to engage in Percheron breeding in a small way, and many of the studs now in North Dakota owe their existence to the encouragement which he gave. Progress in South Dakota.—South Dakota, tenth in Percheron breeding, had a total of 171 breeders by 1910, and 701 Percherons bred in the state were foaled during this period. Alex. Miller was the leading South Dakota breeder of this period, but his work practically ceased in 1905. During this half- decade, however, he bred 54 Percherons of record, and his mares which passed into other studs have since made history. Miuller-bred mares have won the highest honors at the International. La Belle 34982, one of the daughters of Brunelles 11415 (12162), was the champion American-bred mare at the International in 1911, and is today one of the THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 457 greatest brood mares of the breed. Mr. Miller was one of the really constructive breeders of Percherons and South Dakota suffered a loss beyond calculation when he found it necessary to curtail his Percheron breeding operations. J.J. Fry, James R. Warden, W. H. Miller, A. D. McClelland & Son, Hugh McGlinchy and M. A. Hommersand were other leading breeders in the state. None of them bred a large number of Per- cherons, but they produced horses much above the average in the state, and by their work and their exhibitions at local shows did much to raise the standard of the draft horses in the state. Marked improvement in the common horses. pro- duced in South Dakota was effected during this time, and the average selling price of Dakota-bred geldings advanced decidedly because of the wide- spread distribution of Percheron sires, due largely to the work of the small breeders. In Other States.—Michigan, Missouri, Pennsyl- vania, Virginia and California were the eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth states respectively in Percheron breeding. Colorado, Mon- tana, Washington, New York, Oklahoma and Oregon followed in the order named. Michigan bred 686 Percherons of record during this decade, and Ore- gon, the last named, is credited with 107 for the same period. Michigan.—In Michigan Henry C. Waldron, e x Palmer, C. Kern and John Hanchett were the loadin breeders. Mr. Hanchett in particular had some very 458 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE good mares and a sire of unusual excellence, but he found it necessary to close out his holdings and his entire bunch was sold to A. P. Nave of Indiana. Progress in Michigan was relatively slow on account of the fact that the farmers were not accustomed to using heavy horses and did not realize their advan- tages over lightweights. The persistent work of. the breeders named and a number of others was effective, however, in gradually educating them to the advantages accruing from the use of draft horses, and large numbers of grade drafters and many purebred Percherons have been shipped into the state in the last 5 years. Missouri.—In Missouri A. M. Walker, J. W. Barn- hart, J. F. Roelofson, N. S. Cox and J. M. West were the leading breeders. Mr. Walker bred almost as many as his three leading contemporaries. Prog- ress in Missouri was slow because Missouri farmers were more familiar with mules than with draft horses. The belief that draft horses would not stand the hot weather was another retarding factor. Be- sides, secalpers and speculators did a great deal of harm by purchasing coarselegged horses which were at a discount in draft horse breeding sections and disposing of them to men in Missouri, who on ac- eount of their unfamiliarity with good draft horses did not know that they were being supplied with inferior stock. The certain failure of these stallions created a prejudice against all draft horses which the Percheron breeders in Missouri found difficult to overcome. However, their persistent work in THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 459 selecting Percherons of good type and quality, well adapted to stand hot weather, and the success which they themselves achieved in using Percherons in Missouri, even during the hot weather, gradually had its influence upon farmers. Within the last 8 years a large number of draft horses, both grade and purebred, has been taken into Missouri, par- ticularly into the northern part. While no studs of national reputation have been developed within the state, some very good horses have been bred there and the number of breeders has been very greatly increased. Pennsylvania.—In Pennsylvania William Paden, Bond Bros., George A. Hogg and Powell Bros. were the leading breeders, and the Little Missouri Horse Co., which continued in a small way after closing out its holdings in North Dakota, also bred quite a number of Percherons in Pennsylvania. Sales with- in the state were limited, however, as Pennsylvania farmers in general have been slow to use heavy horses. A disposition prevailed for many years to buy young western horses in thin condition for farm work, disposing of them when they reached matur- ity. This policy retarded Percheron breeding and the state has never produced as many horses as actually are needed for its own use. The work of the few breeders located in Pennsylvania did, how- ever, favorably influence draft horse breeding in the state and the number of draft mares kept on Pennsylvania farms is being slowly but surely in- creased. : 460 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE Virginia.—In Virginia John F. Lewis, E. B. White, D. M. Cloyd and Charles Edgar were the leading breeders during this period and there were many other smaller breeders scattered throughout the state. Charles Edgar’s stud was dispersed about the close of the decade and most of the Percherons owned by him were shipped west. The John F. Lewis stud was dispersed a little later, but most. of these horses were distributed in Virginia and ad- joining states. O. E. Jordan.—Located in the extreme southwest- ern part of Virginia, Mr. Jordan did a great good for Percheron interests. The Jordan family has been breeding Percherons persistently since early in the eighties, having used some very excellent sires, including the stallion Victoria 24449 (42905), sire of the champion Pink. While none of the breeders in this particular district has bred many Per- cherons they have had horses of very superior type and with perhaps more size and real draft character than most of those produced in Virginia. Mr. Jordan’s operations have been more far-reaching and have exerted a more favorable influence on draft horse breeding than the number of Percherons he has bred would indicate. Selma Farm.—H. B. White began breeding Per- cherons in 1903, and today his stud is recognized as one of the high-class breeding establishments of the United States. The Selma Farm stud was started in 1903 by the purchase of 2 mares from the Hartman Stock Farm. In 1904 the two first-prize ~ THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 461 mares at the St. Louis Exposition, Zaza 24618 and Fauvette 27223, were purchased from J. C. Robison of Kansas. Both of these mares were daughters of the famous brood mare Fine 13085 (26998), im- ported by W. L. Ellwood. Mr. White made addi- tional purchases from time to time, seeking to obtain the best mares possible. He imported 23 mares from France, a number of which were noted in the show- ring. Besides these Mr. White purchased some noted American-bred show mares. The American- bred mares and their produce proved more satis- factory in the stud than the imported mares. Prac- tically all the best horses produced at Selma Farm have been bred from the mares secured in this country. One of the first stallions used by Mr. White was Sam 52055 (54508), third-prize winner at the Inter- national in 1906; he left some good colts, which have been successful sires. Cassius 35839, which Mr. White purchased as a stallion foal at the side of Zaza in 1904, was also used to some extent. Mr. White’s determination to have the best Percherons possible to obtain lead him to purchase Etudiant 70802 (59291), which he imported in 1909. Etudiant was at that time considered one of the best individ- uals in France and had quite a reputation as a sire. He stood about 17.1 high and was deep-bodied, mas- sive, well-proportioned, and of drafty type, with extraordinarily heavy muscling in the quarters and haunches. He was open to some criticism for being somewhat too straight in his hind pasterns, but he 462 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE | was a horse of excellent type and quality and weighed 2,100 pounds. Etudiant had beaten Car- not 66666 (66666) at the Percheron society show at Nogent in 1909 and was being fitted for exhibition at the 1909 International Live Stock Exposition when he contracted influenza which settled in his testicles and made it impossible to show him. This practically ruined him for breeding purposes for some years following. He begot only 7 purebred colts while in use at Selma Farm and for this reason did not materially influence the development of ule stud. | Dragon 52155 (63516), champion at the Interna- tional in 1907, was obtained by Mr. White to sue- eeed Etudiant and results from his services have been so satisfactory that he is now properly ranked among the leading sires of the breed. Selma Farm is one of the few breeding establish- ments in this country where particular emphasis has been placed on quality and uniformity in type and conformation. The foundation mares selected were the best that could be obtained in France or America, and while numerous disappointments were encountered in securing a sire of the first rank, some excellent colts were got. The policy of re- taining the best animals in the stud and eliminating all that did not come up to the desired standard in type and quality has given Selma Farm one of the most uniform bands of Percherons now existing in the United States. During the period considered this stud has been the most important factor in THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 463 Percheron breeding in the eastern part of the United States. The work done at Selma Farm in- fluenced others to establish studs in the eastern states and many small breeding establishments there now have animals tracing to this stud. California.—tIn California no studs of outstanding importance were developed during the decade, but J. F. Spaulding, J. W. Johnston, Mrs. Eschleman Sherman, H. T. Liliencrantz and the California Polytechnic School all had establishments of some consequence, which aided in the improvement of draft horses in the state. Conditions in California, however, have not been favorable to the develop- ment of draft horse interests. There are but two seasons, one wet) and one dry, and the long dry sea- son has been particularly favorable to the use of tractors. Besides this, the tendency to operate California farms in large areas devoted to small grain lead to the employment of large numbers of men whose knowledge of horsemanship was so rudi- mentary as to make it unsafe to trust them with good draft mares. Mule teams and tractors were mostly used, so that horse-breeding interests in California have been greatly retarded and it is doubtful whether the state will ever come to the general use of draft horses in any such degree as prevails in the Mississippi Valley. Great progress has been made in recent year's, however, and more Percherons are being purchased than ever before. Colorado.—In Colorado A. J. Zang, the Yampa Live Stock Co. and Nels Shuland were the only breeders 464 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE with any considerable number of Percherons, but there were many small breeders who bred a few. A. J. Zang bought some good mares and an unusu- ally high-class stallion in founding his stud and the horses he has bred have been very favorably com- mented upon by some of the best judges in the United States. The stallion Champagne 51743 (65402), used in the stud practically from its incep- tion, proved extremely prepotent and his colts are characterized by uniformity in type and by excellent quality. The persistent work done in this stud has aided in large measure all Percheron-breeding in- terests in Colorado. The greatest progress in this state, however, has been made in grading up the native range horses, in which Percherons have had the leading part. The free use of Percheron stal- lions on the native horses in Colorado has increased the size, improved the symmetry and conformation, and brought about such improvement in the general type and quality of the horses that they are worth from two to three times as much as the native stock from which they sprang. poe te conde laos ~ or jor CMEC) < > oe < I ¥ YaIHSaNNI@® 61 Q | 2 rd f u tt be oOover GYYMOH | aH | piyom BRS Lawwa | NONI |¥1O39SO] N OAT & A@14HS ter west of the ith 653 head recorded 2 percent of the total. Nebraska = (eb) © en ‘= 2 "SS oe Beas eS fe] SS 5S ) eame fifth, with 466 head DISTRIBUTION AND STATISTICS OF PRODUCTION 479 sin, sixth, with 414, or 4.58 percent; Indiana, seventh, with 367, or 4.06 percent, and Minnesota, eighth, with 347, or 3.84 percent. The rank of the other states was as follows: Regis- Percent Regis-— Percent trations of total trations of total South Dakota, 9th...... 336 Behe Tennessee, 28th.......... 12 eis North Dakota, 10th..... 298 3.30 Maryland, 29th........... 11 .22 Missouri, 1lth........... 251 2.78 New Jersey, 30th......... 8 .09 Pennsylvania, 12th..... 211 2.33 Arizona } 31st es 08 Michigan, 13th.......... 180 1.99 Nevadauiiaatcasi ees : : Montana, l4th........... 152 1.68 Delaware \ eq Z 06 Oklahoma, 15th......... 134 1.48 Connecticut f ?°S°"* 77-7" ue ; California, 16th ......... 99 1.10 Massachusetts \ 334 4 04 Virginia, 17th........... 91 1.01 Maine sara OH IO ; New York, 18th......... 79 -86 Vermont bs 4th 3 03 Idaho, 19th.............. 67 74 New Hampshire or ; Oregon, 20th............. 55 .61 Georgia Washington, 21st........ 48 .D3 Kentucky } SHUM ooo5 2 02 Colorado, 22d............ as os North Carolina MEKAS POS eects cre < sletercreie 2 3 Grpiddal teh. 2s. 2.5.0. « 30 33 Ease | Utah, 25th Be era iavaiaicaidre.aré 28 -ol New Mexico }36th....... 1 01 Wyoming, 26th.......... 25 -28 District of West Virginia, 27th..... 22 .24 Columbia The tendency for the breeding of any class of live stock to become concentrated in districts where it was first introduced and where its merits are most widely known is indicated in this data. Illinois and Jowa contributed 41.86 percent of the total registra- tions recorded during the year, while more than half of the Percherons recorded were raised in the first three states—Illinois, Iowa and Ohio. The first eight states contributed 74.97 percent of the total number of Percherons registered during the year, while all the other states combined con- tributed only 25 percent. Nevertheless, the wide dis- tribution of Percherons in the United States is shown by the fact that they were recorded during the year from 45 states, counting the District of Columbia and Canada. The number recorded 480 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE from Canada, however, was but a mere fraction of the total. Most of the Percherons in Canada are recorded in the Canadian Percheron Stud Book; the ASHTABULA 6 WILLIAMS FULTON 4 17 S 10 8 LORAIN 12 PORTAGE HURON 4 SENECA 3 2 WYANDOT | CRAWFORD 5 4 4 COLUMBIANA 6 ; s aoa \ Ee COSHOCTON 2 TRUMBULL 13 > 9 oP PREBLE b 10 S BUTLER = 6 J a Ohio had in 1916 779 members of the Percheron Society of America, The total number of Percheron horses recorded from Ohio between Nov, 1, 1915, and Oct. 31, 1916, was 747. The number appearing in each County is the number of Percheron horses recorded from that county between Nov, 1, 1915, and Oct. 31, 1916, inclusive. ones registered in the Percheron Society of America are those selected to compete for special prizes offered by the Percheron Society of America in Ca- BROWN ee RAWLINS | DECATUR | NORTON | pHituips}| SMITH | jewext | REPUBLIC eh a panes 3 : a 4 3 20 18 ? : CLOUD 4 ronson, E SHERMAN | THomas | SHERIDAN | GRAHAM |p oo Ks| OsBoRN | MITCHELL 8 v SOTA 3 1 26 Vo EFFFRSON a. © errs OTTAWA ue) 07 LINCOLN \ ALLA : j Coe SE OIGIAN Gove |TREGO] ELLIS |RUSSELL 2 at WABAUNSEE Cane 1 » 4 DICKINS*' 16 9 SALINE 13 ELLSWORTH 9 MORRIS OSAGE 4 3 BS W FRANKLIN RUS GREELEY wertae, scorr | LANE| Ness 4 | BARTON © 4 3 23 McPHERSON | MARION A of, 4 RICE 9 8 CHASE 15 5 me COFFEY ANDERSON 3 4 HODGEMAN HAMILTON KEARNY [toner STAFFORD HARVEY 3 RENO 27 4 ALLEN 3 EDWARDS 13 GREENWOOD | wWoopsoNn és GRAY 3 BUTLER 3 . 2 Beas yay PRATT “Pe GRANT 10 SEDGWICK STANTON ; RSET KIOWA 8 KINGMAN 16 : 7 6 ELK 18 MEADE UMNER COWLEY MORTON | STEVENS pone 5 CLARK Ene BARBER HARPER 3 ‘i 14 2 8 7 Kansas had in 1916 571 members of the Percheron Society of America. The total number of Percheron horses recorded from Kansas between Nov. 1, 1915, and Oct, 31, 1916, was 653, The number appearing in each County is the number of Perch- eron horses recorded from that County between Nov, 1, 1915, and Oct. 31, 1916, inclusive. 48) *OAISNPOUL “OTET ‘TS ‘390 PUB ‘CIEL ‘E “AON woomjoq AQuN0H 4¥q} WOIZ PEepr0deI Sos10y woId eyo19g JO 1aqumu oy} st Ajuno0H ovo ut Sulrsedde i1oquinu oy, ‘99> SPM “OIGT ‘IE ‘390 PUB ‘GIGI ‘[ ‘AON woomMjoq BysBIqeN woz peprose1 SesIoy woL0YoIeg Jo iequinu [¥}0} ey, ‘“BoLloUIW jo AZOI00G UoLeyoIeg ey} Jo SIoquiow ggg OTEL Ul PBY VysbIqoN , : asd \ z S NosauvHol4| JINMVd ye Wasa NV1TYVH] syNund |AoTIMmaay ADOOHILIH] XQnNnad - = 6 & € z Zz £1 st L W109] SAVOY = $d1dHd UWsLLNOW SHAVH]| ASVHO LI 6! tl SNINUAd A q1vH| O1vssng NOSAVG 3 ae) NIOONI1 qJanga 9 A ae? € T1V 8 oS HLIaX aNix GUYVMOH} WS ANNIASHD wf 89 x Fs YANNva TION JIN SLLODS ul oats : yaisno EERE) Nv901|Nos¥aHd2W AT AATIVA YOHLYYV 82 | : E INVU9S : WaTETHA agyvo| 2907) anivia | SvWOHL| 4SYOOH = 1 ay aLINgxog £ 1 wl or ye 240" NAOU z < ° AwYuwauHod c ' x qgAaogd WHVdVAdIN Naqaduvo NVQGIY3FHS 482 DISTRIBUTION AND STATISTICS OF PRODUCTION 483 nadian shows, or those which have been recorded here to permit of their exportation to the United States, if opportunity arises. DOUGLAS ar S BARRON 1 ST. croix] __ CHIPPEWA 5 DUNN 3 1 5 ee 1 Wisconsin had in 1916 366 members of the Percheron Society of America. The total number of Percheron horses recorded from Wisconsin between Nov. 1, 1915, and Oct. 31, 1916, was 414. The number appearing in each County is the number of Percheron horses recorded from that County between Nov. 1, 1915, and Oct. 31, 1916, inclusive. Another indication of the widespread distribution of Percheron breeding is the fact that the 9,044 reg- UAT ORTE eLKHART. | EA GRANGE | STEUBEN 13 5 5 15 ee NOBLE | pe KALB MARSHALL 7 2 KOSCIUSKO 5 4 PULASKI ALLEN 2 | STs a 6 < o S: a” Zo \ < = 41 4 ADAMS| a 2 = 1 CARROLL 5 BENTON HOWARD | GRANT Ss 9 &, ie ) as ors TIPTON 3 IHA MILTON 29 MADISON 13 LAWRENCE ORANGE DUBOIS 2 Ce 4 Wry Roy Be qt es, / On, Indiana had in 1916 412 members of the Percheron Society of America, The total number of Percheron horses recorded from Indiana between Nov. 1, 1915, and Oct. 31, 1916, was 367. The number appearing in each County is the number of Percheron horses recorded from that County between Nov. 1, 1915, and Oct. $1, 1916, inclusive. MARTIN 484 DISTRIBUTION AND STATISTICS OF PRODUCTION 485 istrations were made by 4,347 breeders, an average of only about 2 per breeder. This means that a hi RED LAKE ST. LOUIS Pa eo CRO CGE WIN Oe. SOR RS On Bes HUBBARD CARLTON AITKIN pa ree 2 eng SEUNG pec a Ly ae N ~E Palanan ae ia “ls Pee Bock NOBLES Wacko Bara ae aeeee Mower FILLMORE Minnesota had in 1916 397 members of the Percheron Society of America, The total number of Percheron horses recorded from Minnesota between Nov. 1, 1915, and Oct. 31, 1916, was 347. The number appearing in each County is the number of Percheron horses recorded from that County between Nov, 1, 1915, and Oct. 31, 1916, inclusive. a Ite .é 5 4 oc a BEERS great many breeders recorded but one animal, as many others recorded from 5 to 10 head each. In Illinois the breeding of Percherons is concen- 486 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE trated very largely in 10 counties in the north-cen- tral part of the state, contiguous to each other. These 10 counties contributed more than 53 percent of the Percherons recorded by Illinois breeders dur- ing the year. The counties, in order of rank and with the number of horses recorded, are as follows: McLean, 186; LaSalle, 168; Iroquois, 125; Living- ston, 109; Tazewell, 109; Fulton, 87; Ford, 82; Me- Donough, 76; Bureau, 70, and Woodford County, 62. This represents a total of 1,074 registrations from. the 10 counties, out of 2,014 for the entire state. In Iowa the leading counties are more widely scat- tered. The first, second, fourth, sixth, seventh and tenth counties are all located in the southeastern part of the state, practically contiguous to each other, while the third county is in the central part of the state, the fifth is in the northeast-central por- tion, and the ninth is in the northwest corner. The first 10 counties in Jowa contributed only 33.8 per- cent of the registrations from the state. Another fact which shows how much more widely Percherons are scattered in Jowa than in Illinois is that they were recorded from 98 out of the 99 counties in Iowa during the year, but from only 81 out of the 102 counties in Illinois. The 10 leading Iowa coun! ties, with the number of registrations, are as follows: Henry, 97; Keokuk, 75; Story, 66; Jefferson, 63; Black Hawk, 63; Van Buren, 55; Johnson, 54; Page, 46; Cherokee, 48, and Lee, 37. In Ohio the 10 leading Percheron-producing coun- ties, with the number of registrations from each dur- 1.48% OKLAHOMA 134 ARKANSAS O1 of 1% 03 of 1% VERMONT 04 of 1% MAINE .03 of '%_ NEW HAMPSHIRE] 04 of 1%. MASSACHUSETTS‘ 4 § Fi iS ee 106 of 1% VT. “CONNECTICUT, ‘ i 09 of 1% : NEW JERSEY) 06 of 1% DELAWARE 5 12 of 1% MARYLAND 11 Olof 1% WASHINGTON, ¥ D.G/’ The total number of Percheron horses recorded in the Percheron Society of America between Nov. 1, 1915, and Oct. 31, 1916, inclusive was 9,044, The number appearing at the top in each State gives the percentage which the number of Perch- erons recorded as bred in that State bears to the total number recorded for the year. The number appearing at the bottom in each State gives the number bred in that State and recorded during the period mentioned above, 487 488 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE ing the year are as follows: Delaware, 81; Wayne, 42; Hardin, 31; Allen, 30; Madison, 28; Miami, 26; Morrow, 26; Marion, 23; Van Wert, 19, and Williams County, 17. The first, fifth, seventh and eighth coun- ties are practically in one body in the central part of the state, but the others are scattered from the north- eastern to the western part, without any particular concentration of breeding in any one district. Dela- ware is far in the lead of all other counties in Ohio in the number of Percherons raised, but Percheron breeding is by no means so general as in Jowa, as registrations were made from only 75 of the 88 coun- ties in the state. The Percheron-breeding districts in the other lead- ing states are clearly shown by the maps accompany- ing this analysis. The significant fact is that Per- cheron breeding has expanded most rapidly in those communities where the breed has been longest known —eloquent testimony to the wearing qualities of the breed. The endurance, adaptability and money- making qualities of the Percheron have won it life- long friends wherever farmers have had an oppor- tunity to become acquainted with the sterling worth of the world’s most popular draft breed. Percherons in the South.—Touching the matter of the adaptibility of the Percheron to the conditions prevailing in the Southern States we have asked for expressions of opinion, based on observation and experience, from two well-known animal husband- men connected respectively with the Tees and Georgia agricultural colleges. DISTRIBUTION AND STATISTICS OF PRODUCTION 489 The evidence of Prof. John C. Burns of College Station, Tex., is as follows: ‘ im 203; 7045 2O'U scm cick cake e eet ae Ce eee 3 23. Blande: (36am s 1m, 204, 205, VAOk Wei ciscue ce one aera 3 24. Jean, Nivetlestst95:),, in. 2063 708, 209% .ceysnis aa eee ee eons PANS (utlorsar (4G) Thin OW WO Shek d so Goon Ni ojies sige ete lougn oole Woh RUSE DM ed ean 2 26, haiGrange (1334) sin 701, 208... ose ee ee ee 2 27. sulban’ (4 WLS) es ime 209 LOE soe, tele ea eek 2 285 MeICAMOr MOG snCSib)5 ma O10) aes oe SUE Ah 2 29 sBontor, CLO590) sain! 202, 090222 A ee 2 305 Visconti: (20491), imi08) ’04...524.0 5, 8. eee oe eee 2, si. Sangrado (22990); am: 709) °° 10 2. Ss hee Sci cde tee eee rt $2; Burkalori(34952)in 206; 07 s.e.c.ccod ea erescie ey bake Se eee 2 33. Mernando (3403'S); Im 208, 709.035, 5 so e's cone ccestec one tenes Ae ee 2 345 Jemmapes (41958), in 707, ’08.. . so. oe 2 eee he ees a 3d. Clisson C40222))5 vin 708,° 709 5 oi... chic acta cle tt cccke a chene nee eee 2 86) Desouwis “CLOT94). O85 P0953 oc ek co eck cehe are Si Cee ee ne ra si. Bambin 41034), in: 709): DOs... o. wegkicne skis oe ee Oe ee 2 335 Napolitainy ¢@23046)) 1n\ 09) 2110)... oe See eee 2 39: Monid: (40349), in 709710). cocks iS SS 2 ee eee 2 40: Othello C4282 9) simi 7209 LO... a's c/aucr cupenebo ete! cnolste tokens eee 2 Breeding of Prizewinners at French Shows.— For the benefit of students of animal breeding, the first-prize winners at the shows held under the aus- pices of the Percheron Society of France from 1901 to 1910, inclusive, were selected and their breeding traced out in detail to the eighth generation, or, where the breeding did not extend so far, to its uttermost limits. There were three stallions and four mare classes at each of these shows. The detailed breeding of the seventy animals in question was submitied to Prof. EK. N. Wentworth, of the Kansas Agricultural College, for analysis as to the percentages of blood of the leading strains represented, the total shown on each pedigree being BLOODLINES IN THE SHOWRINZ 595 taken as 100 percent. This is not absolutely ac- curate, but is near enough for all practical purposes. In computing the proportion of blood of the lead- ing sires, duplications were avoided, and where, as in the first instance given, a pedigree is said to contain 12.5 percent of the blood of Brilliant 1271 (756) and 18.75 percent of the blood of Brilliant 1899 (755), we mean that the particular animal involved carries 18.75 percent of the blood of Bril- hant 1899 (755) through other lines than Brilliant 1271 (756). Where Coco 2d (714) is listed, his blood comes down through other strains than the Brilliant, every precaution being taken to avoid duplications in these calculations. The figures show the percentage of the blood of leading sires carried: TABLE I—WINNERS AT THE 1901 SHOW. Class 1.—Stallions. Class 1.—Mares. CHAMBELLAN 27349 (46787). EGLANTINE 30011 ones ; Percent Lie enceny Bee! Brilliant 1271 (756)..20.3125 Brilliant 1271 (756)....12.5 Brilliant 1899 (755).. 9.375 Brilliant 1899 (755)....18.75 @ocomo da Gila) hee 7.8125 Cocor 2d) (714). 2... 6.25 yor ist (WLU) ccocos 7.03125 Favori 1st (711)....... 7.8125 Siess 2— Sines Class 2.—Stallions. DOCILE (35828). x : ercen’ SCIPION 27123 (43667). Brilliant 1271 (756)...12.05 . pence Class 3.—Mares Brilliant 1271 (756)...21.875 REINE (48062). Brilliant 1899 (755)... 6.25 Percent (Corer Gl (Gale Dy aigeem pier 3.125 Brilliant 1271 (756)...12.5 avon ist ail) «o- 1.5625 Brilliant 1899 (755)... 9.375 Coco 2d Gil Ae hae ee 7.03125 Class 3.—Stallions. French Monarch (734) 4.6875 ORANGISTE 29606 (45088). Favori ist (711)...... 3.5156 Percent Class 4.—Mares. Brilliant 1899 (755)... 6.25 TENEBREUSE 30013 (45615). Brilliant 1271 (756)... 3.125 pi Percent eMart y bse CC 11) «<