EARLY DAY HORSES — TROTTING STOCK — SOME FAST ONES — DRAFT HORSES — MULES — FIRST CATTLE — LOSSES FROM SEVERE WINTERS — CATTLE RAISING AS A BUSINESS — EFFECT OF HERD LAW — FIRST COWS — BREEDERS — FINEST HERD OF HEREFORDS IN THE WORLD.

The cayuse, broncho, mustang, Indian and Texas ponies were used for riding, driving and hauling the lighter loads. The heavier hauling was done principally by oxen, but gradually immigrants brought a higher grade of horses, and crossing with the better ones of those already here, produced a good serviceable class of horses. This continued until the standard and thoroughbred driving horses took the place of the pony stock of the early settler.

Some of the best trotting stock in the country has been bred and developed in this county. Probably the first standard bred horse brought to the county was "Champion," by Lamb, of Douglass, and the first horse to win a race, winning the sweepstakes at the Butler county fair in 1872. The next was a horse called "Kalamazoo Boy," brought from Michigan by H. M. Balch. He was driven on the track at the fairs held in El Dorado a number of times, taking first money, his record being 2:36. There were others, but the first party to enter the business of breeding and training trotting stock for sale was the late A. W. Dennison. The report of his work, as given by W. O. James, his trainer and driver, and who has driven in some of the fastest races in the State and developed greatest speed, follows:

"Back in the eighties, Judge A. W. Dennison started one of the best standard bred horse stock farms in the West. The first horses he raced were such as "Black Tom," a trotter, and the great pacer, "B. T.," and a trotter, "Slade." Then he bought the game race horse, "Egmont Chief," a great trotter in those days, and if given the same opportunity that some sires have had would rank with the best in the world. He drove him and such mares as "Eva," a trotter," and "Maggie," a pacer, and many others. Then hard times hit this county and horses were not worth much. This farm was disposed of, but time had proved his judgment was all right. Such brood mares as "Evalou," by "Egmont Chief," was bred and raised at this farm, and she was the dam of "Pierro," the greatest trotter than ever raced in Australia, and was the largest money winning trotter in that country in 1910. This mare, "Evalou," was

trained and driven by W. O. James, who effected a sale of her in Freeport, Ill., for a large sum of money, and she was exported to Australia. The same season of 1910, the dam of "Dudie Archdale," the largest money winner of that season in America, was bred and raised on this farm. "Dudie Egmont" was also by "Egmont Chief."

The blood of this farm is also showing up on many of the best horses that are now raised in Kansas and Nebraska, also in foreign countries. It was not appreciated as it ought to have been at the time and as results show it was entitled to. Such animals as "Dudie Archdale," 2:03 1/2, etc., showing two of the best track horses ever in races, were raised in Butler county.

Next came C. B. Dillenbeck & Son, who perhaps have made more money out of the "fast horse" business of their own raising and developing than any one in the county. Their stock is known wherever horsemen get together. A list of some they developed and sold, driven principally by W. E. Dillenbeck, one of the firm, and one of the best drivers known, is furnished by the senior member: First came "Julia D." 2:14 1/4, which campaigned two years and sold for $1,000; second came "Herbert Master," 2:17 1/4, which won every race he started in and then was shipped East and brought $1,750; next came "Melba," 2:17 1/4, which we raised, and gave her the above record; then came "Daisy Dorff," 2:10 1/2, proving to be one of the greatest race mares in Kansas; then came the great "Symbol Meath," 2:07 1/2, raised and developed by us, winning in purses in 1913, $3,100. We still have him and "Daisy Dorff;" also eleven head of registered mares and colts undeveloped from such brood mares as "Thisby D." and "Daisy Dorff." The bunch is very promising and we expect more 2:10 trotters from among them. Of course, there were many others engaged in the business in the county, but the above will illustrate the development of trotting stock.

The draft horses of all kinds and descriptions came in with the settlers of from about 1869, but the business of raising for market was not entered into exclusively until J. W. Robison started his Percheron farm on the Whitewater, about four miles north of Towanda, in the eighties, which was developed by him and, since his death, by his son, J. C. Robison, until its reputation is world-wide, and is one of the great live stock institutions of the country. Mr. Robison, being an importer of the finest stock of his kind money will purchase, goes personally to France, the home of the Percheron, for his supply.

"Casino," one of his importations, was a prize winner at the National live stock show of France and is the winner of 115 first and sweepstake prizes in America. The annual sales of the stock of Mr. Robison are attended by the horse buyers from throughout the United States and amount in value to many thousand dollars.

The Bishop Brothers, of Towanda, are engaged in the same line and are adding to the reputation of the Whitewater country for Percheron stock. Their sales stables are located in Towanda and their con-

stantly increasing business is the best evidence of the popularity of themselves and their stock.

The only ones now called to mind engaged in the business of raising mules for market was W. H. Bodecker, of western Butler, and William Morti, of Little Walnut, both successful in their line. There were in the county in 1916, 18,434 horses and 5,233 mules.

The first cattle brought into the county probably came without the knowledge of their owners. The change in ownership was affected between two days. Coming from Arkansas, Texas and the Indian Territory, these cattle were grazed here for a time and then marketed, either here or by driving farther north and east. Sometimes, but not often, a portion of the cattle would be recovered by the owners, and in getting possession of them it would happen occasionally that a man or two would disappear, and would not be heard from afterward.

These were the days when might made right, when courts were presided over by Judge Lynch, whose jurisdiction extended beyond that of all other courts, and sometimes beyond civilization, and whose jurors, being composed of the witnesses, seldom failed to agree upon a verdict, and instead of a hung jury, the same or something similar was applied to the defendant, so that after a few sessions of this court, the consent of the owners was first obtained before taking the cattle.

During the winter of 1860, J. D. Connor and some others had a few head of cattle, and on account of the extreme drouth, feed was very scarce, and in order to save their cattle, they went into the timber in January and February of that year and cut young elms for the cattle to feed upon, and this kept them alive until grass came. The only instance known of wintering cattle on timber and the only county in the world where it is possible to do so.

In the fall of 1872, many "through cattle" were diven[sic] up from Texas and sold to various parties. The winter of 1872 and 1873 was very severe, and practically all of these cattle died and left the owners with some experience and many hides—the removing of the hides furnishing employment during the late winter and early spring. The carcass would be fastened to something that would hold, the hide loosened on the head, and after a cut or two with a knife, a team was hitched on and started up, taking or stripping the hide from the critter.

The first man to engage in the business of raising cattle was one Penrose Johnson, north of El Dorado. Afterward he and family were drowned in the west branch of the Walnut river; this was in 1866 or 1867. He had about 100 head of cows, full blood long-horned Texans, with graded bulls brought from the east. He was followed by Mr. Harsh, father of the Harsh boys of Sycamore township.

A Mr. McCabe, father of Ex-Representative D. L. McCabe. Clint Arnold, T. W. Satchell and others. J. W. Gaskins and borther,[sic] living on the land lately leased by J. W. Teter for oil and gas purposes, handled quite a number of Indian cattle from 1868 to 1870.

About this time, John Teter commenced the business of buying, selling and speculating in cattle and was very successful. His advice to those desiring to engage in the business was, "Buy 'em young, even if you have to pay a little more than they were worth; they will grow while you sleep."

Later on, almost every farmer, especially after the Herd law had become effective, handled more or less cattle until the business of raising, buying and selling, feeding and pasturing has become of such magnitude that the county ranks first in livestock, held, fed, marketed and slaughtered in the State and the live stock has become and is the principal industry in the county, particularly in the eastern half. Not only cattle upon a thousand hills but frequently a thousand cattle upon a hill.

The early settlers will all remember the first real cow that was brought into the county. She was tied behind a prairie schooner and came at various times and in various places. She lived on the end of a lariat rope attached to a picket pin for the first six months or a year. And from this simple hint or start, has been developed an industry, that has put more money into the pockets of the people generally, more food upon the table, disposed of more crops at a better market and has done more to bring the county into prominence than any and all other industries and agencies combined—unless perhaps the oil and gas business has been guilty of so doing within the past six months. There are now in this county more and better high grade, thoroughbred, fine blooded cattle of different breeds than any county in the world.

The Ayrshires of E. T. Harper of Benton township; the Brown Swiss by Dohlmn & Schmidt, and the Red Polled, the best in the state, by C. E. Foster of Prospect township, the Jerseys by Clyde King and Charles Coulter of El Dorado and F. W. Stewart of Long View Jersey farm of Rock Creek township, the Holsteins by Clyde Girod and J. C. Robison, of Fairview township, and others in various portions of the county, are all putting their owners on easy street.

With the greatest and finest bred herd of Herefords in the world owned, bred and sold by Col. Robert H. Hazlett at "Hazeford Place," two miles north of El Dorado, a herd that has made Butler county prominent as a fine live stock center and has brought purchasers from practically every state in the Union, including some from South America and the Hawaiian Islands, to buy at prices running from hundreds to thousands of dollars for single individual animal.

There were in this county in 1870, the date of the first statistics, 5,536 cattle. There are now, in 1916, 123,751 head of cattle.

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