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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 4, 1904)
Campaigning a Cattle Show Herd "T! - ...... . . . ' " , " . .. . - - . - if.'": ,y s "; . . . h t -v. -f - ..... m 1 OVERTON HARRIS OF HARRIS, Ma Tltf! raminlralnt of a ihoW herd IS I 1 not always a matter of unalloyed I nipuiirtt- and only a few show men. If I may use the term, have -found a profit therein. The cash premiums at the better fairs and shows are not Infrequently tahen over by the larger and older herds and the new beginner sometimes finds his only source of consolation In the things he learns and the advertisement which his herd receives. This of itself Is no small Item. Even though he may not win first place, tho man who. yar by year, will fit and show to hundreds or thousands of farmers and fellow breeders the choice animals of his herd, has laid the foundation of bis for tunes as a breeder and may in time come to be classed with those who are Justly styled 'successful. In the brief confines of this article all the Ins and outs of fitting and showing a. herd may not be told. For that mattor there are few breeders or herdsmen who could tell the story In every detail, and these few are the least inclined to talk. The successful showman of fine stock Is a man of action rather than of much speech. He has not the time for a long-winded discourse, and If there are deep and dan gerous secrets In the business he has learned them from long: experience and they are not lightly to be divulged. And again, If -there are secrets In fitting .a liord1 for the show yard they are only re vealed to him who has the patience and the desire to learn. I am not one of those who believe in secret powders and mys- "terious potions. That Is only a supersti tion and should be relegated to the dim and musty garret of forgotten days and left to calm repose among the other use less lumber of the pest. For purposes of Illustration I have selected the good herd of Hereford cattle owned by that typical Mlssourlan, Colonel Overton Harris of Harris, and presided over by that thorough and practical herds man, Jimmy Price. It is not within my province to describe the fitting and show ing of a prise winning herd.) but using this one herd as an example of what may be ac complished under favorable conditions, per haps I may set out some facts of general Interest and lend encouragement to those who, with fcarV and trembling, are Just new entering the lists. To go back to the beginning of this par ticular herd, one need not look so far astern on the currents of time. About ten years ago there was a sale of Hereford cattle at Kansas City and I believe that Gidgell St Simpson were the principal con signors. When the crowd had gathered around the sale ring a man. with a broad brimmed soft hat upon his head came In quietly and found a scat far. to the rear. He was a stranger to the breeders assem- - f . - 1 KISS DONALD ITH PRIZE WINNING HEITER CAUT LAST TKAB, AND JIMMT PRICE, THE HERDSMAN w 555r'i- X UT.i'-rv v - TUB bled there and none gave him greeting. As. the sale progressed he occasionally caught tho eye of the auctioneer - and ventured a small bid. -That auctioneer was Colonel Woods and he has that rare faculty of picking out a man who wants to buy and yet who hesitates. The colonel gave particular attention to ' the quiet, smooth-faced stranger on the high seats In. the rear and. finally suc ceeded in selling him several good animals. That was in tho days of low prices and the stranger bought his cattle at ah averagro of about $Tj a head. When the sale was oyer the breeders and the field men present hastened to make the ac- - qualntanco of tho new buyer.' He gave his name to the clerk, and Overton Harris had entered upon his career oa a breeder. But he was assailed by many strango doubts and misgivings. He Is not one of those who hasten in where nngcls fear to tread. He .had paid too much, he said $75 for a cow was mighty high, and he straightway be gan to question the wisdom of such a reckless investment. IKs new friends re assured him, howevpr, and he departed, comforted if not consoled. ' ABbut fhls same time he "bought a small herd of Hcrcfords from a neighbor, who wastin difficulties and. wanted to sell at a bargain. The average price paid for this herd was low, but under the skillful hand ling of their Tew owner 'show stuff wds' developed and in 1901 Betty d was sold fo 14,500. As a breeder he developed amas ing'.y, and $75 for a c9w no longer looked large to Overton Harris. In 1S99 he made his first 'formal entry Into tho show yard. He had bought and bred many, good individuals prior to that time and he carried homo a few of the ribbons. But he lacked In one great and most essential detail. He owned 3,000 acres of fine grass land near the town of Harris. Ho had laid the foundation of his herd .in the best blood lines of the breed. - His barns seemed ample In size and all the surroundings favored the making of a great show herd, but bs had not yet found ' bis herdsman. About this time, -r.s discovered Jimmy . Price. Jimmy Is English; he was born In Herfordshire and his father before htm was a breeder. Fourteen years ago Jimmy Price came to the htnd of the free. He was looking for work, but when once he found it he did it so well that he never had to look again. After that It came to him. He loved cattlo and has , worked , for some of the leadlug Hereford breeders, among them J. C Adams and Tom Clark of Illinois, W. a VanKatta and Clem if HOME OF OVERTON HARRIS, NEAR HARRIS, Mo. Graves of Indiana. He learned their cattle and their methods of Handling and ha developed and carried out methods of his own. He was with the Adams herd nt the time of tho dispersion say in the spring of VJjO. Mr. Harris made him an offer and' it was' accepted on condition that his new employer was to buy soma of the choicest cows In that great herd. Upon one In particular Jimmy had set his heart. Othtr breeders were there who had also looked with favor upon that cow and the final bid which bought her, and closed the deal with Jimmy Price, was $4,600. That was a far cry from the price which 'Overtpn Harris paid for his first Hereford cow. He was now a full-fledged cattleman and his place amcng the breed ers was, unquestioned. They no longer called him Mr. Harris and the title of colonel was too dignified. They called him "Obe" then, and ho Is "Obe" Harris today among all his friends, and they ore many. Jimmy Price came to take up his abode with the Model Blu grass herd In the spring of 19C0 and his critical eye soon took in the details of his new domain. Jimmy Is a man of few words. He has in large measure what Al'red Henry Lewis calls "the mighty gift of silence." When be speaks it is well to give ear, for he may not come again. He approved of the wldo pastures where the cattle stood knee deep in the luscious grasses, but he suggested changes and additions to the barn. "Obe Harris thought he had a barn that ans wered every purpose, but ho was willing to be advised. The herdsman wanted mors room and he wanted a great, wide, cool basement. It Is one of. his settled beliefs that a heavy animal should not stand upon a board floor. He wants the soft and yield ing dirt under the feet of his heavy herd headers. The board floor will do for the babies of the herd. And the barn as it Is now arranged is a model of comfort and convenience. Upon the first floor are the roomy stalls for the young stuff. Wire net ting keeps out the files and there is always an abundance of fresh, clean straw. Jn the bacement are kept the older cattle that are being fitted for the show herd. Throughout the day the doors are closed and the windows are darkened. It Is not an Inviting place for files xand few find their way within. At night the herd goes out to pasture and the fresh, dewey grass gives, more of that smooth, even finish and that healthy growth thnn could all the secret feeds ever devised. . Promptly at 4 o'clock in the morning the show herd Is brought back to the barns and during thsday the cattle are VUUnLXJER, BT IMP. UaFROVXK - fed a mixed ration 'of ground feed; corv oats and bran, with a little oil meal. Al this season of the year some green corn Is) chopped .up and mixed In with the feed. It Is a splendid appetizer and the cattle eat It with a keen relish. And now for the secret of that wonderful fitting which has sent the Hurris herd to the head of the line In so many hard fought shows. I followed Jimmy Price) about the barns and watched him feed and care for his pets. I thought that he might drop the secretand that I might carry It away with ma" and spread Its maglo powers broadcast among the breeders. But if hs had It about his person he guardsd it care fully. I peered into the feed boxes, but It was not there, and finally I asked him If he would tell it to me under promise of ab solute sllence Jimmy allowed a slow srnll to drift across his weather-beaten face. At best his words are few, but this time h opened up a mine of Information and spoke at length. '"Just good care and good feed, that's all," be said. That may be all, but none the less It Is a whole lot The experience of many years may be wrapped up in that one senteac. Jimmy Price knows a show herd cannot be fitted In sixty or ninety days. He carries his show cattle over from one year to an other. In the beginning the blood lines must be right Like begets like as & rule and when the sires and dams have been noted pize winners it is fair to presums that some of their get and produce will also be good enough to go out and win. The most promising calves are each year selected and put on the waiting list. If their dams sre good milkers they may not noed much extra feed, but generally a nurss cow Is pressed Into service. And thess nurse cows follow the show herd ariuad the circuit of the fairs. - Sometimes the dam of a good calf Is dried up if she belongs to the show herd and m nurse cow will raise her calf. The calf is' fed up to its appetite and for the first year mostly on milk. Very little grain Is siren and that In the form of ground feed con taining very little corn. Jimmy says that too, much grain will spoil the calf for tbs second season. He claims that it is a very difficult matter to carry a calf over to tns second season in winning form. After that period Is passed it Is much easier to carry an animal In show form from one year to the next, and that without injuring It for breeding purposes. There are cows in the Harris herd that have been prize winners for three or four years. The feeding is important, but good, (Continued on Page Sixteen.) 1 1 AT HEAD OF HARRIS SHOW HERA