V. THE PURE BRED INDUSTRY
The beginning of the pure bred cattle industry in the state of Illinois was antedated by the introduction of the mongrel bred cattle by a very narrow margin of time. While there were probably a few mongrel bred cattle in the state before 1830, those that were brought in after that date were the real foundation cattle. These cattle were brought from the eastern states, by the early pioneers, for milk cows, and it is their descendants which are referred to when the native cattle of the state are spoken of.
The changes which have been made from the mongrel bred cattle that were brought into the state by the early settlers to the present day improved breeds have been marked.
"For almost a century, attention has been given to the breeding of pure bred cattle in Illinois. As early as 1833, a man by the name of James Williams, brought some Shorthorn cattle of the Patten Stock, from Kentucky to Sangamon county. In 1834, J. D. Smith and J. N. Brown brought a number of Shorthorns from Kentucky to the central part of the state. In the spring of 1838, Colonel John Williams, a son of James Williams, brought a Shorthorn bull and a Shorthorn cow from Lexington, New York, into Sangamon county. These three importations of pure bred stock into Illinois were the earliest of which there are any records. Other importations of Shorthorns into the state were made at later dates, however, and they soon became the leading breed of cattle in the state for both beef and dairy purposes."[25]
The rapid dissemination of Shorthorns throughout the state was probably due chiefly to the method by which the breed was advertised. The leading breeders held public auction sales annually on their farms, or at some convenient place, and people all over the state were invited to come to these sales and bring such pure bred animals as they had for sale. In view of apprehensions on the part of some of the breeders, that this method might tend to spread disease among the cattle, it became a rule to require that every contributor to a sale furnish a certificate from a veterinarian, showing his cattle to be in good health, and that they had not been exposed to any contagious disease.
Shorthorns held full sway in the state until about 1865 or 1870, when the tide began to turn. Other breeds began to be introduced into various parts of the state. Some of these breeds gained popularity so rapidly that within a very few years the competition became very keen between them and the Shorthorns. At the shows, all breeds were shown in the same class. This created considerable excitement among the enthusiastic advocates of the various breeds and often resulted in fist and skull fights.
"At the Chicago show in 1879, there was close competition among the breeds when it come to tying the ribbon for sweepstakes award. Mr. F. L. Miller, a Hereford man, wanted to put the breeds to a slaughter test. The other breeders refused to kill their pure bred cattle, but some grades were slaughtered instead; one Shorthorn, one Hereford, and one Devon."
| Herefords | Shorthorns | Devons | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Weight | 1963 | 1795 | 1614 |
| Net Weight | 1317 | 1179 | 1055 |
| Offal | 452 | 389 | 394 |
| Dressing per cent | 67.1 | 65.7 | 65.3 |
| Fore Quarters | 354 | 308 | 277 |
| 371 | 303 | 275 | |
| Hind Quarters | 287 | 283 | 247 |
| 305 | 285 | 256 | |
| Tallow | 178 | 155 | 145 |
| Hide | 106 | 90 | 99 |
| Head | 55 | 47 | 49 |
Neither of these steers had marbled flesh. One family who ate some of one of the steers was said to have been made sick, due to the excessive fatness.