HerefordSire
Well-known member
Interesting how these rich importers of Hereford Cattle pinpointed prepotent bulls.
Move to Independence in 1883.
>From 1877 until 1883 Gudgell & Simpson
made their headquarters at Pleasant Hill, Mo., and used the Greenwood
farm. In 1883 they moved to Independence and while they still
retained the Greenwood farm and kept it in pasture, they quartered
their principal breeding cattle on a farm 33 1/2 miles northeast of
Independence. They later acquired a farm at Richmond, Kas., so that
when Mr. Simpson died in 1904, the firm was operating three farms
containign 1,700 acres and was carrying about 750 Herefords. The
progress of the herd can be traced to a large extent from noting the
number of registrations made from year to year. These run as
follows: 1879,1; 1880, 0; 1881, 7; 1882, 31; 1883, 57; 1884, 73;
1885, 93; 1886, 70; 1887, 67; 1888, 82; 1889, 51; 1890, 43; 1891, 63;
1892, 16; 1893, 54; 1894, 96; 1895, 115; 1896, 143; 1897, 93; 1898,
154; 1899, 170; 1900, 266; 1901, 304; 1902, 244; 1903, 264; 1904,
259; 1905, 257; 1906, 245; 1907, 268; 1908, 283; 1909, 206; 1910,
203; 1911, 238; 1912, 188; 1913, 141; 1914, 108; 1915, 335; 1916,
365; 1917, 67. Many of the calves produced were never registered and
anmy carloads of purebred, unregistered bulls were sent to the range.
The cattle purchased in America by Gudgell & Simpson at the time they
started their herd in the late '70s had very little influence on the
later herd as will be seen from a study of the pedigrees of Gudgell &
Simpson cattle. They bred most of their animals themselves, adding
very little outside blood after their English importations. Fifteen
sons of Anxiety 4th were used by them, of which they considered Don
Carlos 33734 the best. Anxiety 4th, by the way, was used for 10
years, from 1881 to 1891 and left 174 registered calves behind him.
Besides these, a number of his bull calves were shipped to the range
and never registered.
Beau Brummel a Great Bull
Beau Brummel 51817 was Don Carlos'
outstanding son. In fact so highly was he esteemed that, in The
Hereford Journal of Oct. 1, 1912, Gudgell & Simpson advertised their
cattle as "Beau Brummel" Herefords. Beau Brummel was used longer and
left more registered offspring in the heard than any other bull ever
used by the Independence firm. With the exception of Anxiety 4th he
is considered the greatest of the Gudgell & Simpson bulls. Shown in
poor condition he won fourth as a two-year-old at the Chicago
World's Fair. Beau Brummel was used in the herd for 12 years, from
1892 to 1904, and left a total of 365 registered calves. He was the
sire of 23 bulls used more or less in the Gudgell & Simpson herd;
some of the most important of these were Militant 71755, Beau
Brilliant 86753, Beau Donorus 144615, Beau Modest 160589, Beau Dandy
145564 and Beau President 171349. Both Anxiety 4th and Beau Brummel
died the property of Gudgell & Simpson. Beau Brummel's horns are now
in The Hereford Journal office. Don Carlos, after he stopped
breeding, was sold to William mcKitterick, Greenwood, Mo., for $40.
Gudgell & Simpson did surprisingly little showing. They made their
first appearance in the showring at the World's Columbian Exposition
in Chicago in 1893 where lamplighter 51834 was first in the senior
yearling bull calss and Bright Duchess 15th 51821 won the blue in the
under-year-old heifer class. They then annexed many ribbons for
several years but made their last appearnance at the International in
1902 and at the Royal in 1905. "Governor" Simpson died on the morning
of Jan.4, 1904, in Independence at the home of Charles Gudgell, with
whom he had lived for 27 years. his death came after an illness of
more than a year, during which time he was unable to leave his room
and for the greater part of which time he was confined to his bed.
His death was due to kidney trouble. he had also suffered severely
from rheumatism. On the streets of Independence and in his partner's
home there was much mourning when the "Governor" passed. he was laid
to rest in Pleasant Hill, Mo., among the scenes of his early trials
and triumphs. Charles Gudgell could not carry on this heavy business
alone. The herd was sold on the old farm near Independence, June
28-29, 1916. Nineteen bulls brought $22,105, and average of $1,162.
One hundred fifty-six females brought $73,155, an average of $468.
The total realized for 175 head was $95,260, an average of $544. The
top cow, Lady Stanway 9th 171354, with a bull calf by Beau Picture at
side, went to Jowell & Jowell, Hereford, Tex., for $2,100; she was 13
years old. J.C. Robinson & Son, Evansville, Wis., secured Domino
264259 for $1,625. The top bull was Bright Stanway 366600 which went
to E.M. Cassady & Son, Whiting, Ia., for $3,600. The night of June 28
visiting breeders were given a banquet in the Baltimore Hotel, kansa
City, by Mr. Gudgell and T.F.B. Botham, who managed the sale.
Breeders were present from New England to California and from Montana
to Mississippi. Thus passed into history America's most noted herd of
beef cattle, the herd that did nore to improve the quality of
American beef than any other of any breed. It was truly a
scattering of good seed that went into good hads, was carefully
nurtured and brought forth an abundant harvest for the Hereford
breed. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Gudgell left Independence, July 20, a
few days after the sale, to spend the winter in California. They
immediately started the building of a new home in Pasadena and had it
almost completed when on the morning of Sept. 30, 1916, aMr. Gudgell
died of an attack of acute indigestion after an illness of only five
hours. His body was brought back to Independence and he now rests in
Mount Washington Cemetery. Mr. Gudgell was a man of many activities.
He was at one time president of the Hereford Association and was, for
a long time, its secretary. For several years the books were kept at
his house. Mr. Gudgell was survived by his wife and by three
children, Frank O. Gudgell, Charles D. Gudgell and Mrs. Henry S.
Boice. Mrs. Gudgell now lives in California with the daughter.
Frank O. Gudgell and Charles D. Gudgell still operate the ranch at
Edmond, Kas., which they have reduced to 8,510 acres and where they
handle a turnover of about 1,000 grade Herefords each year besides a
large number of hogs. part of the land they lease to wheat growers.
An Ideal Hereford Partnership.
Probably no more ideal partnership has
ever existed than that of Gudgell & Simpson. Mr. Gudgell was a
college man, having received his education at Kentucky University,
Lexington. he looked after the business affairs of the concern, kept
the records, anmed the animals and prepared the catalogues of the
sales. Mr. Simpson, with a practical knowledge of livestock and an
ability to plan matings and discern the possibilities of individuals
which was little short of superhuman, was an undailing tower of
strength. The firm was peculiarly fortunate in its choice of
superintendents and herdsmen, I have space here for only brief
mention of some of them whom I know personally. William Stevenson,
who managed the Greenwood farm from 1894 to 1905, was born in
Banffshire, Scotland,, in 1859. He came from Scotland right to the
Greenwood farm 33 years ago, landing among the Gudgell & Simpson
Herefords in June, 1889. After five years on the place he became
manager and held the position continuously for 11 years. Then he
began farming for himself and is now located on 200 acres 2 1/2 miles
northwest of Greenwood where he has been for 14 years. He was a man
of much value to his employers. George Hendry, who was with Gudgell &
Simpson continuously for 20 years, from 1888 to 1908, during 16 years
of which time he was superintendent of the Independence farm, was
born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, in 1862. His work for the firm, as
well as that of his brothers, was of the faithful and valuable kind
which is all too rare in these days. George Shand, who was employed
on the Independence farm of Gudgell & Simpson from MArch, 1885, until
1896, is a native of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and was born in 1845.
He is still alive and in a mine of information regarding the great
Missouri herd during the time Anxiety 4th was "turning it upside
down," as he expresses it. His cattle knowledge was invaluable to
the Independence firm.
Emphasized Value of Females.
No breeding concern in Hereford history
has ever placed more emphasis upon good females than Gudgell &
Simpson. A study of the names of their animals reveals this. Both
male and female lines of descent took their names from the dams. In
other words Gudgell & Simpson emphasized families founded upon
notable females. It was customary, as a general thing, to give the
bulls produced by a cow a name beginning with the same letter of the
alphabet that began the dam's name, and to five the females produced
by a cow the name of the dam with a number suffix. Thus we have Beau
Mischief taking his name from his dam Mischievous. Pretty Lady 25th
had Dam PRETTY Lady 16th out of Pretty Lady 3d. Sometimes, howeer
the offspring, both male and female, were simply named with the
beginning letter the same as that of the dam. For example, the
calves of Dowager 8987 were called Dowry, Donation, Don Juan,
Donation 2d, Doncaster, etc. This plan originated with Mr. Gudgell
who devoted many hours of study to proper naming and, as a result, no
herd of Herefords with which I am familiar carried such appropriate
and illuminating and euphonious names as the Gudgell & Simpson
cattle. "Governor Simpson paid no attention to the recorded names of
the cattle. he knew them as a father knows his children and applied
pet names to all of them. For instance there was one family which he
called the "Stubs", another referred to as the "Snubs," another as
the "Lightnings," and so on down the line. Any unusual or
interesting incident furnished an excuse for the "Governor" to hang a
name on a cow and her produce. For instance, one of the Guudgell &
Simpson cows was struck by lightning one day. She recovered but was
a sadder animal ever after. "Governor" Simpson at once called her
"Lightning" and referred to her descendants as "Lightnings." Starting
on the history of a herd like that of Gudgell & Simpson is like
starting on the use of a strong stimulant. It is easy to start but
hard to stop. The way to stop is to stop. Hence this story ends
right here, although it would be possible to ramble on with for
countless pages of the Journal.
http://www.eskimo.com/~bgudgel/gudgarc3
Move to Independence in 1883.
>From 1877 until 1883 Gudgell & Simpson
made their headquarters at Pleasant Hill, Mo., and used the Greenwood
farm. In 1883 they moved to Independence and while they still
retained the Greenwood farm and kept it in pasture, they quartered
their principal breeding cattle on a farm 33 1/2 miles northeast of
Independence. They later acquired a farm at Richmond, Kas., so that
when Mr. Simpson died in 1904, the firm was operating three farms
containign 1,700 acres and was carrying about 750 Herefords. The
progress of the herd can be traced to a large extent from noting the
number of registrations made from year to year. These run as
follows: 1879,1; 1880, 0; 1881, 7; 1882, 31; 1883, 57; 1884, 73;
1885, 93; 1886, 70; 1887, 67; 1888, 82; 1889, 51; 1890, 43; 1891, 63;
1892, 16; 1893, 54; 1894, 96; 1895, 115; 1896, 143; 1897, 93; 1898,
154; 1899, 170; 1900, 266; 1901, 304; 1902, 244; 1903, 264; 1904,
259; 1905, 257; 1906, 245; 1907, 268; 1908, 283; 1909, 206; 1910,
203; 1911, 238; 1912, 188; 1913, 141; 1914, 108; 1915, 335; 1916,
365; 1917, 67. Many of the calves produced were never registered and
anmy carloads of purebred, unregistered bulls were sent to the range.
The cattle purchased in America by Gudgell & Simpson at the time they
started their herd in the late '70s had very little influence on the
later herd as will be seen from a study of the pedigrees of Gudgell &
Simpson cattle. They bred most of their animals themselves, adding
very little outside blood after their English importations. Fifteen
sons of Anxiety 4th were used by them, of which they considered Don
Carlos 33734 the best. Anxiety 4th, by the way, was used for 10
years, from 1881 to 1891 and left 174 registered calves behind him.
Besides these, a number of his bull calves were shipped to the range
and never registered.
Beau Brummel a Great Bull
Beau Brummel 51817 was Don Carlos'
outstanding son. In fact so highly was he esteemed that, in The
Hereford Journal of Oct. 1, 1912, Gudgell & Simpson advertised their
cattle as "Beau Brummel" Herefords. Beau Brummel was used longer and
left more registered offspring in the heard than any other bull ever
used by the Independence firm. With the exception of Anxiety 4th he
is considered the greatest of the Gudgell & Simpson bulls. Shown in
poor condition he won fourth as a two-year-old at the Chicago
World's Fair. Beau Brummel was used in the herd for 12 years, from
1892 to 1904, and left a total of 365 registered calves. He was the
sire of 23 bulls used more or less in the Gudgell & Simpson herd;
some of the most important of these were Militant 71755, Beau
Brilliant 86753, Beau Donorus 144615, Beau Modest 160589, Beau Dandy
145564 and Beau President 171349. Both Anxiety 4th and Beau Brummel
died the property of Gudgell & Simpson. Beau Brummel's horns are now
in The Hereford Journal office. Don Carlos, after he stopped
breeding, was sold to William mcKitterick, Greenwood, Mo., for $40.
Gudgell & Simpson did surprisingly little showing. They made their
first appearance in the showring at the World's Columbian Exposition
in Chicago in 1893 where lamplighter 51834 was first in the senior
yearling bull calss and Bright Duchess 15th 51821 won the blue in the
under-year-old heifer class. They then annexed many ribbons for
several years but made their last appearnance at the International in
1902 and at the Royal in 1905. "Governor" Simpson died on the morning
of Jan.4, 1904, in Independence at the home of Charles Gudgell, with
whom he had lived for 27 years. his death came after an illness of
more than a year, during which time he was unable to leave his room
and for the greater part of which time he was confined to his bed.
His death was due to kidney trouble. he had also suffered severely
from rheumatism. On the streets of Independence and in his partner's
home there was much mourning when the "Governor" passed. he was laid
to rest in Pleasant Hill, Mo., among the scenes of his early trials
and triumphs. Charles Gudgell could not carry on this heavy business
alone. The herd was sold on the old farm near Independence, June
28-29, 1916. Nineteen bulls brought $22,105, and average of $1,162.
One hundred fifty-six females brought $73,155, an average of $468.
The total realized for 175 head was $95,260, an average of $544. The
top cow, Lady Stanway 9th 171354, with a bull calf by Beau Picture at
side, went to Jowell & Jowell, Hereford, Tex., for $2,100; she was 13
years old. J.C. Robinson & Son, Evansville, Wis., secured Domino
264259 for $1,625. The top bull was Bright Stanway 366600 which went
to E.M. Cassady & Son, Whiting, Ia., for $3,600. The night of June 28
visiting breeders were given a banquet in the Baltimore Hotel, kansa
City, by Mr. Gudgell and T.F.B. Botham, who managed the sale.
Breeders were present from New England to California and from Montana
to Mississippi. Thus passed into history America's most noted herd of
beef cattle, the herd that did nore to improve the quality of
American beef than any other of any breed. It was truly a
scattering of good seed that went into good hads, was carefully
nurtured and brought forth an abundant harvest for the Hereford
breed. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Gudgell left Independence, July 20, a
few days after the sale, to spend the winter in California. They
immediately started the building of a new home in Pasadena and had it
almost completed when on the morning of Sept. 30, 1916, aMr. Gudgell
died of an attack of acute indigestion after an illness of only five
hours. His body was brought back to Independence and he now rests in
Mount Washington Cemetery. Mr. Gudgell was a man of many activities.
He was at one time president of the Hereford Association and was, for
a long time, its secretary. For several years the books were kept at
his house. Mr. Gudgell was survived by his wife and by three
children, Frank O. Gudgell, Charles D. Gudgell and Mrs. Henry S.
Boice. Mrs. Gudgell now lives in California with the daughter.
Frank O. Gudgell and Charles D. Gudgell still operate the ranch at
Edmond, Kas., which they have reduced to 8,510 acres and where they
handle a turnover of about 1,000 grade Herefords each year besides a
large number of hogs. part of the land they lease to wheat growers.
An Ideal Hereford Partnership.
Probably no more ideal partnership has
ever existed than that of Gudgell & Simpson. Mr. Gudgell was a
college man, having received his education at Kentucky University,
Lexington. he looked after the business affairs of the concern, kept
the records, anmed the animals and prepared the catalogues of the
sales. Mr. Simpson, with a practical knowledge of livestock and an
ability to plan matings and discern the possibilities of individuals
which was little short of superhuman, was an undailing tower of
strength. The firm was peculiarly fortunate in its choice of
superintendents and herdsmen, I have space here for only brief
mention of some of them whom I know personally. William Stevenson,
who managed the Greenwood farm from 1894 to 1905, was born in
Banffshire, Scotland,, in 1859. He came from Scotland right to the
Greenwood farm 33 years ago, landing among the Gudgell & Simpson
Herefords in June, 1889. After five years on the place he became
manager and held the position continuously for 11 years. Then he
began farming for himself and is now located on 200 acres 2 1/2 miles
northwest of Greenwood where he has been for 14 years. He was a man
of much value to his employers. George Hendry, who was with Gudgell &
Simpson continuously for 20 years, from 1888 to 1908, during 16 years
of which time he was superintendent of the Independence farm, was
born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, in 1862. His work for the firm, as
well as that of his brothers, was of the faithful and valuable kind
which is all too rare in these days. George Shand, who was employed
on the Independence farm of Gudgell & Simpson from MArch, 1885, until
1896, is a native of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and was born in 1845.
He is still alive and in a mine of information regarding the great
Missouri herd during the time Anxiety 4th was "turning it upside
down," as he expresses it. His cattle knowledge was invaluable to
the Independence firm.
Emphasized Value of Females.
No breeding concern in Hereford history
has ever placed more emphasis upon good females than Gudgell &
Simpson. A study of the names of their animals reveals this. Both
male and female lines of descent took their names from the dams. In
other words Gudgell & Simpson emphasized families founded upon
notable females. It was customary, as a general thing, to give the
bulls produced by a cow a name beginning with the same letter of the
alphabet that began the dam's name, and to five the females produced
by a cow the name of the dam with a number suffix. Thus we have Beau
Mischief taking his name from his dam Mischievous. Pretty Lady 25th
had Dam PRETTY Lady 16th out of Pretty Lady 3d. Sometimes, howeer
the offspring, both male and female, were simply named with the
beginning letter the same as that of the dam. For example, the
calves of Dowager 8987 were called Dowry, Donation, Don Juan,
Donation 2d, Doncaster, etc. This plan originated with Mr. Gudgell
who devoted many hours of study to proper naming and, as a result, no
herd of Herefords with which I am familiar carried such appropriate
and illuminating and euphonious names as the Gudgell & Simpson
cattle. "Governor Simpson paid no attention to the recorded names of
the cattle. he knew them as a father knows his children and applied
pet names to all of them. For instance there was one family which he
called the "Stubs", another referred to as the "Snubs," another as
the "Lightnings," and so on down the line. Any unusual or
interesting incident furnished an excuse for the "Governor" to hang a
name on a cow and her produce. For instance, one of the Guudgell &
Simpson cows was struck by lightning one day. She recovered but was
a sadder animal ever after. "Governor" Simpson at once called her
"Lightning" and referred to her descendants as "Lightnings." Starting
on the history of a herd like that of Gudgell & Simpson is like
starting on the use of a strong stimulant. It is easy to start but
hard to stop. The way to stop is to stop. Hence this story ends
right here, although it would be possible to ramble on with for
countless pages of the Journal.
http://www.eskimo.com/~bgudgel/gudgarc3
