Part 2

THE HALL AND HARRIS IMPORTATION.

In 1876, John S. Harris, of Hollister, California, returned from a perilous journey around the world in quest of new Angoras. He found the Thibet goats in the Himalaya Mountains, and finally succeeded in getting some goats at Angora, in Asia Minor. He secured two bucks and ten does, and brought them safely to California. That was really the first time an American had entered Asia Minor to study the Angora industry, as it was understood Mr. Diehl had secured Turks to go into the interior for him.

THE JENKS IMPORTATION.

This was a small importation of Angoras, supposed to have been three animals, made by C. W. Jenks of Boston, and sold to Col. Peters of Georgia. They were supposed to have come from Geredeh, in the interior of Asia Minor, and they arrived in the United States in 1880. The mohair from these goats was not considered very good, and the importation was not regarded as very important.

THE SHULTS IMPORTATION.

This was the first importation made from South Africa to the United States and arrived in 1886. There were two bucks and two does, and they went to Fink & Company, of Texas. There was a great deal of question about this importation, and so far as is known it was of no value to American flocks.

THE C. P. BAILEY & SONS CO. IMPORTATIONS.

In 1893, the first importation of Angora goats from South Africa, which was of value to American flocks, arrived. The two bucks, Pasha and Dick, which were secured by C. P. Bailey from R. Cawood, were sired by the great buck Sam. Mr. Schreiner says, "Sam was born in 1888, and sheared as a three year old, at twelve month growth, 15 pounds 2 ounces. He was exhibited for many years at all chief Agricultural shows and was never beaten but once, a judgment reversed at a subsequent show in the same year. Sam was the most famous goat in South Africa; with splendid weight of fleece, he combined a fineness of fiber rarely seen in an old ram."

Pasha developed into a great sire and his get has been distributed into nearly every State in the Union, Canada, Mexico and Australia. Without doubt Pasha's blood courses through the veins of more Angoras than any sire ever imported. He was acknowledged by every one to be the best individual ever brought to America. Mr. Landrum, who had seen most of the Angoras brought from Turkey and who saw Pasha at San Jose, California, in 1899, pronounced him the most perfect goat he had ever seen and a much better goat than any which had ever come to America from Turkey. He bought some of Pasha's get for his own flock.

Bailey South Africa Importation 1893.]

In 1899, the buck Capetown was imported by Mr. Bailey from South Africa to secure certain points. Size and a little "yolk," together with the covering, fineness, freeness from kemp, ringlets and evenness were especially desired. Capetown has been a great sire and is still in fine condition on the Bailey farms.

THE ASIA MINOR GOATS.

In 1901, Dr. W. C. Bailey, armed with an honorary commission from the United States Department of Agriculture, personally visited every goat-raising section of Asia Minor, and after seeing hundreds of thousands, and examining minutely hundreds, secured and succeeded in exporting two bucks and two does. The Sultan had passed an edict in 1881, prohibiting the export of these animals, as he hoped to keep the industry for Asia Minor. The undertaking was a hazardous one, and the expedition was fought with many and almost insurmountable difficulties. Asia Minor is alive with bandits, and to hold a foreigner for ransom is a favorite pastime. Then, too, a Christian's life is not considered of much value by a Mohamedan. The goats were transported for miles on mule and camel back, carried across the Bosphorus under a boat load of hay, disfigured by shearing and powdered with coal dust, transported through the streets of Constantinople in closed carriages protected from police molestation by the "golden wand," and finally condemned by the Italian Government because no health certificate accompanied them from point of shipment, but eventually landed in California in 1901. The bucks Beibazar and Kjutiah, and the does Moholitch and Eskischehr find the climate of California suited to their wants. These four goats cost over $5,000 landed in California.

Bailey Asia Minor Importation 1901. Photo taken by Dr. Bailey on the plains of Asia Minor, March 7, 1901, while the goats were held by a Turkish guide.]

Beibazar impresses his qualities markedly on his offspring. His get won the Sweepstake prizes at the California and Oregon State Fairs in 1904, and the championship for two-year-old buck at the World's Fair at St. Louis, U. S. A., in 1904.

THE LANDRUM IMPORTATION.

In 1901, Wm. M. Landrum imported two bucks from South Africa. Their get has been quite widely distributed in America, and has been of considerable value.

THE HOERLE IMPORTATION.

In 1904, G. A. Hoerle imported about one hundred and thirty head from South Africa. A few of these goats were exhibited at the St. Louis World's Fair, and some of them have been distributed to American breeders. A large part of them are now in New Jersey, and just what their effect will be on American flocks remains to be seen.

Bailey Asia Minor Importation, 1901.]

ANGORA GOATS IN SOUTH AFRICA.

In 1838, Col. Henderson made the first importation of Angora goats into South Africa, but while the number reaching the Cape was fourteen, yet only two proved to be perfect animals, a doe and her kid. The twelve bucks seem to have been tampered with, and they would not breed. Mr. Schreiner says: "But for the fact that there were several million Boar goats, thoroughly accustomed to the country, to furnish innumerable ewes for grading up purposes, the industry would still have been in its infancy." It was years before any more Angoras were imported into South Africa.

The second importation into Cape Colony was made by Messrs. Mosenthal in 1856, and thirty Angoras reached their destination. Mr. Schreiner reports that some of these goats were sold at public auction and brought about $350 to $400 each.

The third importation was made by Sir Titus Salt, the English manufacturer of mohair, and arrived in South Africa in 1857. Dr. White had charge of these after they reached the colony.

Bailey South African Importation, 1899.]

The fourth importation consisted of about thirty-five animals, and was made about 1858 by Mr. W. R. Thompson. These were considered very fine animals, and were quite different from any previously imported.

Ten years later in 1868, another importation was made by South Africa and from then on to 1880 between twelve and fifteen more lots were secured, some of them consisting of hundreds of animals. In the twelve years, up to 1880, over three thousand goats were received in South Africa from Asia Minor. Some of them brought as high as $2,200 each.

During the next fourteen years there was a lack of importations into the Colony. In 1894, the first lot of American Angora goats, six head, were secured from C. P. Bailey of San Jose, California. They were sold to the Cape farmers by the importers at satisfactory prices, and in June, 1895, another lot of twenty bucks were secured from Mr. Bailey for $1000 cash. These bucks had a hard trip, and shed their fleece, but they were sold by the importer later.