The family home, called Ilion, was located on the current site of what formally is the Ilion Acres subdivision, north of the Vredenburg Aquatic Center in north Chariton; Brook Farm, acreage ranging from 900 to 1,200 acres depending upon the date, was attached to the north. And there's still considerable lamenting about the fact Ilion House was demolished in 1955 to clear the way for the newer homes that now stand there.
So I was interested to find this write-up in The Chariton Democrat of June 3, 1886, describing the Mallory livestock operation on Brook Farm as interpreted by a reporter for The Iowa Homestead.
The writer seems to have been most interested in Mallory's preoccupation with Whitebred Shorthorns, a breed that's never caught on in the Americas and is considered rare in its native Britain. Here's the piece, published under the headline, "Mr. S.H. Mallory's Departure on Colors for Shorthorns."
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One of the Homestead editorial force finds himself at this writing at Chariton, Iowa, and while endeavoring to find something of interest for our readers, is convinced that a brief account of Mr. S.H. Mallory's 1,200 acre stock farm adjoining this town will be both interesting and instructive.
Mr. Mallory is a gentleman of large financial resources, and has exercised his own individual tastes in stocking his farm, and has selected a most convenient place for his farm and has provided for his family the most elegant residence, on an eminence, with a south front, just within the city limits, while the farm stretches for miles to the north from his beautiful home. Besides a beautiful lawn and shrubbery about the home, as well as a park in which some real live deer are confined (but seeming to enjoy their cheery pasture), there is also an orchard of some 60 acres of apple trees immediately adjoining the residence. With this diversion from our subject, we return to the cattle with which the farm is stocked.
For several years, Mr. Mallory has kept a good number of choice Shorthorns and now has about 40 pure breds headed by a fine white bull, now nearly five years old. He is White Comet 64781, a son of Daisy Duke 32181, having for dam Rose 4th by Jack Tar 14552, tracing thence to imp. Rose by Skipton 978. Besides White Comet the herd has several white females of good breeding, among which are: Des Moines Lily 1st (a White Rose), sired by 6th Wild Eyes Duke 14282 (also a Ruby), Snowflake by 6th Wild Eyes Duke 14282, Ethel by Ponce de Leon, and Butterfly 5th Snowdrop, sire Goldendrop 22581, dam imp. Butterfly 5th.
Mr. Mallory is endeavoring to build up a white herd, believing, as we understand, that this is a much a color for the breed as any other. White Comet has a remarkable development of chest and brisket, and is full in nearly every essential point and will certainly give a grand constitution to his descendants, as well as extra form of carcass and quality in flesh. Among the results of this attention to the much abused white cattle, Mr. Mallory has now 17 pure white grade Shorthorn steers, two and three years old, now feeding. The man in charge of them, an experienced feeder, says he never saw any steers take on fat as do these white fellows. (Which reminds us that we do not remember ever to have seen a white steer that was not a good feeder.) We are promised for the Homestead an accurate report on the gain made by these cattle, with the amount of food required, time of feeding, etc., when they are fattened.
Beside the pure breds, Mr. Mallory has about 200 grade cattle which he is steadily grading higher by the use of pedigreed sires.
One hundred and fifteen horses also constitute a valuable part of the livestock --- eighty draft horses and twenty-five roadsters. Over half of the entire number of horses are breeding mares.
The aged Clydesdale, Merry Comet (23 years old), has been the property of Mr. Mallory for more than half his life and continuing to be still very valuable property. He appears scarce 15, being vigorous though now the sire of, perhaps, more good draft horses that any stallion living in Iowa. Comet Jr., a worthy son of the above mentioned, and Lucknow, a full blooded Hambletonian, are also the property of Mr. Mallory.
Besides this, he is largely interested in the Champion Horse Association, a company owning three among the finest Clydesdales in Iowa. The fact that the three cost more than $8,000 is evidence that they are a fortune to the country in the vicinity of Chariton.
Such a man in every county could do much for the stock interests at large and even half the effort made by Mr. Mallory. When it is borne in mind that this farming and stock business is but a little of the immense general business carried on by the subject of this notice, this suggestion should stimulate emulation of his example to the end that satisfaction and profit may result in the promotors of good work and to the country at large.
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