One on laid paper stock. Showing minor signs of age, wear and handling - mostly toning along all edges. Expected fold creases from posting. No major issues to note. Bold legible typing. Overall, in good condition. Will display well in your collection. You will receive the exact sheets shown in the photos. They each measure approx. 8" x 10"

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 Item 1: Vintage 1912 Montana Purebred Cattle Breeding & State Fair Letter Transcription: Coburg Mont Aug 22/1912. Bateman Switzer & Brady. My Dear Sir: In reply to your favor in regard to some young bulls I have nothing left only this years calves Coburg pedigree has been sent in will send it to you as soon as received I will likely see you at the state fair if not before. Respt yours, J. C. Cronk. Item 2: Vintage 1913 Montana Stallion Registration & Livestock Trade Letter Transcription: Coburg Mont Feb 20th 1913. Bateman Switzer & Brady. Great Falls Mont. Dear Sir: Yours of the 15th received I received your check O K I have filled out the transfer and instructed the Stallion Board to correct there mistake and send the transfer to you If you Do not receive it soon let me know The horse I got from you I got read of [rid of] him all right I have 25 head of coming yr I am feeding and Buisness is Good If the papers are not all right Please ad vise me. Yours Truly, J. C. Cronk. Historical Background & Collector Context This phenomenal pair of interconnected, typewritten business letters from 1912 and 1913 documents the high-value stock breeding networks, pedigree registry dynamics, and livestock trade of early Montana. Signed by one of the state's most prominent horse barons, they offer an extraordinary look at rural industry during the peak of the homestead boom. • The Sender: J. C. Cronk (The Horse King of Coburg): These letters are signed by John C. Cronk, a legendary and towering figure in Montana livestock history. Operating a massive ranch footprint out of Coburg, Cronk became nationally renowned as one of the most prolific breeders of heavy draft horses and purebred cattle in the American West. At the height of his operations, Cronk owned thousands of horses, frequently supplying massive strings of working stock to homesteaders and regional industries. • The Recipient: Bateman, Switzer & Brady (Great Falls, MT): This firm represents an expansion of the famous Great Falls wholesale syndicate. While D.W. Bateman and Jacob Switzer made fortunes in the wholesale liquor and bar supply trade, their massive capital allowed them to partner with local stockman Brady to aggressively invest in purebred livestock syndicates, purchasing premium bulls and stallion lines directly from specialized stockmen like Cronk. • Pedigrees, the Stallion Board, and the Montana State Fair: The content across these two letters captures the strict regulatory and commercial tracking of high-grade stock in the early 20th century: • The 1912 Cattle Deal: Cronk fields an inquiry from the syndicate looking to purchase "young bulls." He notes that his current stock is entirely sold out, leaving "only this years calves." He reassures them that the official "Coburg pedigree" paperwork has been sent to the national registry breed association and promises to hand-deliver the papers or finalize a deal when they meet at the upcoming Montana State Fair in Helena—the premier annual exhibition hub where the state's elite stockmen competed for championship ribbons and executed high-value breeding contracts. • The 1913 Stallion Registration Dispute: The second letter tracks a horse trade and a bureaucratic error involving the Montana Stallion Registration Board (established by the legislature to verify the purity and soundness of public breeding sires). Cronk acknowledges receiving the syndicate's check, completes a formal ownership transfer, and notes he had to instruct the state board "to correct there mistake" regarding the official registration papers. • Frontier Barter and "Business is Good": Cronk includes a great look into his daily ranch logistics, noting he successfully managed to get "read of [rid of]" a horse he had previously traded from the Great Falls firm. He delivers a highly optimistic summary of the pre-World War I agricultural boom on the plains, stating, "I have 25 head of coming yr [yearlings] I am feeding and Buisness is Good." • The Location (Coburg, Montana): Written from Coburg in Blaine County along the Great Northern Railway main line. Under Cronk's massive local footprint, Coburg became a dominant regional livestock shipping hub, where entire trainloads of horses and cattle were regularly loaded onto stock cars to supply markets across the United States. A spectacular, research-rich set of documents for collectors specializing in historic American horse breeding and draft stallion ephemera, early Montana State Fair and livestock registry records, or the extensive ranching operations of pioneer stockman J. C. Cronk.

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