, 1865-01-23
Union BtNcK: Yards.

anu cou1f1ON1eut Oh tHc suD)ect 0l lne " Ou4on
Stock Yard and Transit Company" !" the bill
Of which is now before our Legislature:
Having been familiar with the project from:
lis beginning, feel in some degree qualified
to speak Of the plan Of Its projectors In or,
ganizing and carrying out this great enter
| prise which has, wherever understood, COM
|. mendcd itself to entire favor.
While the communicate Of your corres-
| pondsnts in its favor have failed to set forth
[ in general terms its full advantages to the
producers and buyers, its enemies {and ills
fortunate they are few have seen tit.to de-
money ss n maEing Il seIene" nG BY Which ths fs9
interested were to be made rich BY the ex-
elusive md extraordinary privileges to be &c.
cured to them under tho charter.
IA Friend to Stock Raisers,' ~ in IN article
interests OF the stock growers and purchasers
will be fur more secure In tho hands Of indi-
| Tlduals. with yards Of limited capacity, acat-
tered miles apart and within the limits Of the
city, than at one common yard where all
buyers can meet all sellers Oh tho same
! ground
| The three eastern roads now lease or own
| the grounds On which oil the stock yard COM
ycniences Of Chicago arc located, saye the
Cottage Grove Yards lot limited extent), be-
| tracks, and the new West Side yards now
! constructing. All, save the latter {some Is
| actesl are On ground now worth from five to
| ten Thousand dollars per- acre. The leases,
none Of which extend three years longer, can
| not be renewed on any terms, and it is not
proper they should be, Is the ground Is Tant-
| Central isome 35 acres) being on the lake
shore and covering some Of the emostdesirab}e
| residence property in the city. The other is
equally valuable for the same and other pur-
! poses. >.
No city Of It's size save Chicago, would have
tolerated those 5asds so long within its lin,
| its, or suffered its streets to be crowded with
I! 'roves constantly shifting from yard to yard.
| It is to meet and overcome these difficulties
| BY entire removal outside the city, where
| ample grounds, can be purchased to provide
| and at prices so low, that excessive land rent
OF Interest cannot toll tho traffic, THAT the
several railroad companies In interest have
commenced the work. And here let me cor
rect the statement erroneous1y conveyed BY
"a friend" ETC., that the eastern roads only
are interested, By saying that the management
Of al the railways, centering In Chicago, aare
/ one, have decided to become participants in
| its advantages, By doing their business there
IS soon Us the yards and connecting tracks
| could be made ready, and MI but two are re-
presented III the names Of the corp0rutors.
| i location has been selected after much de-
liberation, in which the interests ofall tue
| incoming and out going roads have been con-
1 suited, as well rs those OF the packers eighty
| four per cent OF whom have signed i circular
Of the PACKERS Association" Indicating the
location selected as the most convenient and
accessible to them, and urging tn: carly
completion Of the gencra1 Union Yards.
Ofthe advantages Of these yards where, un-
less the efficiency Of the company iscripplcd by
defeat or designation OF its bill, facilities Of
! accces viii be afforded to oil roads, and all
interests promoted, you have we'll spoken
/ cditorfally.
4 snflclcncy OF land has been purchased to
meet all possible future wants, and the tracks
| and yards will be arranged for quick unload
Ing, and the most convenient and economical
disposition of stock with the view to cars, ex-
hlbition and sale. either to packers or ship
! pers.
These advantages, with that of bringing all
sellers ind all buyers together, cannot fail to
attract stock from remote and competing
p ints that has hitherto sought other mar
kets. The largest shipper in the Northwest,
who gathers bis stock from Central Illinois
and Iowa, and ships east on his own account,
tells us lie Will turn all his stock here %
soon US the Union Yards nre completed, and
gumcnt to show that with the facilities pro
| posed to be afforded, 1t will at once become
I the interest Of all stock rptscrs who ean reach
this market to. do so. While tho business
| viii be conducted entirely: outside the city
| limits, and thus Its present Objectionable fen
/ u
Now word about the disposition Of this
| great monopoly" to toll the traffic to IN
extent that vi II drive the shipper to other
markcts. The sympathy Of "a friend" &C.,
reminds one Of the old fablc Of the ''spIder
''stock raisers," Of whose interest our
| friend Is SO solicitous, can testify Of the ex-
travagant tolls Of the present system.
Whether the i1npatience Of Individual inter-
ests Tor hasty fortunes, and combination to
| secure enormous profits has anything to do
| with tho modest little triles charged for feed,
stock men are as competent to judge, per
haps, as their friend, who seems to know all
about hoto Il is done. Complaint is made Of
the extraordinary power asked for in the
charter. The body of men who have had
this plan under contemplation believe they
have given 10 1t the talr degree Of considera-
ton it merits. They hare aimed to considcr
the interests Of oil tho roads, incoming and
outgoing, in providing tracks outside the
city, BY which the General or Union Yards
shall be accessible to all disposed to use
them, thus saTing the time occupied under
the old plan In dividing traius and delivering
the cars at the several yards, accessible only
by q eingle track across and through the
most crowded streets Of orr city; In removing
the Objectionable and retaining and multiply
ing tue advantages Of the packing interest,
that is next if not equal to the great grain
interest Of our city; and, By no means least,
the interest Of the raiser Of stock, without
whose presence here, with the immensely val
.abie product be brings, our city would lose
one.ha1f its business and the rail and water
carriers one.half their tonnage.
Without claiming more than ordinary sa-
gacity. they believe 1t will be to their own
and the interest Of those they represent, to
increase the business by making it the inte-
rest Of the stock raiser and shipper to come
here, and, once here, to come again and bring
his nejg1uors.
To provide for the necessary ontlay and
conyeniences, no sane body Of men will un-
dcrtake the enterprise without securing such
privileges and rights IS will protect them In
the economical aud safe prosecution Of the
work. The provisions Of the bill for securing
| the right to lay tracks are the same as ali
bills grptfng right Of way to railways. The
] lien On Stock for freight md charges advanced
to incoming roads, Gs tell is Tor feed fur
nislCd Is no moro onerous to- the shipper
| when lawful, than under the present practice,
and Its propriety can hardly be questioned.
The money transactions in the Wny OF
. freight charges and advances In the several
| yards, now amount to scores OF thousands
daily, while the sales are tenlold In amount,
and together render the facilities Of bank
on the premises Indispensable. 1t may be
| immaterial whether this IS controlled by the
company, SO as their safety OF money trans
action is secured. The right Of bridging the
canal or river in connecting with Incoming
roads, and Of "aqucduct' for supply Of yards
as necessity. can hardly be questioned:
| Regarding the fling Of exorbitant rates Of
freight charged by the Eastern roads, the
latter challenge comparison with the Western
on I'LL ftcights, and particularly live stock,
the season together.
Having extended this beyond my intention,
| will speak Of other features complained OF