, 1865-01-24

Editors Chicago Tribune;
sec there has been quite controversy be-
tween several correspondents about the
Union Stock Yards. Some c1aIming that 1t is
very necessary, and others that 1t Is great
monopoly, and not in the least necessary, Us
there are five yards now in operation. Now,
lam not letter Wlitcr, but droyer, buying
my stock In the country md selling in Chi.
cago. or some times taking my stock East. I
know how the present system OF yards infect
me and all my ne!ghbors who take their stock
t oyour market. Knowing. that you have tho
heart, take the liberty Of stating q few
bonfs Ponsht In five tho badrea snad Last hoss 's ID
Champaign county. brought them
upH on the Illinois Central Railroad to
Shernlan's yards, unloaocd them and put
Them in yards On the'lake beach, there being
only few yards, md they were full. 1t was
very cold. My hogs came from warm ours.
TheY piled up, of course, to keep warm. and
in the morning I had SIX smothered hogs,
worth twelve dollars apiece, which the night
before were alive and worth thirty dollars
drcd and eight dollars for want Of proper
yards. Ny hogs we're very tlnc-tust the kind
ior Philadelphia. found no buyers willing
to pay my price. I went over to the Fort
/ Wayne yards, aud found q Philadel-
phia buyer and induced him TO- 60
at once, on condition that would DR. tFo them
to the Fort Wayne yards, which l agreed to
do. The cost was eight men and two wagons,
which cost me 81. Three hogs, crippled In
driving, had to be sold one dollar per hun
d1ed weight less, which made m additional
loss Of s9.ao, they .weighin go. After get
ting over there, the hogs being heated up,
yarded and fed at an,additiona1 cost Of $25,
making loss Oh this lot Of hogs, for want Of
proper yards, and from being compelled to
drive from one rnf}road to another to ship, Of
S1C4.20. Now thi: is not IN exceptional case.
The next time came on the St. Louis
roaa, md my hogs lay in the cars twelve
hours before could unload. All the yards
were full and had, finally, to put my hogs In
yard with cattle. The principal shippers
being off from tho market ut the Fort Wayne
yards, went up to Slcrlnan's ~ a,,,, ,ound If I
had my hors there re, could readily eel1 them
/ TO Hancock and Others, but I had to hold my
hogs two days before packers came To the
Fort Wayne yards. BY that time I had sold
four cripplcs trs1mpled by the cattle, at loss
Of Ut least SIS, and fed my hogs Us they were
In with the cattle, about $50 worth OF corn.
Now, Mr.. Editor, these are but part Of the
drawbacks to which farmers and drovers are
subject from having five or six little stock
markets in Chicago. We are the prey Of q
class Of petty Ecalpcrs who run from market to
OF farmer who arrived too late, or who can
not find, ut the particular yards where he
happens to arrive, the buyers who want his
Kind Of stock
I was glad when saw this bill for Union
Stock Yard before tho Legislature. As to its
being d monopoly, we have monopoly now.
The present yard men get together and ti1 the
price and we are without help. We have to
pay what they ask. Let the Legislature have
the right to regulate the prices In this yard,
us see it Is proposed, And I speak the
voice Of all the farmers In this nesghborhood
/ when say that We will see that NC are not
charged too much.
look upon the establishment Of the Union
Stock Yards as the most important movement
that has ever been made to protect and sys-
tematize the stock growing interests. OF the
Northwest. With such yards, Chicago will
become the great distributing point for all
Eastern markets, bringing together oil thu
buyers for Boston, New York, Albany, Bufla-
10, PittsbuIg. Harrisburg, Philadelphia, Bal.
timore and Washington and all the different
packers. Afy interests are with the farmers
and stock growers who need the Union Yards
for their protection, to get out Of the hands
| Of eca1pers, and secure one market where they
can find the buyers, but ! can not see how any
person Except the men interested 10 keeping
up the present little yardsl can fail to see tho
| immense importance to Chicago and 10 the
Northwest, OF these yards in settling the stock
business in Chicago and bringing Eastern buy
ers to us. l. DRovER.