Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1866-11-13
Attempt of Stock Spectators to suppress
Stock Reports-Its OBJECT to cheat Stock
Raisers a. d Farmers
From the Chicago Tribune, oct. 3I.1


at the Union Stock Yard, to suppress.
the reports of sales Of cattle which
have heretofore been published in the
daily newspapers. For the purpose
of giving the public a connected his
tory of the rise and progress of the
"ring" we republish number of ex-
tracts from our market reports OF
last week, together with some re-
marks from the Chicago Times on the
same subject. The farmers will OBJ
serve, (and we desire to address our
remarks to them, that the av0wcd
purpose Of the ring" is to prevent
the stock grower from knowing what
prices his cattle bring when they reach
this market, and thus render it com
paratlvely easy to cheat him the
next time. Thus Farmer A. sells
one hundred head Of cattle to middle.
man b. who forwards them to Com.
nilsson man G. who sells them to
b. tcher ID. or eastern shipper L. or
what not. BY watching the market
reports 4. can see without much La
biIity TO error, just what prices his
particular drove sold for at the stock
yard. This he ought to know for his
+. own guidance and protection in
future transactions. And this is " hat
the ."ring" wish 10 prevent him from
Ltlno%s.ng. They wish to keep him in
ignorance OF the market, while they
and the middlemen know all about it.
In nine transactions out Of ten, con-
Quoted on this basis, The stock grower
would receive less for his cattle than
they were worth In common par
lance this is called "scalping"
We understand that the ring are
preparing a circular or pamphlet in
defence OF their policy, and that they
intend to persevcre init. They prob
ably know their own business best,
but we can assure them that the
course they are pursuing, ifvigorous-
ly followed up, will make the Union
Stock Yard one Of the quietcst resorts
in the suburbs OF Chicago.
The Legislature, ennot pass law
stringent enough to send a TWO year
old bullock this way, after it becomes
well understood through the state,
that The ChiIago cattle market is not
to be fully and truthfulIy reported.
The ring need not be nj the trouble to
print their circular What is wanted
- a prompt reversal Of their policy,
and unless this is forthcoming we
shall advise all the stock growers in
northwest whom we can reach or
influence, to avoid the union stock
yard as they would the riuderpest.-
We are surprised that the proprietcrs
of the yard should tolerate such pro-
Ccedng, the mere suspicion OF which
would tend to drive away their bust
ness ana impair the value Of their pro-
perty.
The cattle trade which ccnters at
this point is immense. 1t is counted
bv the million OF dollars, and is year
" increasing in magnitude and value
That this mammoth trade should be
at the mercy of u set OF unprinciplcd
ecalpers. is at once astonishing and
alarming Neither the press nor the
people of Chicago can allow such q
trade to be sacrificed or trifed with
in this manner. II the Chicago Board
of trade should resolve to suppress all
rsports of transactions il grain and
provisions and give the public only
the "tone Of the market" toning il
to suit themselves, such a proceeding
would furnish a parallel to the action
of the board of cattle brokers at the
union stock yard. We understand
chat there halfa dozer dealers who
dissent from the action ofthe majority
and refuse to be governed by it. i
the action is persisted in we shall
publish the names of those who are
responsible for its continuance.
[From the Chicago Times, Oct, Sol
The most preposterous performance
which has come to our knowledge fol
many day is the attempt BY the live
stock commission men Of Chicago t
suppress all information concerning
the state Of our live stock market ant
thus to compel producer to sell then
stock in ignorance ofthe prices which
rule in that market. When thes'
Commission men first set upon thu
novel enterprise, and declined L
communicate prices TO cur reporters
We were OF the impression that th'
movement would break down OF 1T
own weight ia a day or two, 50 alb
surd and misjuIged was il; but j
seems that, attog week or ten day
experience, the purT ose actually is
not to abandon it, but to persist in 1t
We invite all stock producers wh'
depend upon the market to unite Will
us in breaking down this unjust an'
mischievous combination. 1t is ;
combination whose simple design j
TO make the producers still more trib
utarv to the commission men than
they have been heretofore, and there
by double the already enormous pro
fits Of the latter
Our commercial columns inform
the public from day to day Of whom
this combination is composed. 1t !
composed of a class Of dealers VIII,
are of no real use to the producers
IT is composed of middlemen, in clos
pe2uniary relations with country buy
ers. whose interest is to dotraud bot
the purchaser and producer; am
this they have boldly undertaken t
dol They are. we say, of no real us