The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1872-05-24
THE TEXAS CATTLE TRADE.
Wichita the Groa: Shipping Point.

The Texas cattle trade has alrcad,
assumed national importance, affect
ing annually, in a very sensible degree
the great stock markets Of all large sea.
board as wall as AL important inland
cities upon the continent. Cut off this
trade but for a single year aud all kinds
of meats and all kinds of food through
out the land take an upward bound.
In fact the food supplied from this
source feeds millions of inhabitants.
and it must be for many years reckon
ed as staple. Millions of capital is
being employed III its transit alone. For
the past six or eight years large per
cent of these cattle have been driven
through and shipped from Kansas to
the various eastern markets which
has developed quite arivalry and strife
among railroad lines i'm the west and
more especially in Kansas. Towns on
the various roads in Nebraska, Kansas
and even Missouri have entered into
the contest. which derive benefit in pro-
portion as they succeed in becoming
shipping points. To supply the num-
Der of men necessarily employed to
herd and care for several hundred
thousand head of stock, as also to ham
die the money and do the business of
the cattle owners and eastern BUYERS is
financial item worthy securing by
any town, as has long since been dem
onstratcd.
Wichita is ROW the nearest. as she is
the most accessible point for the ship
ment Of cattle to ST. Louis, Chicago,
Pittsburgh, New York, Philadelphia,
and in fact all points in the northern
states. Wichita is the most accessible
railroad point i'm that she can be reach
ed by these immense herds without in
reference upon Tie part ofscttlcrs and
in that the grazing grounds. which are
well supplied with water and camping
places, run entirely up to her suburbs
proposition driving is much cheap
or and better than shipping by rail,
providing the country drivcnSthroagh
is well watcred, producing plenty of
grass and not barred by local or state
laws. Wichita is the only point now
inside or oafsidc of the state of Kansas
that can claim all these advantages and
that is free from all these objections.
Our grazing grounds are equal to those
of the long horns native heath. Water |
and grass are abundant and for this /!
season, at least, no trouble is apprc- /
hcnded from the settlers southwest. !
The hotel accommodations aud the
banking facilities of Wichita are not /
equallcd by those of any cattle ship /
ping point ives; of the Missouri. The
stock yards being erected are very am
pie and convenient. and in case OF high
water the Arkansas river at this point
is spanncd b, heavy wooden truss
bridge that will carry two hundred
cattle TO the span.
From Judge Thos. II. Striblcn, vice
president ofthc first national bank at
san Antonio, Texas. who is now here,
and who has for years been closely con-
ncctcd with the cattle trade. we learn
many interesting facts touching the
great stock raiscrs of the Lone Star
state and the cattle raising district.
San Antonia is situated in the centre
of the great cattle producing district.
The cattle producing country proper
lies west of Austin City and includes
forty or fifty counties. an extent of ter
ritory equal to the whole state of Kan
sas. These counties run down to the
waters of the Gulf, west to the Rio
Gransle. and north to within one hun
dred miles of the Indian territory.
East of these counties the country is
too thickly settled TO raise large herds
proiitablv. while west and north of
these lines the country is new and sub
jcct to Indian deprcdations. I'm these
counties which arc included in the cat
tie district proper it is not an unusual
thing for one man to own from 5000 to
$4,000 head of cattle. The district is
known in Texas as the ''cow counties
The year round these immense herds
eat grass. increase in number and make
their owners rich.
Judge Striblen las rented an Office Oh
the corner of Douglas and Main where
he will remain during the shipping
season looking after the interests of
his banking house and disposing of sew
eral thousand head of his own cattle |
that are now ell route for this point.
Within the past ten days several
heavy cattle dealers have been in our
town. among whom we might mention I
the names of Col. j. ID. Reed, Maj. j.
s. Smith. Uncle Jake Woodward. Gen.
l.. Ii. Harris. Chas. Lynn. the Burns
brothers. l.. +. Seals. j. {. Journeval. :
W. b. Simpson and Mr.. Slaughter.
Gen. Harris owns no less than sixty
head of Texas cattle. mum
of which he has now on the Ncnciscah I
for market. Capt. Reed owns :
over twenty thousand head of bccvcs.
lie will ship from Wichita. The Burns ,
brothers and II. L. Seals. who have
large herds on the road will ship from ,,
here. Mr.. Slaughter has nearly four .
thousand head within two days drive :
of Wichita and he will no doubt make {
this his piont of shipment.
From the estimates that we are able ,
to gather il is pretty safe to say that I
not less than 20o.O00 head of bccvcs |
will be- shipped from Wichita 10 east
crn markets during the next five or :,
six months.
All This bright prospect and now AS Z
kured fact did not come 10 Wichita
because of superior advantages as
point alone. Our town pro-
prietors and business men have been ;
af ,.auSitlefabla ..xnenSp al1 ynll.h