The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-09-11
CATTLE TRADE OF THE WEST.
The Increased transportation OF Trans
Mississippi stock.

A large proportion of the cattle from
Texas are driven westward into the ter
ritories. There they fatten for the mar
ket, and provide beef for the growing
cities and towns, mining regions, and
military posts. It is thought that the
entire drive from Texas this year into
Kansas will number over 600, 600 head.
Perhaps one-fourth of these go into
Colorado and Wyoming and westward
to Utah, while most of the balance seek
the eastern market. At this season of
/ the year one will be struck with the ap-
pearauce of the numerous and fine
looking herds grazing along the Arkan-
sas valley from Wichita as far west as
Sargent, and thence scattered at inter-
walls TO the foot of the mountains. As
sample of the size of these herds 1
might mention that list of fOrty-three
herds in the vicinity showed total of
80, 90S head of cattle. While it is claim
ed that the drive to Wichita this year
will not exceed 100, 900 head, not much
over one-half what it was last year,
some of the other towns on the line of
! the railroad having been found more
| accessible for shipment, yet it is notice
| able that the quality of the stock Is ap-
/ parently much better than that of form
er seasons.
The further the focks get westward
! the greater their tendency to increase in
/ size. In the vicinity of Hugo, on the
! Kansas Pacific, about 100 miles beyond
! the eastern borders of Kansas, some of
/ the old plainsmen have formed a stock
company, and control from 10000 to
| 80, 900 head. There are huge herds also
near Ellsworth and Bunker Hill. Down
! on the Arkansas. near Fort Lynn, the
children of Kit Carson and one or two
of his old comrades own herds of from
5000 to 5000 head. On the Laramie
plains. northward, Creighton & Co. have
/ a herd of 10, 900 cattle; J. W. Tiff,
! $4,000; E. Creighton, 5000 Taylor,
/ Gaylord & Co., 5000. There are over
twenty herds, numbering from l, 600 to
| 5000 each. In the parks of Colorado
| extensive fiocks will also be found.
| Throughout the middle and southeast
/ ern portions of Kansas a large amount
/ of stock is now being driven eastward,
| the cattle being allowed to Craze along
| the way. The drovers viii soon be
/ hurrying forward their herds, however,
/ for feed is short, and it will cost too
much to winter stock III Kansas, owing
/ to the short corn crop. Where last
/ winter there were thousands of cattle
/ scattered throughout Kansas, and the
winter before still greater numbers, to
/ fat'en on the surplus grain, this year
/ there viii be very few. The full corn
cribs of Missouri and Illinois tempt the
drover that way. and in the spring he
viii be nearer the great markets. There
are various estimates of the numbers
| that have been wintered in Kansas in
! former seasons, but the range is from
100 600 to 175, 600.
You viii, at this time of the year. see
| the Colorado spectators prying their
way into the broad pastures or by-ways
of Kansas and Nebraska, buying up
| here n few and there a few in an appa-
rently Indifferent way, as if the cattle
were hardly worth their care getting
them Mt lOw-down prices, and finally
marching with great herd back toward
the mountains to double and quadruple
on their purchases. just now stock at
some points rules fabulously low. You
can pick out Texan heifers from a herd
at Sc to So per head, COWS at SO, and
sheep at sixty cents. Beef cattle have
been sold at Wachita at five cents per
pound on foot.
The Kansas city market has for the
past two or three years held a cOntrOll-
ing position with regard TO the Texas
cattle trade. This is a great distribut-
ing point, and stock men seek it from
Illinois, Miss OuTi, Iowa and Indiana,
making it during the season their point
for selecting and shipping stock into
their several states to feed, or to the
Chicago and st. Louis markets for beef.
There are extensive yards into which
the various railroads run, aud good Op-
portunities for shipment. A large pack
ing interest has also sprung uD here. A
direct connection with Texas has lately
been obtained, and the business of for
wardiDg stock directly from their native
pastures to this point has been under
taken to some extent. But this expert
ment has already, it is claimed, proved
unsatisfactory. The cattle rarely attain
q good marketable condition IN Texas,
and when they do, rail transitover such
long distances reduces them to a condi-
tiOn unfit for market when they reach
here. AS the production of cattle, is
one of the main interests of the great
state of Texas, whose herds are counted
by millions, its pastures viii doubtless
for years continue to furnish the west
with beef. The cattle will be driven
as formerly across the plains, fattening
as they go, and reaching the railroads
by the trails which for months have been
alive with the "long horns," and taken
to Kansas city for distribution into the
various states. The supplies which the
different markets require, and the pro-
portion going into the various states,
may be calculated from the following
figures, which show the shipments Of
cattle eastward from Kansas City during
last year Hannibal and st. Joe rail-
road, 1858; st. Louis, Kansas City
and n. railroad, 80, ,674; Missouri
Pacific railroad, 6,142 driven out,
45, Al. Shipments we're also made by
various other roads, showing a total of
227, ,6S6 head. Those via the Hannibal
and st. Joe road went to the Chicago
market by the other railroads to the
st. Louis market; while those driven
out were distributed to large extent TO
feed throughout Missouri and Illinois.