Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-09-09
THE CATTLE TRADE.
Extent of the Business in Texas, Kansas |
and acknowledgements Of the Trade and |
Number of Herds.

Extent of the Business in Texas, Kansas
and observation-disclosures of the Trade and
Number of Herds.
Kansas City Letter to the New YORK Times.
Those who have watched the course
of the cattle trade in Kansas and the
Territories lying west, during the past
four years, have seen, with it's growth,
constant changing of trails and ship
ping points, SO that one whose travels
are not frequent through this country
finds himself surprised and lost at al
most every point. In speaking of this
changed condition of cattle marts and
the cattle trade, it is noticeable that the
opening OF a second east and west trunk
line, namely, the Atchison, Topeka and
Santa Fe Railroad, through Southwest
ern Kansas, had much to do with this
new order of things. The line of that
road has now the principal cattle marts
of Kansas. At the same time, owing
to the constant increase in the business,
the Kansas Pacific shows great gain
over the last year, and at this time, the
height of the season, is running extra
stock trains to satisfy the demands for
transportation. The principal shipping
Bunker Hill, Brookville and Carson.
while small shipments are still made
from Abilina. A statement from the
books of the auditor of the Kansas
Pacific Railway gives a comparative
exhibit of the business, and shows the
number of carloads carried during the
first seven months of this and last year.
1t shows total of 1866 car loads for
the first seven months of 1874 as against
1, 153 for the same period of 1873. A
CARLOAD will average about sixteen
head of cattle,so the figures for the first
half of 1874 show the shipment of about
26,7OO cattle, and those of 1873 about
1890. Almost the whole of this stock
was taken to Kansas City, and there
distributed to Chicago or St. Louis,
while some went eastward via. Leaven-
worth and the Rock Island route. ..
The shipments of the Atchison, To-
peka and Santa Fe railroad are greatly
in excess of the Kansas Pacific. The
principal points along this line are
Wichita, Hutchinson, Newton and
Great Bend. The Auditors books show
that 1876, 1868 head of cattle were carried
during the first half of 1874, as against
"a, 800 for the first half of 1873, this
years shipments thus far being nearly
four times greater than last years. The
fact that both the leading railways show
so marked an increase in the trade is
significant in view of the fact that the
general impression throughout the west
was that. the Texas cattle business would
be small this year, owing to the scarcity
of money and the unfortunate and ruin
Gus ventures made by parties last year.
It is fact that all the cattle men, from
the Missouri river to the Rocky Noun
tains, and from Wyoming to Texas, are
unanimous in their complaints that
there was no money in the business last
year. 1t is also noticeable, from fnan-
cial troubles and one cause and another.
that many Of the most venturesome and
largest dealers do not appear on the
boards at all now, and numerous new
operators, on q large scale, have taken
/ their places. Times at the various ship
ping points are just beginning to pick
up, foreshadowing great activity. The
season Of large shipments can not be
said to have fairly begun. The remain
der of this month, with September and
October, constitutes the busy period.
1t is thought that there are sufficient
cattle awaiting shipment near the prin-
cipal marts, for the next three
months, to equal the entire ship
ments of the first half of the
year. Should this prove true the
entire shipments of this year Counting
December and the last half of Novem-
Der as almost nothing) by the Atchi-
son, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad
will be nearly 100000 head. This is a
surprising fact, considering that the
Texas cattle trade, wholly built up, so
far as Kansas is concerned, in the past
seven years, was monopolized until
three years ago by the Kansas Pacific
and the gulf railroads. The Atchison,
Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad, as it's
extension progressed, crossed the old,
popular trails south Of the Kansas Pa
cifc, placing stock at once one or two
days drive nearer good shipping
points, and of course cutting off to
some extent growing business. New
ertheless there are such good facilities
offered to drovers along the route that
many Of the large herders prefer to
drive 100 miles further and ship by the
Kansas Pacific, enabling the latter read
still to maintain very large and grow
ing business. What this business is,
and how it is increasing on the Kansas
Pacific, may be inferred from the fact
that in the first year in which the trail
was opened only 81, 400 head of cattle
were carried over the road, the num-
Der transported in 1873 amounted to
164, 800. While the great share Of the
stock trade is represented in the ship
ments of the two trunk railways, from
whose books the statistics given have
been quoted, it must not be forgotten
that there is a large business springirg
up at Coffeyville, Independence and
Humboldt, on the Leavenworth, Law
renee and Galveston Railroad; at Bax-
ter Springs, Columbus, Girard and Ft.
Scott, on the Fl. Scott and Gulf Rail
road, and CLAW Center and WateryilIe.