The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1875-05-28
Kansas-Tcxas Cattle Trade.
lul0bo'Democrni,l


grown in tho past eight or ten years
to commercial proportions of which
the general public has but II vague
comprehension. The capital in
vested in it, and tho labor employ
cd by it, with its relations to other
industrial enterprises and TO the
general comfort and welfare, give
il an interest and Importance second
TO that of no other single branch Of
internal traffic. It's operations cx-
tent from the Rio Grando to the
Atlantic, and from tho Missouri to
the Pacific, Cattle driven from
Texas TO Kansas and shipped thence
TO market, make much Of the beef
now sold and consumed in all the
large cities Of the country. The
trade has in fact become distinct
business Of itself, as much as the
cotton trade or the grain trade, hav.
ing shaping influence upon the
general markets, and affecting, in
in no light degree, the cbb and flow
of national finances.
The cattle are raised on the pam
pas of Texas, and driven north to
Kansas in the carly spring and
summer, in herds Of two to ten
thousand, whore they arc grazcd
until ready for sale. During the
last eight years nearly three mil
lions of beeves have thus been put
upon the market In the last year
alone about 465 900 head were han
died, the cash value of which, on
the cars in Kansas, was So 100000;
and when finally sold to butchers
and packers they brought, in round
numbers, $12,OOO,OOO. This gives a
fair comparative idea of tho annual
transactions, and suggests at q
glance the large amount of money
involved in this great business.
Formerly the traffic was merely
local, and the only marts were the
southern coast ciSies; but the ex-
tension of the railroad system to
the rich grazing grounds beyond
the Missouri has turned it almost
entirely northward, and created
new markets thousands of miles from
the once isolated region where the
cattle are produced.
The city of st, Louis has had Il
fair share of the commercial advan-
tages resulting from this newly de-
veloped industry but it might, by
proper efforts, secure a great deal
moro. There is no reason why all
the cattle grazcd in Kansas, and all
shipped from Texas direct, should
not reach the eastern markets over
the transportation lines convergIng
hero from the west and south. The
Strengthening and packing branch of
the business, which is fast becoming
an important item in itself, might
also be easily onopolized here
In short, St. Louis has it in her
power to become the center and
controller of this important, grow
ing and profitable trade. Her To-
cation, with reference both to pur.
chasing and selling, is all that could
be desired; her railroad facilities
could not have been better if they
had been devised for the special
purpose of attracting ard accom-
modating the cattle interest; and
she has millions of available capital
that might be put in excellent use
in grasping and conducting the
business through all its ramlfi
cations. 1t only needs nerve, en-
ergy and concert Of action to al
verge this valuable traffic from the
several channels through which II
now flows, and concentrate 1T a
st. Louis for all time.
There will never be better tim
to begin these efforts than tn
present spring affords. The mel
engaged in raising and driving tn
cattle, as well as those interested Il
the barter peculiar to Kansas, ar
in many respects dissatisfied wit
existing arrangements, and coul
easily be induced to cooperate in
movement for putting the bushes
on a new basis by cutting loose fror
the alliances formed during tn
last few years, and making st. LOU
the pivot of their future operations
There are now in Kansas abou
10000 head of cattle that were viii
tered there, and will be ready 10
market early in June. The sprin
drove from Texas is about a mont
later than usual, and the herds al
mat Machining to arrive. With