San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-07-06

l
ing loo, 900 head from the bunch-gras
region of Eastern Oregon and Washing
ton Territory, and from Walla Wall
and the Yakima and Snake River coun
tries, which they will drive across tn
continent, many being held back on tn
plains of Colorado, Wyoming and Ne
braska for good marketing, and other
driven direct to Omaha.
1t was considered something wonder
full few years ago when Texas was
credited with 100000 head of cattle
That State was looked upon as our beef
supply for years to come, and the great
plains, at that time counted as absolute
ly worthless for any purpose, were not
looked upon as even the smallest factor
in the matter of supplying the East and
Europe with marketable cattle. But a
great revolution has taken place in a
short time. The "long horns " still
come up every season to be put into
market, but the numbers arriving at
Kansas City and Chicago from that
source are decreasing year by year. The
cattle grounds are being transferred to
the great buffalo plains, and the central
portion of the continent, with the Pacific
States, are becoming the leading pro-
ducers of beef. An estimate derived
from the assessment returns of this year
gives Colorado $50, 1000; Wyoming, 1885,
900; Utah, $50, 1000; Montana, 100000;
Washington, 100000; Oregon, $4,000,
and California, 100000 cattle. This
makes total of nearly 2,75O,OOO in
herds, increasing rapidly, from which
upwards of 100000 marketable beeves
will be taken during the next three
or four months into the markets east of
the Missouri River.
But we have depressed from the main
purpose of this letter, which was to give
an account of this cattle-shipping point,
Dodge City, and the interests which
surround it, 1t is all bustling activity
now, and a month hence it will be what
the cowboys call "red-hot times.
The place will be fairly hemmed in with
herds, and the ample stock yards pro-
vided by the railway company will
answer the demands of ship
pers.
Somehow the agricultural interests
seem always to be at enmity to the cat
lie business. The land in this vicinity
1as pretty much all been taken up for
during the past few years,
md this spring very large area has
,een seeded down. Many farms are not
enced, and those that are can hardly
withstand the determined assaults of the
hungry Texas steer. So there is all the
While chance for quarrels between the
armer and herder. The farmers here
lbout are complaining a good deal of
he depredations upon their crops made
~ the stock running at large; and at
he next session of the Kansas Legisla-
ure a very strong petition will go in
rom Dodge City to have the "dead
ine'' moved further west, at least as far
S the State limits. Should such meas
re prevail, as seems highly probable,
hen another season may see West Los
Inimas the great shipping point. Hugo,
n the Kansas Pacific, and Ogalalla, on
he Union Pacific, will be its prominent
for the cattle trade.
The cattle shippers complain a good
cal of the high rates of transportation
harged by railroad companies, and talk
f driving their cattle to market if due
are not made. Last year
he railroads got to cutting" and
hat, of course, stopped all complaint.
t was q good thing for the shippers.
tut the new combinations will serve to
eep the tariff pretty well up this season.
n anticipation of it, stock-men are look
10 about to see what is best to be done.
he local paper here, speaking on this
lbject, says:
From conversation with a leading
took man we learn that many of our
lrger owners of beef-cattle are serious
7 considering the plan of driving in
tead of shipping to market this fall.
here are several considerations in fa-
or of this method, the most important
f which is the large saving made. A
iir estimate of the freight, the shrink
&c, and the bruised condition of beef
at Kansas City, is So per head,
nd a liberal estimate of expenses of
irving to within 100 miles of Kansas
lily, places it at 81 per head-and the
attic. If any thinp. i'm better condition