Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1879-01-30
EARLY STOCK HISTORY.
Concerning VIM. Renick, the Pi'
oneer Ohio DrOyer.

To the editor of Circleville (O.) Union-Her-
aid.
Inasmucb as you last week quoted q
few remarks concerning the early cat
tie trade, from the West contributed to
the Cincinnati Gazette, by its Circle
vile correspondent, Twill endeavor to
give you little more extended ac-
count of O trade that for more than a
half century contributed so largely to
the wealth and resources Of the Scioto
Valley, and that has become historical
from the fact that there are nowb but few
If any living witnesses. Ny father,
George Renick, who was the sole pio-
neer OF the business OF fattening cattle,
with the view OF sending them 10 an
Eastern market, opened a store in
ChiIIicothe in the fall OF 1902, and soon
thereafter perceiving the great want
of O market for the fast sccumulating
products OF the rich soil, eBdeavored
to prevail on come of his friends, who
had preceded HIM, and owned and
lived on farms, to feed their surplus
corn to cattle, but they one and all de-
clined. They thought the project too
chimerical aud hazardous for them to
try; and friends still remaining on the
South branch, Virginia, hUoted at the
idea that fatteniDg cattle for an East
ern market could ever be done west OF
the Ohio, the distance to drive being
too great the cattle would be SO redu-
ced in flesh as to be unsuitable only as
store or stock cattle; they feared noI
competition from Ohio. But my faith
er, although meeting with discourage
hand ond vayolI Rnnxn-
ing that the only reliable feed for cattle
while driving. both through Ohio and
through the mountains, would neces- |
sarily be the wild range, under the
conviction that the enterprise was not |
impracticable, and having purchased u
farm In the Immediate vicinity of
Chillieothe, and being well acquainted
with the business, concluded he would
try the experiment himself. So my
birthday was commemorated by the
first feed ever thrown to cattle with
view Of fattening them for an eastern
market west of the Ohio river, the 18th
day of November, 1904. These cattle
were started for Baltimore in the
spring Of 1894. the enterprise proving
highly successful. The same winter
old Mr.. John Grouse still fed from the
Stops of the distillery eight head oi
cattle, and wished my father to buy
them. Mr.. Grouse asked him $100 for
the eight head. Father told him that
'stiliers' could not stand the drive; but
If he (Crouse) would take them from
the still and feed them for six weeks
all the corn they would eat, he WOULD
Duy them. Mr.. Grouse agreed TO that
proposition, and on the arrival of the
cattle at Baltimore the first sale made
was two OF the Grouse cattle for 500,
leaving the other six for profit, and to
pay ex xpenses of driving, which latter
did not exceed q per head.
The result of that enterprise was the
opening OF another avenue of trade to
the great benefit OF the chief produce Of
the rich bottom lands, which were not
adapted to wheat culture. The busi-
ness did not increase rapidly for many
years thereafter, partly owing to the
want of money wherewith to purchase
cattle, and the great freehet of 1906,
which had swept of all the corn re-
manning ungsthered and much that
had been gathered, as well as the fen.
cling, discodraging TO some extent, for
a time at least, the culture OF low bot
tom land, and II was not till after the
close of the war Of 1872 that 1t began to
flourish vigorously snd assume the
VI the extensive and im-
portnnt business to which IL afterwsrd
attained, when Pickaway county,
Ohio, alone full corn fed $1,000 cattle
by actual enumeration in single win.
ter. But IL was many years after the
of driving cattle be
fore there was preparation on the road
sufficient to prosecute that business
systematically; even as late as 1920. the
year that commenced, thsre were no
ferrybosts on the larger rivers TO trans
port the ezftle across. To cross the
Ohio river At Martins Ferry, above
Wheeling, and my drivers bad toi
assist the fefryfnan and his hands to
arrapgeor AZ temporary cattle racks
to the boat before we could cross. Wei,
had to sgiu abe MonOngaheia when II
was flush; and preparations for feed on
the ru0te were very limited and nm
certain. ,Fhe driver Of cattle In those
days had not the easy and careless
time of those Of q later date. And |
when the cattle arrived Ia RhiladeiPhiail
on New York even the salesman had
to Be vieilaaf and wefchfni, a. thet
single sale lot n both cities, taysrnss +.