The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1883-03-14

llon mas prevented stOckmen from rean
ing the just profit Of their industry. Toe
much has gone to the middlemen. who
usually make fortune off of eyery herd
they market at the east. Such uncon
Germ IS more becoming to Indians who
can neither read, write nor figure. Why
should not the actual stock -raisers upon
any range consolidate their annual beef
product, entrust it to representatives Of
their own selection, and market it for
their own benefit, each owner receiving
his pro rata from the sale?
By pursuing such a plan it would be
| found that steers sold last season at S35
were given away.
OUR PRESENT NEED
is to get rid Of as few stock cattle as pos
sible. There never has been time
when the foreigner has been SO busy
among US, with his gold tempting us to
part with our choicest herds The Brit
ish better than ourselves understand the
advantages of stock-raising as an invest
ment. They anticipate the future They
perceive that the beef supply is not keep
ing pace with the increase in population,
and that the rapid settlement Of the west
will curtail the ranges, still further redu-
cling the annual supply. Not alone in
Montana are large drafts being made
upon our herds, but s'the bold Britonn
has invaded the United States in compa-
MES representing prodigious capital, and
are buying the best herds in Texes Col
hn
which Americans will hereafter have to
buy at enhanced values, while the profits
will go to England.
The secret of the local advance in
price Of cattle is not because of purchases
made for the Canadian territory. That
is purely adventurous. 1t is obvious
that if the European demand and in
crease OF home population is greater than
the proportionate increase of beef, the
simple law of supply and demand will
enhance the value of cattle from year to
year, until those who believe that the
maximum has now been reached at S35
will find themselves as badly mistaken
as were .sagacious dealers two years ago,
who thought the limit had been reached
at ST. some OF whom sold their herds to
buy again when prices should decline
Our facilities for shipping since the
advent of the Northern Pacific has added
legitimate 80 per cent. to the value of
our herds. That, in connection with the
unusual demand that is created by the
approach Of the constructionists of the
Canadian Pacific would not make it ex-
travagant to say that prime beeves should
the coming season be worth $50 to $50
upon the range.
PRICES ELSEWHERE.
Let US see what prices rule in parts of
the west altogether remote, that do not
possess outside marketing facilities, and
whose cattle are in all respects inferior to
ours.
The Orego1ion says that the dearth of
stock upon the coast because of herds
having been driven out of the country
has caused an advance in price of 80 per
cent, and there is no indication that the
advance will again be reduced to the or
binary standard.
The Mohave Miner, of Arizona, states
that ''stock cattle are $780, everything
counted, and advancing, with more buy
erS than sellers.
From the Texas Lire Stock Journal we
CLEAN that cows with calves are rated at
$50 to $3.50 with two buyers to one sell
pay better than a gold mine. You can't
y
of debt as fast as lot of good cattle It
makes no difference what man pays for
cows or young cattle, they will outgroW
any over-price in short time. The big
gest fortunes in Texas have been made
by men who stuck to their stock and sold
only their steers.O
The Los Angeles, Col, papers state
that that country instead of being an
exporter as formerly, is an importer. /
And so it is throughout the most pros
porous sections of the United States. On
all sides we read Of the advance in cattle,
the theory Of which may be found in a
nutshell. The grazing ranges of the past
are being turned into farms, and as the
ranges decrease and the population in
creases the price of beef advances
In the DroUeTs' Journal we read |
''Taking Chicago, the largest live stock
center in the country, as criterion of all
the markets, the consumption of meat
was less in 1882 than in 1883. The high
prices paid had the effect of stimulating
from the prairie states so as to
deplete the cattle stock below the usual
We know that more grass
cattle were furnished in 1882 than there
can be in 1853 by at least Is per cent.
Just in proportion as the meat supply |
grows short in. that proportion will pri-
ces be higher. I'VE think that prices
this year will average higher /
than they did last. In order to keep |
pace with the increase in population the
meat supply of this country will have to |
be increased at least Is per cent. above |
it's present standard, and the outlook for |
the future shows no indication OF al IN
crease" |
TrrIor fLa oiro,;Y,octo ;, noe xrrr ooy, c,,Ixy I