The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-03-24
FATTENING CATTLE
foa rAE eaeAr EASTERN MAakers.
III. Bu.In.n Growing to cOnrId.rlbl. Proportion.
In this Vlsiaity-LarEs shipments Of stock
blythe asmpasld Railroad Money In II.
Gossip About Local Railroad.

A considerable business has recently grown
up in this section OF country, and It Is in.
creasing yearly, In fattenipg western cattle
for the eastern market. The farmers OF
Washington and Greene county, Pa, have
gone into the experiment largely, and In the
past winter have received q large number Of
cattle for this purpose. Scarcely week
passes that several car loads are not taken
over tee Hempheld road from this city,
having been brought from Chicago. At
Washington the purchasers receive them,
and they are cared for and fed through the
winter on the farms OF that vicinity. and In
the spring driven overland 10 East Liberty or
shipped via the Baltimore & Ohio railroad to
Baltimore to market where they are sold as
fat spring cattle at good profit.
The business Is not confined to any one sea-
son OF the year, but Ia more active In the
spring, the cattle being fed several weeks or
months, as their condition demands
Since last October 1S4 car loads OF Chicago
cattle have been shipped over the Hempheld
from this city for the farmers OF Western
Pennsylvania. These cars would average %
head OF stock 10 the load, SO that In all there
have been 8 $50 head transported In the time
named. A few loads are yet being receive doc.
caSionally, ~ good bargains are TO be OBJ
tanned, but the receipt has fallen of greatly.
Sometimes train with several loads OF cattle
bound for market meets train with several
cars carrying cattle TO the grtzer. But this u
an exceptional case. Most OF the receiyingis
In the autumn and early winter, when the
western cattle are thin aud In poor condition,
and the best market Is afforded In May aud
JuLe. In the interim the cattle have been
housed and fed, and when the market opens
up they are in prime killing condition, and
sell at a handsome advance.
The business has been found to be SC. profit.
able that 1t is extenaing In the section OF
country referred 10, and other persons In this
vicinity are going into 1t. Mr.. Henry Land.
krohn, for years butcher at Bellaire, will
this summer abandon that business and so TO
| fattening western cattle for eastern mar.
kets. The business has long been found TO
be profitable in many sections, but Is inst
beginning 10 attract attention hereabouts.
There " special reason for the impetus
recently received by the grsz;ng interest.
Rev. w. a. Chalfant one OF the leading
farmers OF Guernsey county, Ohio, believes
that the reduction Of the Tariff on wool will
affect injuriously the interests OF wool
growers. He tells the Jc0ersonidn that 80
certain Is he that sheep will become unproliE-
able for high-prced lands that he Ia prepsr.
ing to abandon the sheep business aud turn
his attention TO other stock. Last week he
bought a car load OF cattle in Chicago.
Very few OF the cattle prepared for market
around here have heretoi IRE found q market
ir this city. 1t suited Wheeling butchers
better to buy as they wanted beeves In Chi.
cage, where they could select animals to al-
vantage, and It was also more advantageous
for grazers and droyers here to ship to lager
markets. Probably since the introduction
into the meat stores OF the city OF Chicago
dressed beef the market here for home cattle
will be still poorer.