Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-04-14
Western Stock Business.

To precisely what extent the stock
business on the plains is carried on by
companies, we do not know. There are
q number of companies of larger or
smaller %pretensions, and we suppose
that their success has suggested what
We regard as purely wildcat schemes.
sion to utter a word of warning to the
public in regard to the organization of
these live stock companies. The live
stock business is not SO certainly sue
cessful anywhere that anybody, with
brains or without, or with or without
experience, a turn it to success. That
companies can be formed, successfully
run, and made to pay even a large divi-
dead sapon the capital invested ia all
true enough. But we do not believe
that we can give any better advice to
the readers Of The Western RuraL than
to advise them to keep their money out
Of all such enterprises. II they follow
that advice, they will escape two dam
gers, both of which arc probable: Loss
through unavoidable circumstances,
and loss through schemers who know
nothing ct all about stock raising or
who never intend to invest the money
they may receive for stock, in the BUSH
ness. We see live stock companies
advertising their stock for sale, about
whose officers we can learn nothing and
who appear to be adventures; and in
order to be on the safe side, in any
event, we should not invest in the stock.
And then again, we are suspicious that
some OF these companies, while not
fraudulently conceived, are organized
by those who are wholly ignorant of the
business, and can not, therefore, posi-
oily conduct it successfully. There is a
class of men in all cities, who think they
are competent to manage live stock en-
terprises; indeed they do not think that
1--we stock business needs any manage
:ment, but that all in the world that is
needed is to buy a herd of cattle, or q
Hook OF sheep, and sit down to wait for
the profits. In the office of o newspa-
per like this, we frequently meet such
men, who are of all ages and conditions
OF life. The lawyer, doctor. clerk and
merchant turn up periodically w;;.in en-. en-
question, Where had ! better 60 to n
aagge in the live stool Business? 10 the
in.uulry, you had any experenceP
they borrow Mark Twain's idea of run
ming an agricultural. journal, which was
That he never supposeda man need know
anything to do that. We have no doubt
that some of the projected live stock COM
panies have had their origin in thehope-
il brains of this very class of people.
II $50, we q tell with very great GER
talnty what the result will be. 1t will
be ACKNOWLEDGMENT and loss.
Companies of the nature of these, are
not for men of moderate means anyhow.
They are peculiarly Within the province
OF rich men, who can afford to take
chances, and who will not feel a loss, if
1t should happen to come: The ordi-
nary farmer, who has q little money, or
perhaps, is properly credited with a v
ing a~iiae farm and a good bank account,
should keep out of these schems. Better
let we'll enough alone anyhow, ard be
content with the cultivation Of q good
farm, if you have one. But 1.-THE de-
sire to 60 into the I've STOCK business on
the plains, is irresistible, let the farmer
axe his own money, buy his own stock,
select his own range, and attend to his
business. Stock company enter.
pr.ses, managed by paid officers and
agents is the lazy mans way of getting
money st best, and that is not the way
farmers make their money. We shall
regret to see the day when our farmers.
about the only class in the country In
which there is any considerable virtue
lctt-embark in stock company enter
prlses to any considerable extent. 1t
would not be long under such circum-
stances, before they would be as lad as
other gamblers. Therefore, while there
are OF course exceptions, the best gen,
eral remark that we can make is, that
i've stock companies in the West are
neither desirable nor reliable means OF
making money Western RuTaI.