Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1884-07-19
THE CATTLE INDUSTRY.
IT'S PAST AND FUTURE, AS DE.
PICTED BY ONE WHO KNOWS,

What has Caused the Scarcity Of Be,
Cattle in Amertca-Europe has Drawn
or Our Surplus, and Caused an In.
crease In Price, which is Only Tenn.
pOrary-A Few Facts About the So.
called California Cattle Kings.
AS the opinions of man like Mr..
Brandenstein concerning the business
in which he is engaged, to-wit: that
of raising, Strengthening, and selling
cattle, are of some value to con-
sumers, a TINES reported interviewed
him, yesterday, in regard to the out
look Of the industry.
Mr.. Brandenstein said that, during
the past ~ years, Europe had been
dependent on America for a large
portion of its beef and meat animals.
Down to the fifties the consumption
of beef was comparatively small in
Europe In England for instance,
and many other countries, the local
farmers would raise head or two, or
half a dozen head per year, and this
would be about all that would be re-
quired. The price was high, so high
that only the wealthiest mobiles and
business men could afford beef, NUT
ton, or veal, whenever they wanted
it. Small tradesmen and mechanics
could hardly afford meat once a week
while laborers and farm-hands seldom
ate meat oftener than three or four
times year.
During the past quarter of CEN
t"ry, however, pretty much everybody
has begun to eat meat; and the
Scotch Highlands, the steppes of Rus
STA, the plains of Texas and the Far
West have been drawn upon. Even
the Spanish Colonies of South Amer.
lea have enjoyed lucrative meat
trade. and ship after ship loaded with
beef now leaves the Hispano- Ameri-
can ports for Europe during the year.
This continued drain finally made
cattle scarce on the old ranges and
Eastern dealers were compelled TO
cross the Rocky Mountains into the
Pacific Coast States and Territories,
and California, which enjoyed mo-
,Iopoly of this trade, now has to CON-
pete with the East. In addition, the
Californians have had to bear the dis
elimination practiced against them by
the Pacific Railway Companies. The
charges were about the same from
any intermediate point to San Fran
cisco or Omaha. Under this arrange
ment the railway companies got every
fourth head of cattle and every third
sheep. That, too, was net, the stock
men having to stand all losses in
transportation.
During the past few years, however,
the price of cattle has improved about
rs per cent, beeves then worth about
$50 selling for about $40 now, while
the rates of transportation have re-
NAMED the same. The railway COM
panies now get about - per head Of
beet cattle, by the carload, which
leaves good profit to the dealer.
This will not last, however, longer
than three years more, unless the in
crease of population in the United
States should be larger, in proportion,
than during the past 20 years. En-
couraged by the high prices, the East.
ern farmers are now turning their
corn into meat, and in about FIVE years
the East will not onl y raise enough
cattle for home consumption, but will
have surplus for export. This will
leave the cattle on this side of the
Rocky Mountains for the home de-
nand, and the price will gradually
fal! to where it was a few years ago. |
Good steers will then bring about $50
per head.
MIR. Brandenstein disputes the pop
llar notion that Miller & Lux, of San
control the meat market of
The Pacific. He admits that they
ire the wealthicst cattle dealers in
California, but their business is not
over double that of the two or three
irms next to them Oh the list. Miller
4 Lux kill only about 1,4OO heads
month, while Mr.. Brandenstein's firm,
or instance, kills over 700 head per
month. Besides, Miller & Lux's bust.