Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1885-09-25
Live Cattle from America

Another remarkable development Of Amer.
lean enterprise was cOnSummated on Satur
day by the arrival in the Thames of the
Monarch Lime steamer CrOaa, having on
board 100 fat bullocks, forming the first con
signment of Western American cattle which
have been brought through by the clasp land
route. The majority of these bullocks were
bred IN Wyoming in 1881, but some few of
them are from far distant Oregon, whence
they trampel to Wyoming in 1882. Thus
beasts calved more than six thousand miles
away on the shores of the Pacific, matured
in Wyoming and fattencd on Lake Superior,
are now competing with English live cattle
in the London meat market There is moth
ing new, of course, in the importation of live
cattle from America, aud in dead meat we
already do Il large trade with the States, but
this is the first consignment under satisfac-
! tory economic conditions Of fat cattle ac-
tuaiiy ready Tor Market and capable Of com
| peting in quality as well rs in price with
| English fat cattle, and the issue of the ex-
| pertinent will be awaited with great inter
est on both sides Of the Atlantic
| Hitherto it has been found economically
| impracticabc to make the resources of the
| great prairie grazing grounds Of the West
available for the food supply of Europe,
| owing to the heavy cost Of transport by
| road and rail, and the waste and wear in
separable from long journeys in close packed
railway trucks. Now, however, that the
| completion of the Northern Pacific and
| Northwestern railroad systems has com
/ peted the connections between the ppairies
and the great lakes, whence water carriage
| 10 the East is obtainable, the situation is al
together altered, and cattle can be brought
through from Wyoming TO Chicago and
other places at rates so low, and in condi-
/ ton so fine, as to admit of their transporta-
| ton across the Atlantic to this country as a
paying business Mr.. Moreton Frewen, to
whose enterprise we are indebted for this
first importation of Western prairie cattle,
states that in every locality within the maize
belt of the Union vast feeding stations are
springing up, and the habitat prairie cattle
are being finished for the market on scale
Of unprecedented magnitude. There need
be no fear of any failure OF supply if the ex-
pertinent ia which Mr. Frewen is now en-
| gagged succeeds
! From Wyoming to London, the total
freight, including lake, rail and sea trans
/ port, is placed at S3s. per head Add lbs.
| for food 6s. Tor labor and s.. for insurance,
and we get u total cost of 1928. for bringing
cattle from Wyoming to the London market /;
| but that cost will be reduced in the future
/ TO about 94s. per head when whole train
loads are moved at one time. More i'm
| portant, however, than the economy in
freight is the gain in weight by stall iced
| ing on shipboard, instead Of the customary
shrinkage during railway transport. Three
year'old bullocks, such as these, can be
bought in any number at any railroad point
in Montana or Dakota for something under
| II per pound, or GO los. per head. Add to
! this "a las. for freight and expenses TO this
D /
| per head for fat cattle delivered in London.
! The gross weight Of the bullocks is est.
mated at 1916 pounds each, which would
give them dressed weight after slaughter
/ Of 740 pounds each At least. Now, if only
Cd. per pound were realized for this prime
meat it would produce Els los. per bullock,
or profit Of over e. per head, so that the
middeman's enterprise is not likely TO GO
unrewarlcd.-L0 ndoH WeeiIy Budgf