Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-02-01
R0UND-UPS.
How the Weighing System of Freight
Charges Affects the Shipper.
There is Not Six Months Stock of Wool on
Hand in the Counfry-An Important
EstImate-Eine Sheep.

hand IN the Counfry-An important
Estlmate-Fine Sheep.
Sheep on the Northern markets are
| showing an advancing tendency, IN
| somewhat strong contrast TO the move
ment Of cattle quotations.
| The Breeders Gazette says that though
| the aggregate receipt Of cattle on the
| Chicago market are larger than at this
! time last year, not near as many prime
| beeves are being sold now as then.
X.
| The prospects for the passage of the
state live stock inspection law in the
| Kansas legislature are so bright that the
! combine are pulling the strings for all
| there is out to induce change of senti-
ment among the legislators There are
| several packeries in the state, or adjacent
! thereto, that are interested in the mat
ter, and they too are working hard
against the measure.
x.
The Amana society of Iowa are cred
tied with having received the highest
price for sneep paid on the Chicago mar
| ket this year, and their success i'll the
matter of mutton making could easily
be initiated by Texas sheepmen if the
proper steps in that direction were taken.
A bunch of sheep put on the market by
the Amana society recently avera ged
ninety-nine pounds, and brought the
handsome price of So rs.
~
The Ryan Brothers of Montana, who
have been heavy buyers of New Mexico
and Preside county, Texas, steers the
past three years, have recently bought
5000 two and three year-olds OF E. l..
Cages of Fort Davis, Texas. These
gentlemen are great bears to talk, but
they never fail 10 sCInch a contract for
good class of steers They have made
their purchase early, as they understand
that the spring demand from the North
ern country is likely to jump prices con-
siderably.
The institutin9 of q live stock exchange
among the con mission men and buyers
on the Northern markets is expected to
have the result of maintaining the high
est possible rates of commission. The
rigid enforcement Of the rules in this re-
gard was among the first and most i'm
portant matters stipulated for III the for
nation of the association: and it is likely
that a large number Of the smaller COM
mission houses, that have heretofore
managed to attract some of the floating
business by system Of rate cutting, will
be frozen out of existence.
"a
The matter Of determining freight
charges on stock by track weights as
compared with the old method was the
subject OF discussion among several gen.
tlemen interested in the business yester-
2 oil TO
the new tangled institution, as beng not
only more expensive, but as being an i'm
position on shippers much more unpleas-
ant to bear than an outright robbery.
The weighing of train of stock is fully
rs hard on the stock as a run of 100 miles
or more, and in some respects it is harder
especially on cattle.
The careless way in which the weighing
is done was criticised by one member of
the party who had given the matter some
attention. The whole train is run over
the scales, and the weighing is COM
menced with the rear car. It is no easy
matter TO stop n long train at just the
right point so that only one car rests on
the scales, and it is generally necessary to
back the train up little; then it fire.
quently happens that the car is run a lit
tie too far back and has to be pulled up
again. In order to stop the car at the
exact desired place, it is necessary to
give the train very sudden and hard
jerks, which pile the stock first in one
end of the car then in the other, the
effect of which is known to every shipper.
From most careful collection of sta
tistics relative TO the amount Of wool at
the great markets by the Boston Herald,
Z i hnf % or m fha
country can scarcely exceed so 900 600
pounds. But for the sake of accuracy
and TO be on the safe side, 20, 600 200
pounds more are added, making the
greatest possible stock 20 900 goo pounds.
The total sales per month in the United
States are at least II 200 900 pounds,
but, for the sake of accuracy, call it
but y 600 600 pounds, and it is found
that there is not six months stock of
wool on hand in the country, and that
il is yet fun six months time to the
coming clip. But il must not be for
gotten that it would be an impossi-
bility TO gather and sell all the wool in
the country for holders would advance
prices ana continue to hold, wherever
the market might go. Hence it will ap-
pear that at least % 900 900 pounds of
wool must remain on the market, under
any conditions, and it will be seen that
there is really nothing more than four
months stock of wool on hand. Such is
the actual situation, and wool must be
had, provided the mills run; whatever
may be the price of goods. 1t is worth
noting that the mills rarely ever stop III
the winter months The stopping is
always done in the summer. The mills
are all running to-day, and tending to-
ward pinch in the stocks of wool The
foreign markets are the only remedy
In verifcation of the foregoing, Phila-
delphia reports from 200 GOO to 5000
600 pounds on hand, or about half that of
former years. San Antonio, Tex. adj
vices based on replies from prominent
shipping points, place the stock in Texas
at 500 200 pounds, compared with 3 ,000,-
600 pounds ut same time last year The
wool stock at San Francisco on January
l, 1899, was . 900 900 pounds, half Ore
gon and half California This is the fall
clipping.
Cattle at Cisco.