Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-06-20

MEAT-BETTER PRICES TO THE FAR
MERs FOR CATTLE-THE MANUFAC-
TUREs THAT FOLLOW SLAUGHTER
HOUSES.
On Saturday last, in response to letters
written by Mr.. Reeves Gait of this city,
who is prominently engaged in the cattle
business, there was gathering of stock
men, farmers and butchers, of this and
adjoining counties to form company for
erecting stock yards, slaughter houses and
refrigerating houses near Staunton, at
which meat may be prepared for sale in the
American and foreign markets. Among
those present were Ed. Dudley, Chas. S.
Patterson, Jos. Pelter, Chas. Thompson,
DIR. Hildebrand, w. N. Wilson, Dabney
G.. Ramsey, VIM. Asst and Richard Kinney,
of Augusta; J T. Byrd and Jno. J. Hiner,
of Highland, and D. E. East, of Rockbridge.
Judge Charles Grattan was called to the
chair and Mr.. Jno. j. Hiner chosen as
Secretary.
WHO ORIGINATED THE IDEA-ITs ADyAN
Mr.. Reeves Gait said that in the absence
of Mr.. o. g. Lapham who was deeply in
terested in the project and who had been
the first to suggest it, he would try and
explain it's merits. 1t proposed to benefit
not only this county, but this entire dis
trict and cattle growing region, and he
regretted that Mr.. Lapham who was thor
oughly familiar with the details from long
residence in Chicago and observation Of the
stock yards and slaughter houses there, was
not present to give them more fully than
he could. He, Mr.. Gait, had had twenty
years experience in the business and thought
stock yards here would not only pay the
owners large profit, but enable farmers to
get better price for their cattle. There
might be some prejudice among the butch
ers against the project, but they would
find it to their advantage as it would save
them from the individual expenses for
Strengthening, refrigerating, &C., that they
are now at, and would furnish them meat
to sell for less money than it now costs
them. He knew from experience some
thing of the profit there was in the business
proposed to be conducted by the company
in contemplation. His firm had shipped
refrigerated meats, and though the express
charges were $3.50 they had come out
ahead. They had made shipments to Rich
mond, and lost one-third of the shipment,
and yet come out ahead. There were three
different living profits lost in the shipment
of live cattle away from home. When we
ship them away alive we send off our ferti-
lizer, for the bones are afterwards ground
and shipped back to us as fertilizer and so
is the dried blood. We lose all the freight
going and coming. We also lose in the
matter Of hides. We ship our cattle to
Baltimore where they are slaughtered; the
hides are sent back to Pond Gapi in Augusta
county to be tanned and then returned
to Baltimore, and then sent back to the Au-
gusta consumer as leather. The consumer
pays all these freights. There are other
losses to the consumer, for wherever the
cattle is slaughtered. there factories are set
up to manufacture out of the refuse, but
tons from the bones, glue, leather, combs,
&c. 1t is so in Chicago.
Such an establishment as is proposed
would do away with all this. 1 am sorry
MI. Lapham is not here to give us his
Chicago experience. The profit in that
city on the money invested in the estab-
lishments like the one we propose to go
into is t,centy-niaae per cent. English
capital is coming in to go into it at Chica-
go, and is buying up the stock yards there.
1t is anxious to secure so great profit on
Investment.
The citizens of StauntOn may oppose hav-
ing the enterprise in their city, but we
don't propose to establish it in Staunton,
but near it, and its people can well afford
to give us % acres of land for it in consid-
Grafton Of the trade it will bring. have a
small Strengthening business and fertili-
zef business both of which am willing to
put into this enterprise.
WHAT CATTLE MEN ELSEWHERE THINK
OF IT.
Mr.. Gait here read several letters that he
had received in reply to his letter inviting
the meeting here.
One was from J. T. Dunlop of Buena
Vista, who writes that the time has come
when something ought to be done in the in
terest of the farmers Of Virginia or they
will be driven out OF the market by exces-
sive freight. A slaughter house judicious-
ly located and well managed will he bless
ing to the farmers Of the State.
Fred. FultZ of Bath, writes that of all
enterprises that have been started in the
State, this seems to have the right ring fo1
the benefit of the farmers. He had talked
with some of the largest cattle buyers and
shippers in that section as to the probable
ty Of this region furnishing enough cattle
for the enterprise, and they all agree that
our country will furnish them.
5ohn d. Sterrett of Bells Valley, Rock
bridge. writes: keep Armour Il Co. out
of it and see that he gets no money in it. ,
He suggests that the Farmer Alliance
might he gotten to cooperate in the enter
prise.
Ephraim Bowman writes strongly in IA
vor OF establishing such slaughter house
at Stau1ton.
Mr.. Gait added that the slaughter ani
shipping of meat from Staunton would
greatly facilitate the marketing of chickens
eggs. &C.. by the farmers. We would have
to have line OF refrigeraSipg cars made
and in them could send 30 market the farm
products of the country. Such transporta
ton facilities he believed would increase
the farmers receipts from their product:
from so to 100 per cent.
STRONGLY IN FAVOR OF IT.