The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-05-22
WICHITA DRESSED REEF.
An Industry lhat will Deveiop-What KIM Of
Cattle are wanied for Butcaering Pur-
poses Here-The sheep Market.


There is a phase of the cattle market at
this place that never has been studied by
the cattle raisers in the territory tributary
| to Wichita as closely as it deserves to be.
| 1t is regarding the grade of cattle this
| market demands Shippers have been
sending cattle here that were unfit for the
trade of the dressed beef business of the
| packing houses, and because these houses
| would not buy it, or would not give them
| better price. or as good at least, IS they
could get at Kansas City, they have went
away dissatisfied with our cattle market
They seem to forget that poor, tough
meats will not sell as well as that which
is fat and tender. They forget that our
packing houses are just building up a
dressed beef trade, and in order to make
that trade the more substantial, the houses
| must establish and sustain reputation
for sending out good meats. II the pro-
ducer would have purchaser here where
| it would be more convenient for him to
| turn his stock off than to send it east, he
should bring to the market what the pack
ing houses here can use.
An EAGLE representative was shown
some choice dressed beef at the Dold pack
ing house yesterday, most OF which was
going to Birmingham, Ala This meat
was dressed from thirtynine head of
spayed yearling hefers, and is said to be
the best lot of beef ever butchered for
shipment here. The seventy-eight halves
were almost of uniform size, fat, tender
and plump.
Now" said Mr. Dold, 'ths is the kind
Of meat we want and it is the kind of meat
that pays the farmer TO raise. We can
pay as good prices for cattle OF this kind
as any dressed beef concern in the country,
and we can use an unlimited number of
them. We don't want heavy steers. There
is no demand in this country for that class
OF meat, except in few cities Of the east.
The heavy steers are all for the export
trade. What we want is these handy little
cattle of 1000 pound or under. and above
all they must be fat and plump
There is better profit, too," said he,
''for the producer who raises this
kind of stuff and he does not
have to wait so long for returns. For in
stance, the man who markets these heifers
bought them at the market here eight
months ago, when they were calves, for 81
each, and sold them for sec. so, giving him
500 80 for his eight months work in car
ing for them, or S5120 per mouth. That
is very good wages considering the small
amount of work it is to attend to thirty
nine head of cattle.
''If we could get such meat as this all
the time it would not be long until we
would have to enlarge our capacity for
killing cattle, and that's what we would
do, in order to supply our trade"
Turning to some dressed mutton hanging
near, Mr.. Dold said: 1.-The raising of sheep
for mutton should be encouraged more.
We have demand in our trade for good
mutton and can pay as much for choice
sheep as the buyers are paying at Kansas
City, and could use great many more
sheep, if they were choice, than are COM
ing to the market now"
If Mr.. Dold's reasoning is correct, and
he is certainly enough experienced in what
pertains to packing house business to
know what is most needed here, great
dressed beef trade can be built up by our
packing houses if they can secure better
grade of cattle than have been coming to
this market.
Those who have been interested in the
cattle market here, or who have been
taking any note of it at all, know that
comparatively few good cattle are being
brought here. Frequently of late boil the
Whitaker and Dold houses have been
compelled to purchase an inferior grade of
cattle under pressing demand from their
patrons, when there was no good stock on
the market. 1t is choice cattle that our
packing houses want and when they can
get all they want it will not take them
long to build up good dressed beef trade.
Their trade is increasing now, but it is at
the disadvantage of being unable to pro-
cure enough good cattle-a disad vantage
which it is hoped and expected will soon
be removed.