St. Paul daily globe., 1891-12-28
Sketches Of the Dealers Who Supply the Best DUAL
ity Meat and Do the Best
Business.

The volume of trade done by the meat
dealers of St. Paul is a no insignificant
amount, and, with the steadily increas-
ing population, it Is growing daily. A
more honorable set Of men than the
meat dealers Of st. Paul could not be
found. They are almost all-if not all
men who by industry and enterprise
have carved for themselves a good busi-
ness, good livelihood, and, in some in
stances, a magnificent fortune. The
meat trade Of St. Paul is so largely as
sOciated with the business of its stock
yards that some mention of them is
quite proper in this article. One of the
valuable achievements for Minnesota,
and one that especially benefits the
farmers as well as this city, was the
establishment in 1856 of the ST. Paul
Union stOckyaTds at South St. Paul,
which were opened in September, 1887.
The packing houses, dressed beef es-
Establishments, cattle and sheep-feeding
barns, distilling business and factories
OF various kinds, were all on such an
extensive and far-reaching scale that
they promptly attracted experienced
men in the live stock business, and an
active market was soon established.
During the first three years the bust
nese of the St. Paul Union stockyards
grew more rapidly than did the business
of the Kansas City stockyards during
the first ten years of their existence,
The founder of t-e South st. Paul en-
terprise, A. B. Stickney, of this city,
has gone on record with very valuable
Information concerning live stock mat
terS. The chamber of commerce has
given it considerable publicity, but the
official record of the business transacted
at South ST. Paul. last year shows that
live stock to the value of 81, 1877, ,030 was
handled there during the twelve months.
a more recent and very enterprising
establishment is located In this county,
and was opened two years ago. Its
official records for last year showed a
total handling Of live stock to the value
of 81, 712, ,51S. In addition TO the two
amounts above mentioned, live stock
was received at the Minnesota Trans
fer valued at s.. 2.277. 473, making an ag-
gregate for the three places of S11, An
CSl. a very large proportion of this
live stock went directly into the indus
trial operations Of Minnesota, through
the Strengthening and packing channels.
When the records are completed for
1891 they will show far greater total
than the sum given above. The
business is not only of present
Importance as a leader among the in
dustrial factors OF the Northwest, but
1t is continually on the increase At
the immense cattle barns at South ST.
Paul 10000 head of cattle are fattened
annually. Many of these fat cattle
have been shipped to Eastern markets
during the past two years. Another
item from the same place shows that
more than 10000 head of thin steers
were sold at the Union stOckyards last
year for shipment to Southern Iowa
and Missouri, where they were fat
tened. The establishment of packing
houses OH scale large enough so that
all the live stock that comes can be
handled, made the institution of regu-
lar market possible. where, four years
ago, St. Paul and Minneapolis had no
recognition in that line.
In opening up new live stock ipdus-
tries here many difficulties were met
and overcome. Men who could not
market certain kinds of stock elsewhere
tried to fOiSt their inferior stuff on the
beginners, but the common grades of
stock have now been nearly cleared out
OF this district, younger and better quail
tiles are Obtainable, and the business
stands on solid footing. Shippers who
had become tied to other markets are
now patroniZing st. Paul, much to their
own benefit and to the benefit of the
consumers. The shipper saves freight
Oh the shorter haul. and the consumers
secure fresh, healthy meats at lower
prices than they had to pay for years to
Chicago men. who formerly monOpoliZed
the butcher trade of the state.
In recapitulating the live stock fig
ures of the Northwest it should be stat
ed that in assuming that there are !. .OOO.-
600 head of range cattle in the district
tributary to st. Paul, the census figures
of 1890 have been used from Montana.
viz, 750,6l9 head, and the difference.
249, ,3S1 head. is believed to be a very
low estimate of the range cattle of
Western Dakota. Eastern Washington
and Northern Idaho. These three states
SEND many shipr entS eastward annu-
ally that reach St. Paul, and consid-
cradle share of their range cattle. horses
and sheep have been sold here. As the
markets of these cities grow. so will
these sales increase. In all the depart
ments of live stock ST. Paul can show
very remarkable facts concerning the
many sections that have found it to
their interest to make their sales at her
live stock markets.