The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-12-24
A Big Business Enterprise of the
Present Year,
A SIGNAL SUCCESS.
The Number and Kind of Animals
Handled.
One of the Most Important of all the
Elements in Carrying
Great Conn
munity.

The Union Stock Yards company is one
of the new corporations that came into
existence during the year 1892.
This company commenced actual bust
ness the 1st of June OF the present year.
It is an enterprise that in all other cities
and localities represents one of the most
important OF all elements in the carrying
on Of q great community.
In Salt Lake city there was doubt ex-
pressed at first as to whether this COM
munity couldsupport stock yards enter
prise, but the past six months have dem
onstrated beyond doubt that there is
not only place for such business, but
that Salt Lake city wiz be one of the
leading points sne of the best markets
for live stock nd It the Stock Yards
company OF leoessity viii prosper accord
ingly.
BUSINESS or THE YEAR.
Arough outi.ae Of the business done by
the company shows that they have han
died 14,313 cattle, 80 hogs, 10, III
sheep, and 1908 horses. Taking these
various items of business individually
shows 5000 cattle more than the actual
consumption of Salt Lake city passed
through the yards, either being fed while
in transit or loaded at this point for points
in other states. A great many of these
cattle were driven in from the surround
ing ranches; many were shipped here
locally from various stations on the differ
ent railroads, to be rebilled to the Mis-
souri, river or Chicago. The class of cat
tie handled were principally what are
known as the range cattle. A large num-
Der of cattle were handled in and out of
Nevada passing from the different ranges,
Salt Lake city being the feeding point
while in transit. The sheep business will
accept the same explanation as given to
the cattle.
As regards the hogs, it can be said that
this branch of the business marks a new
era and new industry in the territory
of Utah and surrounding states contrib
utory to this city. 1t is safe to say that
prior to this year hardly single carload
of live hogs was ever received in Salt
Lake City, that business being carried on
in a very limited manner and in some
years there being no output at all. In
instances where hogs were raised, the
ranchmen and farmers would slaughter
lnClil anu QIGSS lllSu1 t1tli PldSCS anu
ship them by express already dressed to
this CITY The number of hogs received
in this way was very limited. The change
in the hog business Of Utah has been
brought about by two thing; first, by
the creation of the stock yards and an
open market for the sale of livestock;
and, second, by the large increase in ca
pacity made by the Strengthening COM
panies of this CITY, of which the Utah
Siaughterlnp COMPANY is leader.
Prior to this year it can be said of the
horse business that there was no such
thing. The handling OF over two thous
and horses in six months from the Salt
Lake City market shows growth and en-
terprise which is surprising to those who
promised the most for the yards. It has
been brought about by a systematic effort
and through the aid, largely, of the Kan
sas City Stock Yards company. The
horses handled were principally of the
class which Is made up OF what is called
the common range horse, weighing on an
average of from nine to ten hundred
pounds, and being shipped to various
points in Kansas, Nebraska and Mis-
souri,, where they were broken and after
wards shipped to the southern states, that
is, a large portion of them were so
handled.
There is not much future nowadays for
the horseman who handles this common
GLASS; VI 4OlScS, do tl1CS ttAO OClC1 4O1dOlAS
very rapidly and the prices are falling so
much and so fast that it is almost impos-
sihle to get out anything like even. 1t is
probably this feature that has made the
receipts of the Salt Lake yards so large,
many of the ranchmen pressing their
stock to market to cash them for what
ever they could. The prices of
horses this year have been lower
than ever before known, dropping
nearly 80 per cent. in twelve
months. In the year 1898 the owners of
such stock may look for similar fall in
price and so on until the range horse or
common unbroken kyuse as it is called
viii be absolutely valueless.
The purpose of the stock yards COM
pany is to give to the owners of market
able live stock of any kind or class a
place where they can bring their cattle to
sell, trade or handle In any way. To be
ready TO take care of the business that
may come, the stock yards company have
put in a plant in which they can handle
25U carloads of live stock at a time. The
yards are so built that fifteen cars of
stock can be unloaded at one time, the
chuteS being built on a level with the
yards, and no dangerous inclines in
which the cattle might damage them
selves. The scales OF the company are OF
the Fairbanks make and will weigh
sixty cattle at once. The water supply
comes from the mountains under a nat
ural pressure of thirty pounds to the
square inch, through a 4-inch iron pipe