The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-02-25
a BIG a."
MADE UNEASY BY vELAsC0's DEEP
WATER.
Stockmen Of Texas viii Visit VslasCo March
10th to Verify Statements Made in Re.
gard to Deep Water and to Figure
on Dressed Beef Plant at
This Point


his tOlHt,
Special TO The Statesman.
VELAsCo, Tex, Feb. 22.-It looks
now as though the stockmeu of Texas
were soon to be emancipated from the
bondage of the "Big ~ and place
themselves in position to compete
with any combination in the beef
markets of the world. They have
suffered long and patiently from high
freights, long, cattle-wearing hauls
and unjust discrimination in quaran-
tine regulations, and at last the
moment has arrived for the blow to
be struck which will forever sever the
commercial shackles that have bound
them. Although the number of cattle
raised each year has not decreased, it
is growing very monotonous to cattle
men to raise stock upon which they
have nothing more to do with fixing
a valuation than with school of cod
fish on the New England coast. Prices
on their livestock have been fixed by
q combination of manufacturers of
beef products who never fail to take
advantage of the great distance of the
Texas cattle shipper from market, and
this price is based upon the shippers
necessities. This order of things is
about to be changed, and by the Texas
cattleman himself, because it is now
in his power to do so.
The opportunity to throw Off the
yoke of the northern dressed beef
men has long been sought by our
stockmen, and it has now arrived.
Present conditions are sripe for revolt,
and it will undoubtedly como if the
cattlemen are true to themselves aud
consult their best interests. This
change in their fortunes will manifest
itself in refrigerator packeries on the
Gulf coast, located at the point where
there is water deep enough to float
vessels engaged in International ma
rine commerce as well as interstate
coast traffic-Velasco.
The stockmen of Texas have &C
cepted an invitation to visit Velasco
on March 10, and many of them will
come in a body from Fort Worth,
where they will be in attendance at
the Northwest Texas Cattlemen's as
ISOLATION, which convenes on the Sth
of March. They will come to verify
the statements which have been made
concerning Velasco's depth of water
and figure on the feasibility Of the
early establishment Of dressed beef
plant at this point. When they be.
come satisfied on these points the
thing is virtually done.
They know that with their active
cooperation all the northern capita,
necessary to establish such al
industry will be forthcoming. They
know that there ere nearly 6
quarter of million head o
cattle in Texas today being grain fec
and made fit for export beef, and tina
the feeding of cattle for market is ac
lively on the increase in many por
lions of the state. They know tina
cattle can he raised and fatteneC
cheaper in Texas than in any othel
state, because our lands are equally al
productive and cheaper than tn,
lands of any other grain growing
cattle feeding state. They know tina
the cost Of transportation from the re
frigeratiug rooms of a dressed bee
plant at Velasco to the ports of Europe
is twice as cheap as transportation t.
Chicago, thence to the Atlantic sea
board. They know they would no
only save the cost Of transportation t.
Chicago, but also the shrinkag'
necessarily involved in the long hau
to that city. They know that a con
servative estimate of that saving
would be S. per head if shipped to We
lasco by rail, or $6 per head if driver
on foot to the rich grass prairies il
sight of the stock yards at Velasco
They know that on the 1000, 900 head
of cattle now in the state that at leas
$40, 100000 would be saved to them il
freight bills.
For these reasons and because here
tofore the Texas cattleman has beer
compelled to accept the lowest prices
for his stock and has been completely
out of the race on export meat, Velas.
co is destined to become the first great
slaughtering and packing center Of
the South west.