Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-08-23

a Chicago correspondent OF an East
ein exchange reviewing the cattle mar
ket during and since the strike Hums
up the situation us folloWs:
The present condition OF the mar
hct for live cattle emphaslzea the feet
that methods OF hondling beef FROM
the time the animal leaves the feed
lot until the meat is sold over the re-
tail counter, have materially changed
This, too, within comparatively few
years, II IL not so very long ago that
a partial cessation OF recept of cattle
Mt the greatest distributing center in
the country, for two, three and four
weeks, would have resulted In de-
clded advance IN prices with some sem
blance OF permancy. But not so now.
The movement Of cattle toward Chi
cago has been 80 much interfered with
during the progress Of the strike, now
In part only memory, that offerings
wero cut down 2b n 30 Per cent. and
have not yet nearly assumed normal
proportions. People have gone on
consuming beef but there has been no
relative strength IN prices such ns
would have been the case lu the old
days, This does not necessarily mean
that the "old DAYS" were The best doyf
nor as good as present methods bat g.
simply stating conditions then and
now. The spadmltic advance OBJ
beeyea was short lived and the mukct
Is now rather lower than before 10"
period OF the labor disturbance. Whole
snlc prices OF meats were advanced
but the farmer and feeder who Nos gat
cattle TO market gets no henah from
this, and Is Obliged 10 sen on the basis
OF Sass to S4.I5 for fair or GOOD or
really fancy steers IN Chcaro The
reason Is found chiefly in tho fact OF
the stores OF refrigerated ~. IL ~
no longer the case that tho big butch
era buy and slauFtcr lust rs required
for their trade but instead dress and
place In rofrlgrators thousands OF car
casses OF beef every day, These cool
ers are therefore full. taking one month
with another year In and year out,
and the stoppaEe OF beef supplies for
few days or the interruption OF u
normal movement for couple OF
weeks does not SO much disturb the
situation, owners Of these immense
stocks OF beef In refrlgerators naturally
take advantage OF the situation ana
ask higher prices, but are not obliged
to have live cattle for n few days or a
week or two. and thus the latter re-
ceives no stimulus from the situation.
4 Not alone cattle hut other live stock
as well is selling rather lower than n
\ year ago. best hogs at that time COM
mending figures around $3.50, The
/ packers this week. have been obliged to
face. on the one hand. increasing re-
/ eelpts to nearly their old level and on
| the other more or less disturbance
among their employees who cannol
/ quite get out OF the old habit OF "strilt-
I ing" at the smallest enoourag cement
I On the other hand. however, there mas
| been an excellent inquiry for cash pro
4 duet, including cured meats and lara.
I Il Is early for big business In the
last named on export account, but
home orders are good and this has
| stimulated the whole market The
4 foreigners have allowed the prices 70
sag fraotonnlly They were pushes
/ higher than guaranteed at the time Of
/ the strike. HSSs sold ut the close OF
the week around $500 10 shade bet
stcr.