The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1894-11-16
CHICAGO CATTLE SHIPMENTS
Loaded at Stations on the Montana
Central Road Between Craig
and Havre.
They Amount to About 19,2O6 Head
and Brought in Cash Amount
ing to $672,OOO.

The cattle season being now we'll over
a TRIBUNE reporter interviewed a mum.
Der OF we'll known cattlemen and the
railroad officials on the Montana Central
with a view to asc~ertaining Just how
many cattle had been sent from this
Immediate section of northern Montana
and the approximate amount of money
brought into the state by the sale OF
cattle shipped over the Montana Central
this year. Through the courtesy of the
railroad officials the reporter was fur
nishec with a statement showing the
total number Of cars of cattle shipped
from each Of the stations on the line of
the Montana Central this season. 1t is
as follows:
Benton, 80 cars.
Great Falls, 100 cars.
Cascade, 10 cars.
Craig, 80 cars.
Arlington, 40 cars.
Big Sandy, 305 cars.
Total, S73 cars.
1t will be observed that these figures
only cover the Montana Central line
and make no account of shipments on
the main line, which would swell the
total to very much larger figures.
The railway officials estimate the cars
to average % head of cattle to a car,
which would give a total of 1926 head
OF cattle sent to the Chicago market
from the above mentioned stations this
year. 10 estimate the cash value of
the total shipments is a more difficult
matter. Stockmen who have followed
the market state that 1T least three
fourths of the cattle shipped have been
prime steers. Cows this year have
averaged about $40 a head, while good
steers have ranged between $40 end S55.
II. 5. Ford of this city, who has watched
the market very closely, and is as good a
Judge on these matters as anyone, SAYS
that S35 a head is a very conservative
figure to average the total shipments at.
Using this figure as a multiple it would
give the total value of the cattle from
this section of northern Montana at
s672,2l0, a figure which is probably be-
low the real returns. One bank liz this
city has received over 100000 in cash
as returns from sales of cattle from two
firms OF cattlemen alone. The ship
ments OF cattle this season from the
stations above referred to are not quite
as heavy as last year, but the
quality of the cattle is much bet
ter, and owing to the higher |
market it is probable that the returns
are fully as large. The highest price
reached this year for a straight bunch of
cattle from this section wrs $3.50.
When it m to sheep shipments a
great falling of from last year is noticed.
The following are the shipments of
sheep over the Montana Central for the
Benton, 118 cars.
Great Falls, 9 cars.
Cascade, IL cars.
Craig, 10 cars.
Helena, 8 cars.
Arlington, IA cars.
Big Sandy, 80 cars.
Total, 204 cars.
The exceedingly low price of mutton
on the market prevented very much
larger shipments this season in sheep,
great many sheepmen who had intend
to ship having concluded to hold
over for a better price.
The total shipments Of stock over the
Central this season amounted
60 trains consisting Of LOTT cars,
against "a trains consisting of 1,736 cars
asst season, most Of the falling off being
q sheen.