Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1895-11-15
THE CATTLE INTEREST.
A Kansas City Stock Yards Man Deals
in Facts and Figures of
Moment.

Mr.. Eugene Rust, general superintend-
ent of the Kansas City Stock Yards COM
pany, is travelling through southern Colo
RADIO. In talking with newspaper cor
respondent he said many things which
will prove of interest to the stock-raising
readers of the New MEXICAN throughout
this territory. He said:
"This season opened with very bright
prospects for the cattle interests; with
an estimated shortage in the market to
come in of from one-half to three-quar-
ters of million head; with every indica-
ton of prices advancing to better the
western cattlemen. The estimated short
age has been fully bore out, as is shown
by the fact that in the past ten months
the actual shortage of cattle on the Chi
cago, Kansas City, Omaha and st. Louis
markets amounted to over 100000 head
less than in 1894.
"The big slump in prices during the
past six weeks is due to several causes,
principal among them being, first, the
very large'increase of cattle from the
northwest during the fall and in better
condition than any that have gone on the
market for a number of years; in fact,
none have been put on the market except
in prime beef condition, consequently the
beef from the northwest flooded the east
ern markets during the past two months
and practically caused beef panic. An
other cause is the fact that the foreign
demand for beef has been very small and
in many cases the prices have been lower
in Europe than in this country, virtually
cutting of the foreign outlet for beef.
These two conditions together with the
steady stringency in the money market
have had demoralizing effect onthe cattle
business and the prices have consequent
ly been forced down in many cases to the
same basis as 1894.
"The abundant corn crop in the terri
tory tributary to Kansas City, together
with large amount of roughness and
hay, has not been equaled In series of
years and has stimulated the feeder mar
ket to an unusual extent, and the demand
for feeders is greater than ever before
known.
"The increase of cattle business at Kan
sas City during the past few years is
phenomenal, yet when the conditions are
understood it is no more than natural,
and We are destined to become the great
est beef center in the United States.
Being located in the corn belt and with
railroad facilities equaled only by Chi
cago, Kansas City is we'll located both tor
receiving and distributing the product.
Many persons do not understand that the
packing interest of Kansas City has
made wonderful development and that it's
meat trade now extends from the Pacific
to the Atlantic coasts. This trade has
been built up by the liberal use of capital
and by the enterprise of the packers.
They are constantly reaching out for and
covering new territory, and, by the estab-
lishment of coolers and depots in all the
principal towns of the country, have been
enabled to capture much of the trade that
was formerly supplied by Chicago, st,
Louis and other markets. The fact OF
their being located near the point of pro.
duction has enabled them to furnish the
retailer not only with better meat but at
prices much lower than the packers fur
ther east could do.
"Until few years ago comparatively
few sheep were slaughtered at Kansas
City, but this trade shows larger in
crease than the cattle department. Oul
increase over 1894 is about 275,00O.
"And," Mr.. Rust remarked, "95 per cent
of the cattle received at Kansas City are
slaughtered in that CITY,"