Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-12
A Few
Rug Items.
Jap. Mohair Rugs
OutWear, Anything
DEMAND FOR STEER HORNS.
Many Pairs Now Used for Orname en- tai
......4. ,-4...s- Purposes.

From the Kaasas City Times.
OF the hundreds of thousands of cattle
brought into Kansas City alive every year
ard either taken out dead or not taken out
at all in any recognizable form, 1t is to be
presumed that the majority have horns
These horns are not a part of the frozen
earned, corned, or otherwise preserved car
cases of beef That 'sacs the city in the un-
ending procession Of yellow freight cars
Neither are they piled up anywhere in the
packing house district as they used to pile
up buffalo bones out west awaiting the COM
ing of the agent who bought them FOR fer
tilizers. Then what becomes of the tons OF
horns that are brought into Kansas City
every year through the medium of the stock
yards?
In the first place, 1t IS not to be supposed
that so unitarian business as that car
ried on within the walls Of the big packing
houses would suffer an important element
to go to waste. Some one has said that
when a steer enters the doors of q Kansas
City packing house there Is no part of him
that Is not put to some important use, ex-
cept, perhaps. the animals expiring below
Even that may be utilized in time. At any
rate. the horns OF a Texas steer form no In
consider able part of his fighting weight and
If they could not be pu- to some remunera-
tive use the packers would soon insist upoa
having more steer and less horn.
Years ago, when Missouri was little more
than a densely wooded Wilderness and
Kansas did not exist, there was one article
that the frontiersman invariably possessed
His hut might be lowly and Of unhewn
logs, his bunk a miserable makeshift,. and
his chairs and table of the utmost simplic-
ity, but by the door there hung the newt
able gun rack in the shape of pair of
branching antlers. and across these reposed
the settlers trusty rifle. In many cabins
there were perhaps several magnificent
pairs of antlers. and others could be had
for the exercise of a little skill and courage
But the passage Of time and the advance
What might then be had almost for the ask
ing has become an expensive luxury. The
rifle of the settler has given place TO the
umbrella or cane Of the modern citizen
His primitive shot pouch and powder horn
have had to make way in the front hall
for the silk hat and immaculate gloves.
But the demand for rack is still active
and unfulflled. The citizen Of the rural
southwest can no longer afford or is unable
to procure the proud anilers of the deer,
and in their place is compelled to take the
horns of lowly and lucklcss steer.
A gentleman stood on the platform ct the
Union station one night eGently and count
ed no less than six pairs of mounted horns
In the hands of as many sturdy citizens Of
Kansas, Texas and Oklahoma The horns
were beautifully polished, and bound with
was Intended for a conspicuous place in
some southwestern bank. saore. office or
nome. and each owner believed that he had
the best bargain of the lot.
Across the street on Union avenue stood
A. Haskins, crippled boy. He has been in
the business of polishing and selling horns
for several years. His sales, he says, fire.
quently average fifteen pairs of horns q
week. He knows of several other horn
polshers who frequent various parts of The
city. None Of them does much less bust
ness than that of the Union avenue stand
In the Exchange building. at the stock
yards. there is quite an extensive stand
OF the same kind, where mounted horns of
any desired shape CT size may be bought
at from 81 to $40 a pair. The purchasers
ale cattlemen, or those interested in the
cattle business. In this way hundreds of
pairs of horns are sold every year.
Up to a few months ago 1t was possible
for the polishers to get all the horns they
wanted at the packing houses at 1Oc. per
pair. Since then the price has been ad-
yancing, until 1t Is now 15c. and zoe. a
pound. The cause of this advance is said
to be contracts made with the agent of
eastern novelty manufacturing concerns,
by which tons of horns are sent to New
York and New Jersey to be used in the
manufacture of knife handles, combs, trim
kets, furniture parts and a multitude of
other things. And this is really what be-
comes of NEST of the horns that the cattle
bring to Kansas City.