The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-29
CATTLE IN CHICAGO
How the Inspectors "Cut Out" the
"Strsys" and Sell Them.
MONTANA'S PERFECT SYSTEM
The Workings at the Big Stock
Yards Explained by J. n. Lam
der, Who Is Now In the
state on Business

j. H. Lander. chief of inspectors at
the Chicago stock yards. was in Butte
yesterday on his return from the meet
ing of the Stockgrowers' association,
held at Miles City a few days ago,
and left in the afternoon for Chinook
to attend a meeting of stockmen at
that place. In conversation with a
Standard reporter Mr.. Lander gave
some interesting information relative
to the work Of the inspectors at Chi
cago, and the cattle and sheep indus
try Of Montana and stated, a fact not
generally known, that Montana Is the
sixth on the list as a cattle raising
state and ranks second in the sheep
industry. In range cattle Texas alone
is ahead of Montana.
The inspectors at Chicago work I'M
der the Stockgrowers' association Of
Montana, this state being represented
by five inspectors and Wyoming, Colo
RADIO and Texas by three. Their duties
are to inspect every shipment of stock
received at the Chicago yards and
pick out the ''strays," or those which
bear different brands from that owned
by the shipper and not belonging to
him. The duties of the inspectors
cease when they get possession of the
stock and they do not follow the in
vestigation to the extent of determin-
ing how the ''strays" got away from
their owners and were shipped to mar
ket with another mans stock.
Last year, said Mr.. Lander, the in
spectors inspected $40, 900 head of cat
tle, of which number 230, 900 head were
shipped from Montana, and they took
from the total number inspected 24.260
head termed as "strays," which were
sold under orders of the chief of in
spectors for nearly 100000. OF this
amount $172,0 900 was sent to the own
tons secretary, Mr.. Preuitt, at Hell
ena, and the balance was sent direct to
the owners by the inspector. There
are about $1,000 brands recorded in
Montana, but strange to say, the in
spectors find less than 100 head of cat
tie in a year whose brands they are
not acquainted with. In such cases,
when the inspectors do not know who
the "strays" belong to- and can not find
out through the state records, two
thirds of the money derived from the
sales is, after being held for three
years, turned over to the stock detec-
tives and inspectors fund of the state,
and the other third is held in trust by
the association and the owner can at
any time in 20 years recover it upon
satisfactory proof.
Mr.. Lander personally Is able to tell
the names of the owners of more than
1000 Montana brands without looking
at the records. Mr.. Lander has been
in the service IL years, ever since the
organization of the stock association
in 1885. Montana's system of inspection
is regarded as the best in the world,
and Arizona and other states are about
TO adopt the same system. Strays from
Texas and Canada are picked out as
readily as those from Montana and
the inspectors are able in nearly every
case to send the money direct to the
owners in Canada or in Texas as well
as in this state.
The system followed by the inspec-
tors in the Chicago stockyards is to &c
through the cattle pens about s o'clock
in the morning before the sales open
and make a note of every stray
brand and notice is then served on the
commission men that they shall not
pay the shipper for the cattle so mark
ed and the money is turned over to the
chief of inspectors. 1t has been decid-
ed by the courts of Illinois that a notice
of that nature operates the same as a
mortgage lien and IL the commission
men pay the money to the shipper they
are compelled to pay Ii again. The
plan of inspection has saved the stock
men of Montana and other parts OF
the country many hundred thousand
dollars and without any expense &c
themselves as all the costs and ex-
penses are taken from the sale Of the
strays.
At the recent meeting at Miles City
the following statement was reported
showing the financial condition of the
State Stockgrowers' association:
Balance on hand April 1. 1896
Annual dues accounts 81 "a
Stray account....... 15,326 AZ
Total 1878 70