The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-04-13

10 last year, the Union stockyards at South
St. Paul were inundated-that is to say, the
Mississippi river owing to a surplus of water
from the northward, due to melting snow,
made large contributions TO the current and
raised the surface at that point In an I'M
comfortable measure, and the property was
practically submerged. In other words,
THE Father of Waters got his back up,
and presented that back against the stock
yards in such degree that the animals, con-
sisting of cattle, sheep and hogs, were sue
cessively referred to as 'watered stock"
And in their then detected condition, the
animals, while bent on creeping skyward in
order to avoid wet feet did not attempt to
raise one Of their appendages in resentment
of the innuendo.
This was a period Of great depression on
the part of the management Of the stock
yards company. But they overcame 1t. The
waters subsidized, and the hopes of the COM
pany rallied. They began at once TO guard
against the recurrence of such misfortune,
and large sums Of money have since been
expended in perfecting the levee system, the
surface of which extends for beyond the
highest water mark, and a guarantee is thus
afforded that the waters Of the river can
never again overflow the huge banks of earth
and riprapping constructed since that time,
IL
shall never again be overwhelmed by water
is TO be fulfilled, and 1t is presumed that
this will be the case.
Just now the conditions at South St. Paul
are in extreme contrast to those existing a
year ago. In October last the main pack
ing plant formally occupied by the great
Chicago firm of Swift G Co. on practically
permanent lease. This had the effect of re-
Viving all Industries located there, so that
eSday South st. Paul is one of the most ac
Eve communities associated with the Capital
city of Minnesota.
Yesterday, for the first time In several
weeks, the slaughtering of hogs stopped. The
reason given by the management was that
there were no hogs offered for slaughter. There
is a great, big lesson to be derived by the
farmers of Minnesota from this statement
and the opportunity presents itself to them
for profit unto themselves. The Swift & Co.
people have located their plant at South st.
Paul, prepared on their own part to absorb
minimum of 10000 hogs per week. 1t Is
the duty Of Minnesota farmers to supply them
This great establishment, through the Union
stock yards, affords the market and it IS
the joint opinion of commission men and
shippers at South St. Paul that the market
prices for all stock are on a par with
CE.<go; that the Swift & Co. people fair
competitors and do not abuse their power
by low bidding or by a resort to any of the
unfair arts of trade.
This branch of the head center plant at
Chicago is here to stay. No industry has
made its advent in Minnesota appealing with
so substantial reason for support as tn s
establishment. Minnesota is essentially a
stock growing state: and the agricultural
element of the commonwealth has thus pre-
scented to 1t the strongest encouragement in
the direction of charging this industry.
The spring season of the year is an appro-
pirate period in which to begin; and farmers
in all sections easily increase their lines
of live stock, conscious of the fact that an
important and constantly growing market
exists within the borders of their own state
for the absorption of all that they can pos
sbly produce.
This is equally true of cattle, sheep and
hogs. A large proportion of the cattle now
being slaughtered at South St. Paul have
been shipped in from Northern Iowa, and
during the current week a considerable con-
sgnment from Manitoba arrived at the yards
and found their way to the slaughter pens
here.
Within few days a horse market will be
opened on the grounds Of the Union Stock
yards company, and almost directly opposite,
across the railway track from the exchange.
1t VIII De conducted Dy GEORGE w. went
worth, well-known in St. Paul and under
the title of George w. Wentworth & Co. Mr..
Wentowrth is by no means beginner in the
general live stock trade. He is a citizen of
this locality, and the owner of large tracts
of land adjacent both to St. Paul and South
ST. Paul. The old horse exchange is In pro-
cess of enlargement, and when all the ad-
ditions are completed accommodations viii be
afforded for about three hundred horses.
The firm already has a small allotment of
splendid Clydes, and in a few days will re-
ceive a lot of driving and saddle horses. Mr.
Wentworth has great confidence in the future
of South st. Paul as a reliable stock market;
and, a of experience, is disposed to
generously support his faith by his means.
In speaking yesterday of this addition to the
industries associated with the Union Stock
yards, Gen. Mark D. Flower, president of the
company said:
I'VE have just doubled the capacity of our
horse exchange barn and leased it to George
W. Wentworth & Co., a firm with ample
capital. This Is the entering wedge in
the horse business, and we propose to push
It until we have the principal horse market
at this place as we already have for the
ether classes Of live stock, such as cattle
hogs and sheep of the Northwest. We do no,
expect to accomplish everything this year. OIL
even next year, but by the end of the yeal
following we propose to have it,