The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-07-16
FOR THE STOCK YARDS
Prominent CattIemen to Boom
This Market
CATTLE AND FEEDER POINT
Now Helpless Because o. Out
side Combination.


: ditions at present prevailing. said that
while the wheat crop would be light We
have harvested one of the largest cat
crops in the history of Sedgwick county
and southwestern Kansas. He says also
that the corn crop now bids fair to be
the largest on record in the state. He
also states that Kansas is teeming with
cattle and hogs and the farmers will find
themselves in better condition in the long
run than IL they had more wheat and less
corn
Mr.. Dean thinks that the condition that
confronts the cattlemen of central and
southwestern Kansas is the fact that cat
tlemen, both buyers and sellers have
formed the habit OF running to Kansas
City to buy and sch their stockers and
feeders. This, he says, is brought about
by a combination of the Kansas City COM
mission men, the Kansas City banks and
the railroads. Each one of the combina-
ton has solicitors running through the
country working the cattle dealers OF
both sides to come to Kansas City TO
transact their business, offering them all
sorts Of inducements possible. All this,
however, in the long run comes out of
the pocket Of the cattleman. For in
stance, a man having one or more cars
of cattle to sell ships them to Kansas
City, simply be muse the above mentioned
combination has persuaded the buyers to
come there, and when the shippers cattle
are sold it often occurs that the buyer is
from his own county and not infrequently
from his own township.
Now the facts are. ii costs the shipper
30 cents per hundred to market his cattle,
and 1t costs the buyer the same TO get
them back to his farm, and in the very
neighborhood from whence they started.
Both these tariffs might just as we'll be
saved mot, and better, too, bylshipplng
TO a nearer market. since there has been
nothing at all gained in this cumber-
some and unwieldy process. but On the
contrary the cattle, quite naturally after
this excursion party up and back. finally
wind up more or less bruised and injured,
TO say nothing of the shrinkage and risk
ny loss. Their return Is bound to be in
bad condition for feeding and with the
shrinkage Of not less than 100 pounds,
head that has gone to 4he railroads and
the Kansas City stock yards. In the
meantime the Kansas City banks have
placed loan on many OF these cattle,
thereby absorbing the interest from our
own state and community and taking the
business from the local banks where 1t
belongs.
The thing for the cattle dealers OF
southwest Kansas and Oklahoma to do Is
10 open up a regular stocker and feeder
market at the Wichita yards where all
this robblng process will be done away
with and both seller and buyer greatly
benefited by the change. Six or seven
years ago this condition was in opera
ton and the Wichita cattle market was
recognized as one OF the important ones
OF the west. Here congregated stokes
and feeder buyers from every big point
and feeding station in the country and 1t
was no trouble to dispose OF several hun
dred cars of cattle. as both buyer and
seller met here and transacted the bust
ness. Now the cattle trade at the yards
is all but NIL, amounting in the main to
a Sight local driven-in trade and what
few hoofs come in in mixed cars of hogs
with a few head of steers, mostly fat
butcher stun. The Wichita market Is
closer to the great belt OF grazing coun-
try logically tributary to this point and
the factor OF convenience alone is some
thing. besides the greater one of none
tary saving and advantage to the ship
per. Mr.. Dean is inclined to think the
cattlemen themselves are more TO blame
for this condition than any one and saws
the greatest thing he has had to over
come was this fallacy among. the buyers.
He would approach a man to sell a string
OF cattle and in every instance he would
be met with the prompt reply that he
could do better at the Kansas City yards.
The buyer seemed never to figure on the
fact that even II his price was a trifle
lower there, that the return shipping
charges. the stock yards and feeding In
transit fees, and the inevitable shrink and
bruised up condition more than offset
the apparent gain a hundred fold. II IS
a known fact that there are many instan-
ces where prospective seller with n
string OF fine feeders in pasture would
make proposition TO his adjoining neigh
Dor 10 sell who was anxious TO buy. and
the latter would smile disdaiufully and
decline TO listen. and then hide away for
the mouth OF the Kaw and after a day
or two there on expense would. through
a commission firm. purchase n nice bunch
Of steers and pay the railway compauy
TO haul them TO his pens and yards in
southern Kansas and after the whole deal
was over discover that he had. offer all.
bought his neighbor's cattle and the whole
deal might have been transacted in a
quarter OF the time and about half the
expense. There is no question but that
Loco care OF stockers and feeders nigh,
be marketed here in a year and all sell
readily. thus building M this market and
keeping the commission fees at this point
and building up here a cattle market as
it should be. The present system Is rob-
bing the local yards and its contingent
interests OF what they ought to have
and which would In turn revert TO the
benefit OF the stockmen OF this territory.
Thousands OF dollars are thus lost 70 this
city and fits interests. The local banks
are in the best of condition "a take care
OF this cattle business just as well as
Kansas City. The Wichita banking tns.i-
tutions have combined capital OF about
S20o0.0o and should this be exhausted.
which is not likely. ;hey could very read
fly procure all the funds necessary to
handle this business. So there seems TO
De no logical reason on earth why all
this large amount OF cattle from this
southwest should pass through here and
then come back again wheS no one. not
even the immediate parties concerned are
benefited In the least. but on the con-