The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-11-17
Review of the Range Season

AS the range shipping season is
now practically closed, Clay, Rob.
inson 4 Cos Report has the follow
ing to say Of the'season business at
Chicago.
The season 5 receipts Of range cattle
at Chicago to date are 10, 500, y de-
crease of %, 900 from last year and
5000 as compared with 1897.
Generally speaking, the season has
been very satisfactory one from
the ranchman S point of view, TAX
ing into consideration the very
severe winter of 1S9s-99, which re-
suited in open range cattle in
many sections going onto grass
very much reduced in flesh the early
shipments came to market in pass
ably good condition, which showed
steady improvement as the grass
cured, and hardened in flesh until by
the middle of September the quality
of the otfe rings compared favorably
with former years, in fact averaging
rather better than last season. An
excellent demand prevailed through
out the season for the range cattle,
most of which were bought for dress
ed beef purposes, eastern shippers
taking smaller proportion than
last year, and exporters hardly any,
whereas in former years good
many Of these cattle have been
bought for the eastern markets and
for export alive. a smaller pro-
portion also of the receipts this year
sold for feeders than in former
seasons, nearly everything being
taken for slaughter. The giant
strides toward breeding better stock
that have been made during the
past few years by the liberal use Of
pure bred bulls On the ranges of the
northwest are plainly evident in the
gradual disappearance of the scrub
''longhorn OF conglomerate breed
ing and the advent of the present
day ranger, which is year by year
growing nearer and nearer to the
ideal beef type. However, the
bovine millennium is by no means
here and there is Still ample room
FOR Improvement
In the matter of prices range cat,
tie producers have certainly haye
no cause for complaint. Not since
the balmy days OF 81 have values
ranged SO high as during the season
now drawing to a close. The cx-
IRENE top price was $40, paid for
several small lots of Dakota and
Montana hay-fed cattle, but the
highest figure for any siderable
number of straight rangers was
S.. 80, which we obtained on Septem.
Der 4 for 100 head Of 1873 TO- Da
kotas owned by the Cresswel Cattle
Co. Range helfers sold up s4.85, {
single load of Standards bringing
that figure on August Is, but the
highest sale Of any large number o
heifers was that made by US OF
August IA OF AGO head averaging
1913 lbs, at $4.75. the property o
the Cresswell Cattle Co. One of thu
most notable sales of the season wa!
that Of the Standard Cattle Co..
Montanas on August 2l-20O heat
averaging l,343 lbs, for which W.
obtained S5.25. This was the high
est price of the season for fair sizet
bunch up to that date, and stood as
top for straight rangers until we OBJ
tanned IS. IS for the Cresswells or
Sept. 4 as noted above. We also
sold on August 81 ten loads OF the
Standard heifers, averaging 1895
lbs, at $4.65. The course OF value:
has been comparatively lever
throughout the season, the loves
level being reached during the latter
part OF September and the FIRST o.
the week Of October, when receipt:
we're heaviest.