The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-04-28
FARMS AND HERDS
w. E. Curtis Tells His Paper
That Kansas Is Wealthy,
STOCK, GRAIN, PRODUCE
Banks are Carrying Big Sur
pIuSes and Deposits,

The Chicago Record prints the follow
ting from William E. Curtis, its Washing
ton correspondent, who recently visited
Kansas:
There are about 2.75O.0O0 cattle in Kan
sas. OF these about 100000 are mich cows,
a similar number are working oxen and
the remainder. about 100000, are being
dattened for food, and at the proper sea-
son viii be shipped to Kansas City, St.
Joseph or Chicago to be slaughtered. Like
every other human occupation, the cattle
trade is undergoing evolution. Expert
ence is teaching new methods by which the
greatest profit can be secured by the least
outlay Of labor and cost The breeding
and fattening Of livestock has been re-
duced 70 an exact science.
There are three kinds Of cattle. CONNER
cialIy speaking. The wild or range cattle,
mixed cows and steers , years old, are bred
in Texas and Indian Territory, mostly,
and shipped from Elgin and other points
Of lesser importance to the stockyards Of
Kansas City. There they are divided into
Gamers, stockers and feeders. Stockers are
good breeding cows, which are sold and
sent back TO the farms of Kansas TO multi
ply and replenish the barnyards. Feeders
are steers that viii be likely to take on
flesh if well fed. and are sent to the fat
tening farms, where for a short year they
Tevel in luxury and then pay the penalty
at the butchers block. 1t has been found
that 80 bushels Of corn, more or less, viii
add 800 pounds Of beef 10 the weight of the
steer and increase his value from SIS or
$40 10 $40 or $50. When a steer is fattened
he is usually sold by the pound according
TO the rates prevailing in the Kansas City
and Chicago markets. somewhere between
and 6 cents a pound The difference be-
tween the value of the "a W material and
that of the finished product less the cost
Of 80 bushels of corn, IS the profit Of the
farmer.
Gamers are Tow grade that are hard to
fatten and are not considered worthy Of
the honor of assisting to perpetuate their
species. 1t is a case Of the survival of tle
fttest, and they are sent to the eXecUtioner
without further ceremony. The beef they
have carried around on their bones goes to
the factories TO be corned, picked, sailed
smoked and canned in various forms and
by various processes.
The business of breeding and fattening
cattle IS largely done on credit, like the
mercantile trade and manufacturing. OF
the 100000 stocl1ers and feeders in the
state Of Kansas today probably so per
cent are mortgaeed, or have been bought
with what is known as cattle paper"
When a country merchant goes to Chi
cago to buy goods he pays so much cash,
according to the amount of his working
capital, and for the remainder gives his
notes for sixty da vs. or three or SIX months,
as the case may be, with interest When
a farmer goes to Kansas City to get a
bunch of stockers and feeders he pays
as much cash as he can offer, usually not
less than 40 per cent. and gives his notes
for six months or a year which are Sc
cured by a NOR tgage upon the animals
The seller, who is generally a commission
man, gets the notes discounted in the
banks. upon his- own Endorsement, and, OF
course, becomes. responsible for their pay
ment.
This BUSINESSES aIso,done largely through
the local banks of Kansas, which advance
money to their customers TO use in buying
stock at Kansas City and other markets
1t is estimated that al least one-half the
loans of the Kansas banks are represented
by cattle paper'-probably $4,000 O0o-ant
that a similar amount of eastern money :
loaned in this state upon the same sort OF
security. The current rate Of interest upor
local money is sand 10 per cent. with > pei
cent commission for making the loan. aul
the time is six months. for the reason thai