The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-06-08
H)RSESO AUCTION BLOCK
AT SOUTH ST. PAUL YESTERDAY A
HERD OF 1900 WE'RE
SOLD
BUYERS OF SEVERAL STATES
Were at the RIngside Yesterday
Swapping Up the Bargains
Ia Horse Flesh That
Were offered.

To use the vernacular Of the horse
dealer, the biggest thing that ever come
over the road in the way of a horse
sale was held by Thuet Bros. at the
South st. Paul stock yards yesterday. IN
all about 11.O00 horses of all grades,
breeds and prices were sold. and the
work Of almost a year in getting the
great number together required the use
Of quarter of million of dollars.
Four days ago the first train load of
animals arrived at the yards from Mon
tana over the Great Northern railway.
Since that time several train loads POI
day were received. coming over every line
that enters ST. Paul from the West and
Southwest.
Many of the horses came from Idaho.
some from Utah and Nevada and the
greater number from Montana and the
Dakotas.
Thuet Bros. sent their agents into the
West several months ago. Their buyers
are among the shrewdest in any market.
and they took the time and made the
necessary effort to get several hundred
carloads of horses together that brought
the heaviest buyers to this market from
New York, Canada, Illinois, Wisconsin.
Iowa, Missouri and Indiana. AS The
LOrSCS arTlNeu tIley WeI0 oSPe'i oI'u'
classified and placed in pens at the
Yards, so that an experienced dealer
could at a glance tell just what was be-
fore him. and within a fraction OF 500
as to what amount he would bid for the
lot at auction SALE Over $1,000 was ex.
pended in advertising the sale in tho
newspapers of large cities or wherever
the 1huet Bros. believed there was
market for the stock Taking into con-
81 1 ,o Io4,cr md hr.vf Il
300 cars used to transport the stock to
market cost the firm an average Of $50
per car.
The sale commenced at 10 o'clock yes
terday morning and continued, with the
interruption of one hour at noon seven
and one half hours. In that time almost
II, eco horses passed under the hammer
and were gotten ready for shipment to
other points The Chicago-St. Paul lines
alone took out six train loads of horses
last night, and more will follow today
At the west limit OF the yards O. tenn
porary grandstand was erected, and tenn
porary seats at the sides of the enclosure
made the auctioneer's ring an amphi-
theater for over 600 people occupying
seats, while several hundred more were
cropped in the ring and on fences in the
Immediate vicinity. A brass band was
located in one section of the amphi-
theater, and furnished music between
sales.
When the sale opened the principal
horse markets Of the United States and
Canada were represented in the ring by
one and sometimes three or four dealers.
One Chicago man, who does not handle
Western horses, attended the sale at the
solicitation Of two Central Illinois stock
raisers. and bought for them freely. His
settlement with Thuet Bros. was made
with four checks aggregating $4,000.
An auction sale Of horses by the car
load is an inspiriting sight. The euc-
tioneer's ring is one Of the larger pens,
with gates on either side. When all is In
readiness the horses to be sold are re-
leased from one Of the pens in another
portion of the yard and driven down
the broad lane or runway to the en-
trance gate of the auctioneer's ring,
which is opened as they approach. The
horses are in a close bunch and remain
together. AS they enter the ring the
drivers surround them and compel them
to come to stand in the center Of the
ring AS they are confronted at every
turn, the animals move IN circle slowly
on account of being in close bunch
This Is the opportunity for inspection by
the dealer. Gradually the speed OF the
bunch slackens, until they are at stand
still. Then the clarion voice Of the auc-
tioneer is heard and the bidding COM
mences If a dealer bids $45 1t is under
stood he offers that amount for every
horse in the lot. One of the purchases
yesterday was a lot Of thirty horses at
SIS per head, or 81, $50 for the carload lot.
The sale continued during the afternoon.
and numberless carload lots were sold
all the way from $500 to $500 per car
load of thirty animals.
On July next there will be another
sale at the South ST. Paul yards by the
same firm. 1t is expected that from TO-,
900 to 5000 horses Will be sold at that
time Over 1000 head of Western and
range horses have been disposed of in the
st. Paul market within the last two
months; and this city seems to be in
the lead of any other in the horse line.
A dozen or more years ago scarcity
of good horses existed, and the new set
tiers and old ranchers of the plains be-
gan to invest in breeding stock. The
farmers in the Mississippi and Missouri
valleys did likewise, and in the course
Of a few years there was a slump in
prices. 1t was not long before there was
a large surplus. and absolutely no sale
for any but the best horses. 1t was too
expensive for the Western ranchers TO
"close herd or hold their stock in cor
rails, consequently they turned their