The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-12-28
PAST AND PRESENT OF
LIVESTOCK INTERESTS
Legislative Needs of One of the Foremost Indus
tries of the Thriving State of Utah.
Irrigation viii Solve the Problem in Great Measure-SOms
Facts and Figures

7 ter because the absence of water IN
sufficient quantities during the spring
and summer months drives the sheep
elsewhere for summer grazing. And
the limit of successful endeaVoT in the
latter line has about been reached
Colorado several years ago registered
its informal protest against the season
al incursions of Utah flockmasters up
on the public domain within her
borders and have since maintained ir-
regular but. in the main, effectual re-
sistance against such eneroachment-
Example of Other States.
Wyoming and Idaho are year By
year adding to the stringency of their
police regulations, under the pretense
of safeguarding the health Of their
own fOcks. and the rigorous enforce
rlent of these is being supported by
; the courts 10 an extent which threat
ems a quarantine of the Utah fioeks.
Even Arizona has evinced hostility
along these lines and while still un-
certain of her boundaries a much pro-
voked few Of her doubtful citizens
on the northern borders have invoked
the aid of the courts for the preserva-
ton of border ranges. As the herds
were reduced in numbers, so shall the
fiocks be cut down in size. Timber
reserves and Indian reservation per-
mits will only temporarily delay such
action 1t is, in fact, proceeding apace
at this time.
Legislation Needed.
The ranges cannot sustain the pres
ent holdings and such legislation as
common sense and ordinary observa-
ton suggest to accomplish their resto-
ration and increase their grazing ca
pacity is not very hopefully looked for
at an early day.
others, the removals Of livestock
from the state during the year were
exceptionally heavy. The bulk Of the
cattle, usual OF late years, went
early and during the summer months.
and they were almost entirely OF the
stocks or '-stocker'' sort. Sales OF
the former. embracing all ages Of the
female persuasion. were made at prices
on dead level with the figures the
same stuff brought the year before, al
though the cattle were a shade bet
ter in quality and several points to the
good in the matter of flesh.
Sent to Other States.
Several strings of these breeders"
went into the new settlements Of east
ern Montana and western Wyoming,
and the more remote Mormon colonies
across the Canadian line caught con-
signments from the state aggregating
q
''stockers,' sold during 1902 and shipped
out Of the state, changed hands in
the first transaction. between the
breeders and contractors, at 1901 prices,
but very generally brought. when sold
70 outside buyers later, an advance
over those figures of 50 cents head
The bulk of these sales was made
to northern men and in the case OF
almost every delivery buyers were
prompt in their recognition Of the i'm
provement being made in Utah herds.
Very few aged steers have been turned
off during the year, or, in fact. for
several years, but a greater number
have been allowed to mature during
1902 than has been the case in recent
years.
Found Ready Sale.
Practically all of these found ready
sale to local killers at good prices up
10 the time grass cattle came in, but
at lower values than the same kind
sold for after August by fully 50 cents
on the hundred pounds. The differ
ence continues to prevail at TINS writ
ing, as top steers that brought from
-four and a quarter" to the half a
year ago change hands this season at
from six bits" to the even money
under. And the killers have trimmed =
the COW sellers for beef purposes CORE
spondingly ever since the grass kinds
enabled them TO sideSteD the winter
and spring shortage The shakedOWn
in COW values from the high time was
about the size of a dollar and quar-
ter a hundred during last fall when
two fifty was the top" and the dis
parity any Of these days. as producers
regard the situation, figures out from
half to six bits" TO the bad. All
Of which means that the best cows at
home here bring from cents to three
and a dime, with other kinds trailing
2 oTFrn< nh hos SIC
cross local scales at prices ranging
from three seventy-five 10 4 cents. And
over at the river selling places and
"beyant'' by the lake the men who
move beef are meeting with a larger
measure of grief.
Reward of Hesdfulness.
They have poured enormous supplies
into those markets Tor six weeks with a
get from under disregard of conse-
quences, and the packers. with Gus
tonary alacrity and more than ordi--7
nary severity passed them out the pun
ishment coming to them as a result OF
their own heedlessness- Prices back
there tumbled q dollar and half a
hundred, 1t is sale, in fortnight and
the jar values s,sstained is being felt
By shippers of all sorts of cattle yee.>
The vigorously applied correction a6-
nlinistered by the purchasing end, sup
plemented by the advice of the com
mission never to mold on. nndlly ar
rested the panicky movement and re-
ceipts latteTly are sufficiently under
the daily demand in volume 10 enable
the market to mend somewhat This it
is gradually doing. but there appears
10 be an unreasonably grounded belief
in the feed lot country that too many
cattle are being fattened for the inn
mediate future demand, and spasmodic
outbreaks of this feeling OF uncertain
ty may produce gluts from time 70
time until the end of the season.
The Big Cattle Markets.
The five big cattle markets Of the
country in the order sof their impor-
lance are: Chicago, Kansas City, Onla-
ha. st. Louis and st. Joseph Estimat-
ing the arrivals for the last four days
OF the month, the combined receipts
of these points was 7,54S. 600. as against
7.167, 600 in 1901. an increase Of 4S1. 600
head. The shipments OF cattle from
this state during the year have ap-
proximated $1,000 head. The number
slaughtered locally Was about IS. 900.
The loss was nominal. probably less
than per cent
Sheep in Utah.
The movement of sheep n Utah IN
the last twelve months was unusual IN
several ways some of the reasons for
which have been previously stated
herein. A great many Utah nOckmas-