The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-07-19
Business of the Union Stockyards
Has Increased Enormously in
Recent Years.
HORSE MARKET A FEATURE
SALES OF FLOODED STOCK ATTRACT
BUYERS FROM OTHER LANDS.
III. c. Graybill, Traffic Manager of
Union Yards, Talks interestingly
on the Business.

Indianapolis has within its confines an in
stitution whose business reaches from coast
to coast. This Is the Union Stockyards, To-
Gated on the Belt Railroad south of Ken
lucky avenue. To operate this mammoth
concern agents are sent out over the coun-
try to bring In hogs, cattle, sheep, horses
and mules.
The Union Stockyards is business that
was started in 1877 by a few men who had
the foresight to see that Indianapolis would
be central point for all shipments of stock
from the West to the Atlantic coast From
that time the business of the company
steadily increased until now it is regarded
as one of the foremost live stock markets
of the country. In its twenty-six years
growth the yards have continued to in
crease and its managers now say that by
the end of this year they look for all pre-
vious records to be broken, so rapidly is
the business piling up.
The greatest traffic at the stockyards is
in hogs. This city furnishes porkers for
many of the large cities of the East, be-
sides the four large packing houses at
home. OF these four packing houses Kim
gan & Co. purchases the most. This COM
pany operates two large plants. Coffin &
Fletcher and the Indianapolis Abattoir
Company succeed in killing many hogs.
Kingan & Co., in its two plants, not only
slaughter hogs. but also kill many cattle
and sheep. AT the Indianapolis Abattoir
Company a great number of cattle are also
slaughtered.
In addition to these large establishments
drawing on the Union Stockyards for a
supply Of hogs and cattle, Swift & Co., of
Chicago. have buyers here who are con-
stantly on the watch for large consign-
ments of hogs and cattle for their several
Eastern packing houses.
DEALS AT LONG RANGE.
To keep these large firms well supplied
with hogs and cattle, the managers of
the Union stockyards and the commission
men identified with it are often compelled
to deal at long range for the source of
supply. Up to within few years ago, the
Central States were drawn on materially
for stock, including horses and mules. Now
this territory has become inadequate and
the Southern, Southwestern and Western
States are invaded.
Not only is the stockyards engaged in
looking after stock for the purpose of
slaughter but 1t has branched out in re-
cent years and is engaged in buying and
selling blooded horses and registered hogs,
cattle and sheep. This new feature of the
Indianapolis trade is one that has assumed
greater proportions than was expected of
it in the two short years that it has been
in operation.
The Indianapolis Cattle Sale Company,
under the management of David Wallace,
has become famous for the superiority of
the stock that is sold under its hammer.
Sales of registered stock are held every
two months. Attending these sales are
stock raisers from all parts of the United
States and Canada. 1t has been said that
In several of the large sales of regis
tered cattle recently held under this man.
agement, prices ranging into the thousands
have been obtained, when at private sale
the cattle would have been sold to the det-
riment of the owner. This has been
obtained by the knowledge of the manage
ment as to the superiority of the animals
that are sold under it's care.
THE HORSE MARKET.
Another feature of the yards that has
grown prominent is the horse market.
There are two firms-Blair, Baker & Co.,
and Warman, Black. Chamberlain & Co.
The latter holds its sale each Tuesday.
while the other sells on Wednesday. At