The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1907-03-15

I
that bushe of corn. Where the steer
or the horse is stabbed in Norfolk and
keeps on eating, the corn that Is eaten
is sold at better price than It
would be in case the grain were ship
ped away There's where little of
the meat drops off here at home.
| But that's a minor matter. The
really vital feature in the Importance
of this industry as constructive fac
tor in community lies in the fact
that the grain--its real worth and its
power to produce meat which later
sells at profit over the raw grants
kept at home, producing its wealth
right in the community where it, itself,
was produced and where 1t logically
ought to stay and do it's work.
Every kernel of corn that Norfolk
can keep at home and convert into
livestock value, helps to build up Nor
| folk. Every kernel of corn shipped
away costs Norfolk the margin between
the raw material and its latent wealth
the richness into which it could be
converted.
And the margin between the value
of the raw material and the grain
after 1t has been converted into beef
on the ribs Of living steer, comes
to Norfolk in the shape Of labor-hire,
better profit to the grain producer
on his grain than where he must ex-
port, and in the profit to the livestock
feeder himself This is generally an
important feature of the towns yearly
profits as a result of Industrial risk,
industrial foresight and industrial toll
| Among the cattle feeders in Nor
folk w. II. Butterfield & Son are per-
haps doing the most extensive bust
ness. In Norfolk and near Norfolk
they are feeding this year about 1000
cattle. 1t is estimated that there are
approximately 500 head elsewhere in
the community, among the feeders
being AL Zimmerman, Will Reed, Ray
Bros, J. w. Gibbs, Fred Hickman,
Fred Dederman, Will Waud, Robert
McKibbon, John Sporn, William
Wagner, Sam Kent, A. E. Craig,
Charles l.. Lowe, l.. L. Lowe. There
are probably others whose names have
not been found in the search for list.
In all it is safe to say that the feed
ers who live in and near Norfolk are
feeding 500 head of cattle. That
means 1,200 bushels of corn day at
80 cents a bushel-or $3.50 per day for
corn alone. That is not counting the
sum paid out for labor In six months
this corn bill would amount to $64,S00.
And little dust will rub off each of
these dollars as it turns over in the
community.
Then there's generally a net profit
on the winters transaction of some
thousands of dollars. This is just
that much velvet" for the COM
munitys upbuilding. 1t swells the
community's bank roll.
Many of these cattle are bought from
the western prairies of Nebraska
Several trainloads came from the
Rushville and Valentine vicinity last
fall. Some come from Omaha and
right around in this part of the state
Another nightly important feature
of this cattle feeding industry is the
hog raising business. The hogs are
a by-product of the cattle feeding in
dustry. They need no feeding except
ing feed that they can root" for them
selves. Their care is little, once the
cattle feeding yards are established
and filled with steers. So that this
by-product is also an important fac
tor of the industrial upbuilding of
the community.
Norfolk, A Horse Market.
In connection with the livestock in
which has been established here is
an important one to the community.
Three firms making their headquarters
here are interested in large purchases
of horses from this section of the
country. They pay good prices for the
animals, take care of them and sell
them to eastern buyers. Norfolk gets
the benefit of the market which they
create, both for horseflesh and for the
grain that they consume while in
Norfolk stables.
The buyers residing here are ID. ID.
Brunson, w. H. Butterfield and H. G.
Sattler.
1t is difficult to estimate the num-
Der of horses which are bought and
sold in Norfolk during the year, each
animal eating up considerable guam
tity of Norfolk grain which is turned
into profit that stays here to circu-
late in Norfolk, but the number han
died by Mr. Brunson, Mr.. Sattler and
w. H. Buttertield & Son during the
year is very large and it has come to
be one of Norfolks important indus
trial factors.
In passing it might be noted that
Newport and Bassett are helping to
make north Nebraska a we'll known
horsemarket, several large sales hav-
ing been held at Newport by Smith
Bros, and good one recently at
Bassett by Mr.. Brude.