The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1907-10-11
SMITH BROS. HORSE SALE.
FIRST BIG HORSE AUCTION HELD
IN NORFOLK.
BIG CROWD IN ATTENDANCE
w. n. Butterfeld Of Norfolk Paid the
Highest Price for an Animal, Buy
Ing Four at $152 Each-Fifty.five
Sales Made.
TFrom TUESDAYS Da,ly.I

the mysteries or the sales ring or a
genuine big horse sale.
Monday Smith Brothers Land and
Live Stock company, which has re-
moved from Newport to Norfolk, held
its initial sales In the new stock yards
constructed for its special use by the
union stock yards company organized
among local business men. And the
attendance of horsemen at the first
sale attested the wisdom Of the remov.
al to Norfolk.
During the four or five hours Of the
sale Monday afternoon several hundred
horses were disposed of to the highest
bidders. Fifty-five sales were recorded
in all, each sale auctioned off carrying
with 1t from one to thirty odd horses.
The forty-four horse pens that COM
prise the new stockyards were filled
with animals for Mondays sales, each
bunch of horses waiting In turn to be
driven into the sales ring.
An amphitheater with several tiers
Of seats surrounds the circle OF the
sale ring. Here sit the spectators,
horsemen, farmers and the curious. At
a signal the gates open and score Of
horses shoot into the sale ring. Round
and round the animals circle in the
narrow ring under the critical eyes Of
the prospective buyers. Slowly the
bids mount up under the encouraging
generalship Of the auctioneer, mounted
by way of authority on sleepy horse
At the end of few minutes the auc-
tioneer fails to get raise and the sale
Is made. A quick entry in the books,
another gate swings open and the
horses rush down a driveway to their
pen. Then the ring fills again and an
other sale is on. Some of the sales
run up to two and three thousand dol
lars.
The horses that topped the market
in price Monday afternoon were bid in
by w. II. Butterfield of Norfolk Mr.
Butterfeld bid 1852 apiece for four
horses, two bays and two browns. The
lowest sale recorded was black colt
bought in by Emil Rettler at 81.
The crowd brought to Norfolk Mon
day by the sales was in itself a suffi-
cient indication of the benefit that will
accrue to Norfolk through the big
horse sales. Sixty or eighty horse
men, it is said, came into Norfolk by
rail. Twenty people were brought to
the city by Smith Brothers while
farmers Of the vicinity were well rep
resented.
The attendance at the first horse
sale was satisfactory to all parties.
The removal from Newport to Norfolk
has brought Smith Brothers into new
and additional territory and one effect
of this was noted in little backward
ness in the bidding, not unexpected
feature at an initial sale.
Among the men who bid in horses
at the Monday afternoon sale were:
Joseph Crilly, Bonesteel; e. A. Dan
ielson. Leland, ILL.,; w. A. Jones, Ian
der, Wyo.; w. Rathje, Holstein, Ia;
L.. C. Bailey, Oelrichs, 8. D.; J. e.
Nichols, Stanton; w. H. Butterfield,
Norfolk; e. s. Kelley, Walthill; w.
e. Taylor, Madison; George A. Hagen,
Clarkson; VIM. Dunn (auctioneer); G.
o. Schmitt, Madison; Emil Rettler;
John Kauff; Tim Preece, Battle Creek;
N. Clemens, Verdel; W. B. Lindstead.
F. H. Chandler. Norfolk; A. A. Shook,
Chamberlain; J. e. Francis, Pierce:
w. e. Ferrell; G. B. Thompson; John
Krantz, Norfolk; ]. w. Reice; T. c.
Cantwell; Jack Moore, Battle Creek;
D. d. Brunson, Norfolk; R. w. Rohrke.
Notes Of the Sale.
A second sale Of range horses will
be held by Smith Brothers in two
weeks. Then the range season will
close with another sale two weeks
later.
AS soon as building arrangements
can be made the Smith Brothers Land
a live stock barn in Norfolk that will
hold 200 head of horses. The range
sale season ends during the first of
November but horse sales in the sta
bles will be held every two weeks
throughout the winter.
Smith Brothers have handled 1000
head of horses this season.
P. M. Maley. J. s. Smith and c. A.
Smith of the firm will remove to Nor
folk from Newport. The question of
offices and other details of the removal
will be lined up during the coming
week.
G. M. Thompson, president of the
Rock County State bank and a prom
inent member of the big horse firm,
will remain in Newport.
After the sales had closed at 6 p.
m. Monday about four hundred horses
remained over for a special Tuesday
morning sale.
The Nebraska National bank Mon
day evening was converted into a
clearing house for horse sale checks
for the benefit Of the parties to the
big sale,
Three auctioneers presided over the
ring at different periods: William
Dunn of Weeping Water, o. v. Kenas-