Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1908-01-02
OttumWa Is Non
One of First Horse
Markets of Country

*ss sas aiHA .
few years ago zone
horse" horse market was OPEN
ed in OttumWa. The venture
grew and began to attract the 5
attention of buyers and stock
rasers, until today the Ottun- =
wa horse market is recognized y
as one of the leading markets in
the west. At the bi-weekly sales y
buyers are present from both
coasts purchasing stock for
their patrons.
. = = . .
There is one branch of business In
Ottumwa that has not been in exist
ence over three years but in that time
has done possibly more than any other
business in the city to advertise OF
! tumWa in the east and southern
states, where its output finds mar
ket
| This horse sales company com
mencing business in 1905, have con-
! Quoted the auctioning of horses SO
successfully that at the expiration of
one year or at the close of 1905 their
business done amounted to $165,000.
The success of the first year was so
fiattertng that they Immediately began
to expand and got out into territory
In search for horses that had not been
attempted by them before.
The sales were made regular events
with two weeks intervning between
them, every other Friday being select
ed for the horse sale. Business began
it's real growth in 1906Swnen the farm
ers and horsemen livingnear the city
and within radius of rs miles began
! IN {ofo x,n1, q tAl.
market situated at their very doorsand
at the expiration of the year this com
pany found that they had sold horses
to the value of $412,OO0 thus max.
ing a gain Of $247, 900 over the first
year more than doubling their bust
ness. "
. Continuing the good work begun3two
years previous, the horse sales COM
pany kept on growing and the seed
Of successful advertising began to
bear fruit AS the business they got
at the outset stayed with them and
more came with 1t they found
it necessary to expand yand
make room for the handling
of the horses that kept CON
tinually coming to them and at the
close Of this year it was seen that the
business had reached the amount of
S445,O00, gain of $4,000 over last
year and $2S0,000 over the first years
business. a.
The above statement speaks vol
umes for a branch Of business practic-
ally new to the community and in the
: face Of conditions that would justify
: smaller gains and yet be good rec.
! ord 1t will be remembe that this
). company suffered two severe losses
> by fire when in August 1905 and 1907
: it's barns were completely destroyed
$, s by fire. Arising from tn embers like
!, the phoenix bird of legend unconquer
, ed and dauntless they carried on the
y business in livery stables about the
. city while the ruins Of their barns
;, smoldered and until the present horse
pavilion was erected In which fol
the past. three months they have beer
s conducting their sales every other Fri
= day without omission.
:, Missed no Horse Sales.
- The Ottumwa horse marke
n has the enviable e0record Q
. being the only horse marke
in Iowa or west Of the Mississ
IL ippi river that has missed no sal,
as date for over two years. 1t is tn
is only horse market west of New Yorl
w that can show steady gain In vo
u ume of business for the past tnre
al years. All others show falling al
i'd in volume Of business of 1907 agains
IS, that of 1906.
le The combined markets Of Chicagt
le st. Louis, Kansas City, Indianapolis
n. Omaha and st. Paul snow an aggre
or gate falling off during the year. Q
M 1907 of 100000 head from that of 1906
IL While Ottumwa market will show
gain of $4,000 in horse sales for 190'
over 1906.
lie May Hold Sales Weekly
si- If the business of the com1nk yea
ID increases in the same proportih as
us has in the. past it is plannedslt.o iiol
as the sale weekly instead Of every tW
lc weeks as heretofore, this however wi
nd be determined by the BUSINESS conc
tions prevailing. The horsfs sold
the local market find thefe way
every part Of the United States goiI
chiefly to New York, Buffalo, Bal
more and Southern states, ,Abuyers fro
those places coming hereto the sale