The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1909-07-06

If close proximity to the regions
where most of the sheep are produced
were the only factor in determining
The best location for a market, the
largest markets would be still farther
west than they are, because nearly IS
per cent. of the sheep in the United
States are west of the Mississippi
river, and 81 per cent. are in the
Rocky Mountain region and west of
the Pacific coast.
Shipping facilities for getting the
output of the packing houses to the
consumer have an important bearing.
Still another factor which has a great
deal of influence is the fact that many
sheep from the west are fattened In
the Mississippi and Missouri valleys.
Many of these are handled twice by
The markets, first as feeders, and again
as sheep intended for slaughter. When
sold as feeders, they go only cOmpar-
atively short distance from the mar
ket and this is a factor that equalizes
the seeming disparity Of the markets
being too far removed from the re-
gions of heaviest production, and
really makes such places as Chicago
and Omaha the actual centers of the
sheep trade.
The great central sheep markets of
to-day have enjoyed very large
growth during the last 20 years. The
total number of sheep received at Chi
cago in 1887 was 1,360,862; in 1907,
4,218,115 This growth is largely
traceable to the turning of the sheep
husbandry interests in the west from
wool production, as a primary object.
to the production of both mutton and
wool, and to the rise of the sheep feed
ing industry. By liberal infusiOns of
mutton blood into their fiocks, and by
marketing their sheep at a younger
age than formerly, western flockmas-
ters supplanted dry, ill-favored NUT
ton with a wholesome product that
met with ready demand. Almost at
the same time sheep feeding became
popular, and these better bred sheep
of the range were also better fed. A
further impetus was thus given to
mutton consumption which has now
reached the point, in many of our cit
les, at least, where the only check to
liberal consumption is the lack of the
ability to buy.
With this increased activity in the
production of better mutton in the
west and in feed lot operations, the
large markets have not only increased
in volume of business but they have
also improved in their organization, as
may be seen in the review of condi-
tions past and present at the Chicago
market Formerly sheep on this mar
ket were not classed and graded, but
they were sold in mixed bands just
Often these mixed shipments were
made up of all ages and sexes, in
every degree OF quality and condition
| The volume Of business was small
] mutton was not much sought after
| and hence the need Of careful discrm
nation was not felt. To the commits
sion man or the buyer this system per.
haps did not offer great Inconvenience
Perhaps the buyer even counted it to
his advantage as he is inclined to
measure the value of the whole offer
ing by the inferior individuals in it.
But to the shipper who occasionally Wis:
tied the market little opportunity was
presented by such system to deter
mine the preference of buyers. This
system gave way to one that is more
orderly and definite. The day of the
buyer taking pot luck" on shipments
as a whole Is over. Now they are sort
| ed into the differeny classes and grades
and thus presented for the inspection
of the buyer. The result is an orderly
and definite market by which the man
who follows his shipments to sale may
be enlightened, and from which mar
ket quotations may be made that will
be of aid to those that have sheep tc
SELL
With respect to control Of receipts
so that violent fluctuations in prices
do not occur within very short space
OF time, the Chicago market has great
ly improved during the last 20 years
Until the sheepmen of the west be
came fully recognized as specialists ir
mutton production, treacherous ant
violent fluctuations were matters OF al
most daily occurrence. There are rec
! ords Of declines OF SO cents per hun