Omaha daily bee., 1909-03-14
hverage
Sc2s.112,0Oo
Surplus Nebraska Farm stock.

Live stock shipped from the farms OF
Nebraska during 1907. the last year for
which statistics are available was as fol-
lows, according to figures furnished the
state bureau of statistics by the railroad
and express companies: Cattle, 1,9OO10
head. valued at $40. .752,157; hogs, 3,104.943.
valued at $42692, ,553: sheep, I6,70l. valued
at S212S 175; horses and mules. 6S,346, valued
at $6,142,140; goats. 800, valued at 1880.
These five items total $1O0 7l3,s25, which can
be credited to the producers on the farm
on the credit side.
OF the principal products OF live stock
shipments reported during 1907 were as
follows, excluding South Omaha entirely.
but counting in Nebraska City: Dressed
meats, 2S.927,SO0 pounds. with a value of
81. $50 10; hides and pelts. 1888, 423 pounds,
valued at $1,52O.s79; wool, 1,2l2,946 pounds,
valued at SlS3.426; tallow, 1,S7,N5 pounds,
valued at $63.S other products, So, 1886. .266.
Added together these sums total $40. 0642S.
Thus we have an aggregate of s2i1. .4so. 253
as the value of live stock and principal
products of live stock shipped to market
from Nebraska farms during 1907, placing
the average value at a very reasonable
figure This of itself would constitute ex
cuse for the existence OF stock yards and
packing plants in the state but TO the
Nebraska figures must be added the con-
tributing elements from surrounding states
that help to develop the immense industry
which reaches into all parts OF the world
from this vicinity.
Capital Involved.
In times past, for many years, the stock
business OF this and adjoining states was
done very largely on money furnished by
the commission men and bankers The
great point i'm favor of this arrangement
was that It enabled the ambitious and prac-
tical stock raiser to carry on his business
practically to the limit OF his capacity for
management.
Asked the question. what Is the approxi-
mate total OF working capital represented
in this business?' Secretary Stryker Of the
Union stock yards said:
"A moments consideration will convince
you that no person can estimate that, even
approximately. For instance, something in
the neighborhood OF 500. 900, ,OOO more or less
was paid out by the firms buying and
dealing in stock here last year. Who can
presume 10 compute with any degree OF
accuracy the individual investments of the
raisers of common stock and Of the thor
oughbred and high-grade stock OF this
state and our sister states from which we
draw? Development OF this industry in
the last few years is pretty strongly indi-
Gated by the United States figures, but bo-
yond that starting point we would be
merely speculating, so far as money totals
are concerned"
Twenty-Five states ship Here.
That the secretarys comment Is justified
will be more readily believed when II Is
known that in 1905 live stock was received
at South Omaha from twenty-five states
west OF the Mississippi river and from
three states south of the river. Live stock
was shipped from South Omaha TO fifteen
states. Directly tributary TO this market
are Nebraska, Iowa. Missouri, South Da-
kota and Wyoming. Indirectly the tribu-
tary territory comprises all the north cen-
trail western and northwestern states. Ap-
proximately. the number of stock raisers
and feeders marketing here Is ii3,OOo The
500 O00. 90 paid cut last year may be roughly
distributed as follows, by states: Nebraska,
Hhree-fifths 100000; wyoming one
seventh. sli.2S5,7 ne; Iowa, one-ninth. si1-
10000; Idaho. one-twenty-eighth. ts.S7. i2s;
South Dakota. one-forty-siHth. tal7s.9aOI