The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-09-11
|CATTLE INDUSTRY
I GREAT IN VIRGINIA
Steers Fed on Southwest
Virginia Blue Grassfor
European Tables.
EXPORTING BEEF
A BIG BUSINESS
Stacks Of English and German
Coin Brought to the Southwest
Counties Every Year-A
Growing Industry That
Produces Large Profits.
Tazewell County Leads.
BY FRANK $. wooDsoN,
Industrial Editor.

Just two year ago was down in
Southwest Virginia on scouting tour
and stopped over In Abingdon the day
the Washington County Fair opened.
Nearly every time I looked out on
the onb long street OF the town saw
men driving great droves Of fat cat
tie. all young steers, and supposIng
for the moment that they were for
exhibition at the fair, remarked to
a local friends that the whole show at
the fair must be made up OF steers.
The fair behanged." remarked my
tie don't know fair is going on.
You just go down to the depot and you
Will find out all about that show"
went to the depot and took in a
scene not soon to be forgotten. Not
less than fifty Slated car were stand
ing on the tracks loaded to their
capacity with fine. fat beef cattle. and
enough more steers were in the pens
to load fifty more cars, and droves
were still coming in. Then for the
first time got something Of an idea
of the immensely OF the beef cattle
industry in the Southwest. The next
day passed through several counties.
and at every railway station of any
importance I witnessed scenes similar
to that at Abingdon, men loading car
after car with cattle to be shipped to
Europe, and every steer saw during
those two days was at fat as bluegrass
could make it. I was told that they
were being shipped direct from the
bluegrass pastures, not single one in
the thousand or more saw ever hav-
Ing been fed on grain or anything ex-
cept the grass. 81
"A Growing and Paying Industry.
This is the season for shipping ex-
port beef cattle, and at every railway
station In Southwest Virginia scenes
similar to those limited at above are
being enacted. I have some letters
from that region from which I gather
the information that the shipments
OF fat steers are larger this year than
ever before known In the history OF
the State, and that in England and
Germany these cattle are bringing on
the hoof record breaking prices. The
cattle are loaded on the cars and
billed direct to European points. The
railways carry them to Norfolk and
Newport News, and there they ars
loaded on the cattle ships for their
first and last trip on the Atlantic
Ocean. There is no telling the amount
OF good European money that comes
every year to Southwest Virginia in
payment for grass-fed beef cattle, and.
as one Of the big cattle exporters said
TO me two years ago. it is nearly all
profit after the freight charges and
commissions have been paid.
One of the largest single shippers
to Europe is Hon. Henry c. Stuart, of
Russell county. who is NOW giving
more attention to an exciting race for
seat In the Congress Of the United
States than he is to the actual work
OF shipping fat beeves from his broad
pastures, but all the same these broad
acres of Russell county grazing land
are In charge of able and efficient lieu
tenants, and the steers are going forth
to Norfolk and Newport News Just az
II Stuart were not giving Congressman
Slemp the most exciting and heart-
breaking time he ever experienced:
going to those ports for shipment to
England and Germany. and going
there. not in carload. but In trainload
lots.
Tnzewell County Leads.
All the Southwest counties do an
immense business in the cattle-ratsing
and heef-selling industry, and all OF
them export largely. but suspect that
Tazewell leads in this Industry. be-
cause 1t has the largest grazing ca
pacity OF any Of those counties. With
the exception of part of the coal
belt. at least three-fourths OF its area
is we'll adapted to agricultural and
grazing purposes. and within that
area there are wealth of bluegrass
lands which are the admiration OF all
who see them Even the lofty ridges
and mountains to their submits are
covered with a luxuriant growth OF
bluegrass which is indigenous. Ans
other very important advantage. fitting
1T for grazing purposes. is that it Is
exceptionally we'll watered.
While all OF these lands in TaZewell
county will produce bountiful crops OF
all the grains. and all OF the culti-
waited grasses can be grown to per-
lection, the owners OF those lands
prefer to preserve their fine blue
grass sod and engage In the much
less expensive and much more con-
genial and profitable occupation OF
grazing cattle which is the leading
Industry OF the county Large num-
bers OF cattle unsurpassed in quality
are annually sold from this county, a
large proportion Of them for export
purposes; also quantities OF sheep OF
the finest grade, and no section of the
State Is better supplied with fine draft
and saddle horses
Little Highland Does Mighty Well.
While it Is true that Russell may
lead In the industry under discussion,
the cattle-raisers In all OF the coun-
ties OF that region are making money
in the business. For instance; have
letter from that Highland county
enthusiast. II. f., slaven, OF Monterey.
In which he says:
''Messrs. Ruckman. Wise and other
cattle buyers are now busy weighing
UP the fat herds OF Highland, and her
annual contribution to the worlds
beef neutrality-suspicious. 5000
900 pounds--will soon be made. These
fat cattle are the pride OF the county
as wen as her wealth. and glance
either at the. waddllng, glossy herds
now ready for shipment or at the
beautiful valleys and hills covered
with rich fall pastnrage will convince
one that Highlands claimt SUPERIOR