The Coconino sun., 1917-02-23

SoSsic NaiuSS hnSc ucci up ehiS times since there has been such a thing as a cattle market, and cattle values have been down three times.
 During the Civil War and at the close cattle were traded in at vary ing prices as no cattle trade like the present known had yet been devel- oped.
 In 1868 marked interest became apparent in cattle trade and several markets like Chicago and Boston de- veloped. Also the Texas herds start ed north to Abilene, Kansas, from which points they were distributed throughout the middle west and northwest. At this time the tick fev- CT, called the Spanish fever-and cause unknown-was brought into H. linois by Texas herds and caused loss and damage to the new trade develop ing. The relative value of Texas long horns and the Illinois short horns were the cause of much argument. The trail risks were great and while cattle were worth $15 to $20 in Illi- nois and Ohio, they were only worth S6 to SS on the Texas ranches. Still, prime fed steers were worth $30 to $50 per head in certain markets. The wide divergence between prices caused an area of cattle speculation in which men won and lost. One man of the period, John T. Alexander, won and lost fortunes in cattle and land speculation, retrieving himself each time. At one period he was worth millions.
 In 1873 cattle trade from Texas had developed and the Kansas City stock yards and various packing houses had been established on per manent basis, but panic, followed by a more than usually severe winter, caused slump and ruined many men and injured the new trade. As the on the plains were not fed, but held on the plains were not fed, but hedl on grass when the panic came no sale developed and the blizzards and sew ere winter put the finish on them. At this time cattle could not be shipped east by freight, nor west, as there was comparatively little development.
 In 1879 the cattle prices started up until in 1884 the average valuation was S23.50 per head. Beef was bringing $5.20 in Chicago at the time. The export trade had just started, railroads developing new country which demanded stock cattle and the great new ranges like the large Aztec and A. 1. outfits of Arizona and still larger ones in Montana, etc., devel- oped to their maximum. Ordinary range cattle sold at this period in Northern Arizona at s35 and up per head, valuation as high as in 1912, and cattle were almost as high as at the present time on the range.
 Also there were in 1884 some 43,- 100000 cattle in the United States and some 55,OOO, ,00O people.
 In 1ss5-6 cattle tumbled again. New York failures affected money condi- tions, but the fence law and the abol. ishing of fenced ranges threw hun dreds of thousands and even millions of all kinds of cattle on the market. Cow men had fenced government ranges and it was no longer permit ted. This was the time of great sheep and cattle feuds. Also cattle were in- creased at that time faster than popu- lation and demand, as there were 50,- 100000 cattle and 62,000,000 people.
 The panic of 1903 kept cattle down.
 Cattle started to advance in 1894, and, although certain portions of the west did not participate in the ben efits, reached in 1900 a valuation of S24.5O per head. Speculative prices were higher than at any time pre- viously in the cattle trade, but range prices not so high. Great and severe drougths menaced and injured parts of the west, including Arizona, and during this period the great former cattle outfits like the Aztec, etc., shipped East and quit the business. It was during the period of the hard winters in Kansas that broke many men. About this time forests reserves were established and were at first cause of much friction and difficulty.
 A certain proof that the loss in cat tie valuation during the hard times was taken up by the forced changing of cattle location is afforded by the fact that there were in 1900 44,000,- 900 cattle and in 1905 61,000,000. Dur ing this period also there was much legislation and packers investigation, the "embalmed beef" scandal hurting export trade, some countries refusing ;ts ;nnortation for A time.