The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-11-17
CATTLE UPON A
THOUSAND HILLS
REACH MARKETS
Nv WILLIAM r. sANBoRN.

IMAGINE yourself climbing lofty
hilltop on a summer morning 70 revel
In the beauty Of the sunrise, as the
stars fade out and the sky becomes
aelow with the tints OF purple ana
gold. shot with streamers OF rose and
crimson, thus painting the fleecy
clouds afloat, high over an emerald
plain.
And imagine, too, that upon that
broad. grassy plain, within scope OF
your field glasses. ranged more man
10 600 600 cattle, nearly 100000
hogs. and almost 100000 OF sheep.
This combination view OF earth and
sky, and vast herds in motion. coulo
surely never be forgotten.
Forgetting the sunrise and plain
forr the moment, let us consider that
vast exhibit of live stock. because IL
Is a real exhibit. The picture OF the
plain Is not overdrawn: on the con-
trary, your field glasses have not Gov
cred all points OF the compass. Beyond
tho mountains are still more plains
and still more cattle and sheep upon
q thousand hills.
The cattle, hays and sheep above en-
umerated have actually reached tne
: western live stock markets w1tn!n
the present year; a total or nearly
a 900. 900 head. Last week, for In
stance. these markets received l'1ol''
900 head, and we are not counting the
recednts At any point east Of Chicago,
mr. west of Omaha and Kansas City.
A Vast Enterprise.
Considering for moment the MIL
lon farms not visible from your hill
top. farms in every state in the Union,
and the immensely OF the live stock IN
terssts becomes profoundly impress
sive. How vast the machinery or mar
keting and financing, and how won
derfully efficient! This efficiency was
most marked when America was call
ed upon to feed nearly all OF civ1liza-
1ion during the stress OF war. The
American farmer and the American
hacker each made good, and Will con-
1inue to do so.
In the meanwhile men IN congress
and elsewhere who are figuring on
nhying a monkeywrench into the gear
4n1. will do we'll to think It over; for
of tho making of laws in restraint OF
trade there Is no end; nor are all
these laws good laws, or for the best
interests Of the nation as whole
:Judicious legislation and restraint IS
vital to our welfare, but the man IN
tent upon tearing down, and who can
not show us how to rebuild upon
hetter foundation, should brood in the
silence.
Markets and Prices.
Az above indicated the packers and
shippers were a busy lot, last week,
hut at that the receipts Of livestock
were but $4,000 bead In excess OF
the previous week.
The TOP on hogs at Chicago Satur-
day, s1455 for light butchers, com
pared with S15.4o on Saturday, NOV
S. showed a loss Of 80 cents for the
week. The bulk Of sales also showed
a loss, being S14.O5 to Sl45o last
week, against a range or $l4.eo 10
$3.50 on the previous Saturday. The
receipts Of $2O6,S00 head were 42,OU
in excess Of those Of the preceding
week, and there was slight increase
at other primary markets.
Taken as a whole the hog marKe'
showed a general decline for the week;
for example, Monday was the high day
everywhere, and at Chicago the bulk Of
sales ranged at from $14.95 to s15.4O
with a top Of $3.50. On Tuesday the
bulk of sales went at S14.65 to s15.15
and by Thursday had dropped to 1890
TO s141O. The decline was checked
on Friday. and the Saturday range
showed a top of S14.6O.
The indianapolis market, "h1cf
showed considerable strength on Fri
day, sagged on Saturday on account O
a sharp falling off in the shipping de
mand. Opening sales were on basi:
of sl4.5O for good mixed, but goot
stock sold down to s14.35 at the close
with packing sows at S1S.
Final quotations showed net los:
OF about 6o cents, compared with ;
week ago. Cattle ruled steady and a
there was a scarcity Of fancy calve