Show wK t T A A vt t CHICAGO AND OMAHA SHEEP TRADE CENTERS shipping ittes make these two cities principal markets for sheep trade show rapid growth by W C coffey A bunch of prime if close to the regions where most or the sheep are producer v ere the only factor in determining the best location for a market the largest markets would be still farther west than they are because nearly 75 per cent of the sheep in the united states are west of the mississippi alver and 67 per cent are in the rocky mountain region and west of the coast shipping facilities tor 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 malleis many of these are handled twice by he markets first as feeders and again as sheep intended for slaughter when sold as feeders they go only a combar short dl stanco from the mar ket and this Is a factor that equalizes the seeming disparity of the markets being too far removed from the regions 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 today to day have enjoyed a very large growth during the last 20 years the total number 0 sheep received at chi cago in 1887 was in 1907 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 teed ing industry by liberal infusions of mutton blood into their flocks and by marketing their sheep at a younger age than formerly western flockmans supplanted a dry flavored mut ton with a wholesome product ahat met with ready demand almost at the same almo feeding became popular and these better bred cheep 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 alt ies at least where the only check to liberal consumption la 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 bul they have also improved in their organization as may be seen in the review of condl alons past and present at the chicago market formerly sheep on this market were not classed and graded but they were sold in mixed bands just as they unloaded from the cars often these mixed shipments were ande up of all agea 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 was not felt to the commis slon man or the buer this system per ha ps 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 interior individuals in it blut to the shipper w ho occasionally vis lied the market little opportunity wai presented bi such a system to determine the preference of buyers this system gave way to one that Is more orderly and definite the day of the buyer taking pot luck oo 00 as a whole la over now they are aart ed into the different classes and grades and thus presented for the of the buyer the result Is an orderly and definite market by which the man who follone bis shipments to bale may be enlightened and from which mar ket quotations may be made that will be of aid to that have cheep to sell with to control of receipts BO that violent fluctuations in price do not occur within very abort apace of time the chicago market baa great ly improved during the lut 30 years until the sheep men of the be came fully aa in mutton production treacherous and violent fluctuations were matters of al mot dally occurrence there we reo ord of decline ot M eota 99 bun d adb echt in prices within an hour the largo western shipper was obliged to forestall such ruinous conditions lails ft as done establishing feeding stations on the railway lines tributary to chicago aiom the west most 0 these are owned and controlled by the railroad although ft few are owned by private parties the large shipper consigns his sheep to some one of these feeding and then awaits the advice of his commission firm as to the number of sheep and the time he shall send them to market A shipment of say 20 sheep Is thus distributed over a period of a week or ten days instead of all being dumped on the market on the same day since from 65 to 75 per cent of the sheep reaching the chicago market are con signed first to the feeding stations it can readily be seen how much they aid in preventing market glutting the record run of sheep on the chi cago market for one day Is little less than CO and a run of 40 Is con very heavy but were it not tor the feeding stations it Is claimed that there would frequently be days when the run would be 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