NINETEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART VII 409 



hogs. It is almost impossible to distinguish the numbers of the tags on 

 hogs, especially during wet weather, when they are covered with dirt. 

 All hogs should be marked by the manager before they are unloaded from 

 the wagon. This saves the unnecessary work of chasing hogs after they 

 are on the scales, and will thereby assist in keeping down heavy shrink. 



Out of each shipment there is deducted a certain amount for the pay- 

 ment of losses due to injury or death while in transit, or after stock has 

 come into the hands of the association. This fund is commonly known 

 as a protection or sinking fund, but in each instance has the same pur- 

 pose. The amount deducted varies with the association. Previous to the 

 present high prices, the usual practice was to deduct 2 cents per hundred 

 pounds home weight on cattle and 3 cents per hundred pounds on the home 

 weight of hogs. In some associations this charge has been raised to 3 

 cents on cattle and 4 cents on hogs and sheep. Some associations make 

 a flat charge of 10 per cent of the gross return on both cattle and hogs, 

 out of which all expenses are paid and the remainder placed in the insur- 

 ance fund. Others charge a flat rate of say 10 or 12 cents per hundred 

 pounds, pay expenses, and the remainder goes in the insurance fund. 



As stated previously, the insurance fund is set aside to pay for the 

 death or injury of stock in transit or while in the hands of the manager. 

 The question of how much shall be paid lies entirely in the hands of the 

 commission firm handling the stock. For instance, a steer may be injured 

 in transit, and the commission firm will only be able to get 6 cents per 

 pound instead of 11 cents, if no injury had occurred. It is a common cus- 

 tom for the commission firm to deduct 50 cents per hundred pounds for 

 that grade and class on the market, which, in the case enumerated, would 

 be 10 V^ cents — this would be net to the owner. The amount coming out 

 of the sinking fund would be the difference between $10.50 per hundred 

 pounds and $6 per hundred pounds, or |4.50. 



The stock yards company keeps a record of the time of arrival of 

 every train and the number of every car on it. When a train pulls up at 

 one of the unloading platforms, the employes of the yard company open 

 the cars and drive the stock into the unloading chutes. The weigh bills 

 are delivered to the receiving office, where they are read off, giving the 

 name of the shipper, the car number, the kind of stock, and the name of 

 the commission firm who receives them. 



The yardman at the chute house or receiving station catches the car 

 numbers as they are called, sees that the stock gets to the commission 

 firm's yards or pens. All crippled and dead stock is identified by the 

 mark placed on it by the manager at home. The alley man counts off 

 the number and kind of head as they are yarded into the commission 

 firm's pens, and gives a receipt for the car. A check is made on the un- 

 loading count, to be sure that it corresponds to the invoice received from 

 the manager of the shipping company. 



When the cattle or hogs have been watered and fed they are then 

 ready to be shown. With a great many grades of cattle and hogs in a 

 shipment, with a great many owners, the salesman is required to make a 

 great many fine distinctions in grades, and consequently in price. If a 

 considerable number of cattle belongs to the same owner, it is often pos- 



