REPORT OF THE BUEEACJ OP AKEMAL EJDUSTEY. 333 



dreds of thousands of live-stock that will not bear transportation to 

 the eastern seaboard by an all-rail route, or can not find a foreign 

 outlet at prices that will justify the- present transportation charges 

 by l&nd and by sea. 



The Denver, Texas and Gulf Railroad, which was completed last 

 spring, gives to the range interests of a large portion of the "West a 

 rail route to the southern coast that is one thousand miles nearer 

 than the old eastern routes, and a deep-sea channel and port on the 

 Texas coast will enable the eastern seaboard to receive western sup- 

 plies now virtually cut off for want of transportation facilities, and 

 at the same time the port will furnish a much-desired outlet for range- 

 stock and many other products of the plains. 



RAIL AND TRAIL. 



The highest number of cattle ever driven from Texas to the north- 

 ern cattle ranges in one year was 416,000 head. This was in the year 

 1884. Since then the drive has decreased until the present year's 

 movement will not exceed 150,000 head in all. Of these, only 26,000 

 were on the road trail early in June, and the probabilities of the 

 entire Texas and New Mexican drive will not exceed 50,000; all 

 others going by the rail route. This change is due largely to the 

 railroad connection between the Texas coast and Denver, Colo. The 

 small movement is due to depression in the industry, the decrease in 

 amount of range territory available for cattle ranching, and partly 

 to the difficulty of moving southern cattle to northern Territories 

 by reason of sanitary enactments. In future the movement of 

 cattle from the breeding grounds of the South to the fattening ranges 

 of the North, owing to the settlement of the country, will take place 

 almost entirely by rail. This change will be a beneficial one, for 

 the reason that it will insure the delivery of cattle from the South, 

 even in extreme northern ranges, sufficiently early in the season to 

 get fat before winter storms commence, thus reducing the percentage 

 of loss and adding greatly to the growth of the cattle. The railroads 

 interested in this movement have made very reasonable freight rates, 

 and have shown commendable zeal in extending every possible facil- 

 ity for its success. 



IMPROVED STOCK CARS. 



Improved cars, in which cattle can be fed, watered, and separated 

 into compartments, have attracted general attention during the past 

 year by reason of the success which has attended their use. Only a 

 few of these cars are in operation, however, compared with the total 

 number required, but commendable energy is being displayed by rail- 

 roads and private car companies to bring into use as many of these 

 cars as will be necessary for all the long runs to market. The prin- 

 cipal cause operating against the rapid introduction of improved 

 cars is that they supersede and render nearly worthless the old-style 

 stock cars, which are used in large numbers by all railroad companies, 

 and are capable of use for return freight. The western and south- 

 western roads charge extra for the use of the stable stock car. The 

 railroads between Kansas City, St. Louis, and Missouri River points 

 make no additional charge. The first road officially notifying stock 

 associations that they would transport cattle in the stable cars with- 

 out extra charge was the Chicago, Alton and St. Louis Railroad. So 

 far as my observation extends the Burton stable car is the most elab- 



