6 



established rail service between Kansas City and Chicago. Conse- 

 quently, when it was planned to extend the Kansas P'acific still far- 

 ther westward, the southwestern cattlemen, with access to both the 

 Chicago and the St. Louis markets in sight, saw a bright future for 

 their industry. 



In Texas and the western states, the effect of improved condi- 

 tions and better marketing facilities was marked. The wide dif- 

 ference in the market price of cattle in the North and in the South 

 opened a profitable outlet for the southwestern herds, and a strong 

 movement of Texas cattle to northern markets soon developed. By 

 1870 three principal routes to eastern markets had become estab- 

 lished. "One way led by coastwise steamer to New Orleans, whence 

 the animals were taken northward on river boats. At Cairo, Illi- 

 nois, the railroad journey was begun northward to Chicago, thence 

 to the East. A second route from Texas was over a trail to shipping 

 points on the Red river, whence the cattle were forwarded on steam- 

 boats to Cairo, thence to be shipped by rail northward. A third 

 route followed the trails from Texas to feeding* grounds along the 

 railroads in Kansas and in regions farther north. From stations 

 along these railroads the animals were forwarded to eastern mar- 

 kets/' 1 



The northern demand for these southwestern cattle, due to im- 

 proved methods of slaughtering animals, the use of refrigeration in 

 shipping dressed beef, and the utilization of packing-house by-pro- 

 ducts, increased enormously about 1870. Accordingly, the opening 

 of a railroad shipping station at Abilene, Kansas, in 1867, marked 

 the beginning of heavy shipments of southwestern cattle to St. 

 Louis, Chicago, and the East. About 35,000 head were shipped 

 from Abilene in 1867, 75,000 in 1868, 150,000 in 1869, 300,000 in 

 1870, and 600,000 in i87i. 2 Some of the cattle enumerated above 

 were grazed and wintered on the ranges of western Kansas ready 

 to take advantage of a favorable market. The severe winter of 1871 

 put a check on this movement. "This was the flood year of cattle 

 drives from Texas, and it is estimated that 600,000 cattle arrived in 

 western Kansas that season. Many of them were young stock cat- 

 tle, and a large number of the steers intended for market were in 

 thin flesh and could not be made fat that summer and fall because of 

 excessive rains and the washy condition of the grass. The supply 

 brought forward was greatly in excess of the demand, and in conse- 

 quence, prices dropped. Many herds were held on the prairies un- 

 til late autumn, waiting for buyers. It is thought that 300,000 of 

 that season's drive had to be wintered in Kansas. As this had not 



iU. S. Dept. of Agr., Yearbook 1908, p. 231. 



sCattle Trade of the West. J. G. McCoy. Pp. 106, 179, 225, 226. 



