STOCK RAISING AND SOIL FERTILITY 



219 



ally required to sign a release. Theo- 

 retically, this releases the railway or ex- 

 press company from all liability to 

 damage should the shipped stock be 

 injured en route. If, however, it can be 

 shown that the damage occurred through 

 the negligence of the railway or express 

 company, damages can be obtained not- 

 withstanding the "release." 



Transportation rates— Railroad and 

 transportation rates on stock vary 

 greatly in different sections of the coun- 

 try, and also with the distance that the 

 stock is shipped, whether by freight or 

 express, size of the car, etc. In recent 

 years the tendency has been to charge 



a certain rate a hundred pounds — a 

 change which has decreased the ten- 

 dency among shippers to overload their 

 cars. The foregoing table shows the 

 rates on carload lots of cattle from 

 leading points in the West to three of 

 the more prominent stock markets, as 

 given in the report of the Commissioner 

 of Corporations on the beef trust in- 

 dustry. 



The rates on carload lots also differ 

 markedly in different states. The fol- 

 lowing table, prepared by Plumb, shows 

 the freight rates in Wisconsin, Illinois 

 and Iowa, in shipping cattle, sheep and 

 swine from 100 to 300 miles: 



FREIGHT RATES IN DIFFERENT STATES 



Length 



Class of Freight of Haul Wisconsin Illinois Iowa 



Cattle, per 100 pounds 100 $15.00 $ 9.50 $11.32 



Do 200 20.00 12.10 15.53 



Do 300 25.00 14.70 20.26 



Sheep, per 100 pounds 100 18.50 13.00 10.96 



Do 200 25.00 18.30 22.00 



Do 300 31.20 20.00 25.90 



Swine, per 100 pounds 100 18.50 13.00 10.96 



Do 200 25.00 16.50 15.80 



Do 300 21.20 18.00 19.00 



Relatively short hauls, it will be confined for the most part to the fore- 

 noted, cost proportionately much more noon. As soon as the animals reach the 

 than longer hauls. The cost of shipping stock yards they are quickly unloaded 

 sheep from Oregon to Chicago in 30 to and driven to the selling pens, where 

 36-foot cars varies from $234 to $260 a they are fed and watered, 

 car. When stock is shipped to market, Selling stock—Shippers to these mar- 

 both humanity and economy demand kets are prac tically compelled to intrust 

 that the animals be sent forward as their stock to a eommission agent for 

 quickly as possible They are, therefore, gale< The regular commission dealers 

 ordinarily shipped in special stock in these yardg are memberg of an or an _ 

 trams which run at a much more rapid ization of Hve stock exchailge> the pur . 

 rate than the ordinary freight trains. pose of whicn is to fix a minimum and 



Stock yards_In all of the leading uniform charge for selling and buying 



cities, large central stock yards have stock and to enforce fair and honest 



been established to which all the live methods on the part of its members, 



stock brought into the city are taken The actual gale of gtock occurg at the 



for sale. In this way all the sellers and which are vigited b fc frQm 



buyers are brought together. All the 71 * ,-, , i . ■, 



", i ° . i ,-, all of the great packing companies, Jo- 

 stock yards are organized on the s,ime , , . .-, . , i i • uv 

 general plan. A company usually cated m the stock yards, and m addition 

 known as the Union Stock Yards com- b ^ W ers for sma11 local concerns, for 

 pany owns and controls them. eastern concerns or special order buyers 

 The yards are divided up into numer- and ex P ort buyers. The export buyers 

 ous sections. There are main drives and purchase cattle and other stock for ship- 

 alleyways, with intervening spaces filled ment alive to Europe. The buyers for 

 with stock houses and pens. It is the the European market are more numer- 

 aim of shippers and the railroad also to ous at the Chicago market than else- 

 so time the loading and movement of where. If the owner of the stock accom- 

 trains that the stock shall arrive in the panies his animals to market, he must 

 yards early in the morning, in time for conform to the rules made by the ex- 

 the day's market, which is ordinarily change or stock yard company and pay 



