USA > Kansas > Wyandotte County > Kansas City > Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas. Historical and biographical. Comprising a condensed history of the state, a careful history of Wyandotte County, and a comprehensive history of the growth of the cities, towns and villages > Part 45
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454
HISTORY OF KANSAS.
would occasionally make a sale at the Kansas City Stock Yards, but it was not until the spring of 1872 that the first Kansas City commis- sion firm was established. From this commencement has grown the great commission business of this market, now done by over sixty firms, any one of which sell in a single month more stock than was sold by all in 1872.
The year 1871 may, therefore, be said to be the starting point from which Kansas City has grown to be a great live-stock market, in fact the greatest, with but one exception, in the world. Fifteen years ago the Kansas City packing-houses had a limited local reputation. To- day their product is widely and favorably known in every corner pene- trated by civilization, and those who are best qualified to judge and have witnessed the transfer of Cincinnati's great killing and packing interests to Chicago, confidently predict the revolution in commerce which will in a short time place the market of Kansas City at the head of this branch of industry.
The past success and propitious future of the yards is directly due to the liberal and intelligent management by the officers of the com- pany and to the commission merchants, who, as a rule, are men of wealth, liberal ideas, and a practical, comprehensive knowledge as to what is needed to insure the successful conduct of a mammoth market. Hence the stock- yards are constructed upon a grand scale, commodious and well appointed, with ample facilities for feeding, weighing and shipping cattle, hogs, sheep horses and mules. The yards are planked throughout, excellently watered, and the system of drainage is better than can be found in any similar institution in the country. All of the sixteen roads running into Kansas City switch directly into the yards. The handling of stock is done systematically, with the utmost promptness, and there is no delay nor clashing. The geographical location is central and most favorable, with reference to both pro- ducers and consumers. It is within easy reach of the vast grazing grounds of the West and Southwest, and in close proximity to the great consuming districts of the East and South, to which is added the thorough railway facilities, opening up the markets of the country to the coast, both south and east, and also affording direct connections with the great commercial centers of Europe.
In 1872 the first large slaughtering and packing house was built in Kansas City, and since then other branch establishments of the largest and strongest houses in the world have been located here, until there are now eight houses in operation, with a combined capacity of
455
2
1
WYANDOTTE COUNTY.
4,000 cattle, 30,000 hogs and 3,000 sheep per day. This demand in itself would insure competition, but it is forced also to compete with a corps of buyers and shippers to Eastern markets, that stand ready at any time to take, at high prices, the entire receipts of the yards. This active competition among buyers, with a constant attendance of purchasing agents from the great packing houses of Chicago, Omaha, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, New York, Boston and Baltimore, cause prices to rule high at this market, and invite immense herds from the plains of the West, a territory larger than the whole of Europe, while the outlet is limited only by the capacity of the markets of the world.
The total yearly shipments by railroad from 1871 up to and including 1889, aggregated: Cattle, 5,607,732; hogs, 4,569,529; sheep, 1,132,219; horses and mules, 207,691; cars, 346,167. There were driven out of the yards for packers' and city use in that time: Cattle, 2,050,757; hogs, 14,320,842; sheep, 1,008,452; horses and mules, 77,383. The valnation of stock handled at these yards in nineteen years amounted to $453,524,601. The receipts to May 31, 1890, from January 1, were: Cattle, 545,085; calves, 6,206; hogs, 922,253; sheep, 253,541; horses and mules, 16,347; total, 1,743, 432, or a total increase of 20.2 per cent. Average receipts per day, 11,546 head.
The largest receipts in one day of cattle were 11,233; hogs, 21,765; sheep, 6,033; horses and mules, 730; cars, 616. The largest re- ceipts in one week: Cattle, 65,634; hogs, 103,544; sheep, 23,007; horses and mules, 1,383; cars, 3,670. The largest receipts in one month: Cattle, 171,015; hogs, 306,456; sheep, 46,421; horses and mules, 4,002; cars, 9,718. The largest receipts for any one year: Cattle, 1889, 1,220,343; hogs, 1887, 2,423,262; sheep, 1889, 370,- 772; horses and mules, 1889, 34,563; cars, 1889, 83,972.
Although Kansas City became a packing point before it had a stock market, it was not until the creation, in 1871, of a cattle and hog mar- ket, that the packing interest began to grow rapidly. In 1872 the city had attained great importance as a packing point, and in 1874 was the principal source of supply for packed beef, and since that time has retained nearly a monopoly of the trade. The shipment of dressed beef has been very large. The other beef product has been distributed about the country in the form of canned meats, barreled beef, and less than carload lots of dressed beef. Previous to 1872 there was no sum- mer packing worthy of mention, but since that time business has been continued throughout the year by all large packing-houses of the
T
456
HISTORY OF KANSAS.
country. Among packers the year is divided into two seasons- summer and winter-the former extending from March 1 to No- vember 1, the latter from November 1 to March 1. The year 1889 completed the twenty-second year of the packing business in Kansas City. From 13,000 hogs and 4,200 cattle handled in 1868, the busi- ness has advanced, step by step, until nearly 2,000,000 hogs and nearly 500,000 cattle are annually converted into meat products and distrib- uted to the consumers of the world. Thus it is shown that a few years bring many changes, even to those most actively engaged in bus- iness. The advancement made in this particular industry since its in - ception has been of such magnitude that in 1887 it was considered a poor day's work when 13,000 hogs and 4,200 cattle were not killed in the great white packing establishments which skirt the Kaw and Missouri Rivers, and figures given elsewhere will indicate the change since then. The increase since 1886 is most remarkable, and is char- acteristic only of the wonderful development of all interests here on both sides of the State line; yet packers and meat men here, at Chica- go, Boston, Cincinnati, and other great commercial centers, agree that as yet the packing industry is only in its infancy. As showing the progress of the packing business since its inception in this city, the following table is given:
Years.
Cattle.
Hogs.
Years.
Cattle.
Hogs.
1868
4,200
13,000
1880
30,922
53,997
1869
4,420
23,000
1881
46,350
857,823
1870.
21,000
36,000
1882
65,116
749,083
1871.
45,543
83,000
1883.
74,314
1,056,116
1872
20,500
180,000
1884.
66,250
1,114,451
1873.
26,549
175,000
1885
78,963
1,529,415
1874.
42,226
70,300
1886
101.489
1,701,903
1875.
26,372
74,474
1887
160,551
1,889,054
1876.
26,765
114,860
1888
361.252
1,605,000
1878
18,756
349,097
1879.
29,141
366,830
Total in 22 years, 1,799,820
13,715,702
1877
27,863
180,357
1889.
490,368
1,715,000
The causes which have led to such a wonderful increase in this im- portant industry are similar to those which have distinguished Kansas City (as the term is generally applied-to both Kansas Cities) as among the most remarkable cities of the continent. The constantly increasing territory tributary to the home markets, and the vast net of railway lines reaching out in every direction and affording direct communication with all of the leading towns and cities within a radius of 1,000 miles,
457
WYANDOTTE COUNTY.
are among the factors which have been the means of placing Kansas City before the world as the coming meat center of the continent. The above figures demonstrate most forcibly how rapid has been the growth of the beef and pork-packing interest of Kansas City. No oth- er city in the world can show an equal exhibit in this respect. Chica- go, St. Louis, Indianapolis and other leading packing centers have as steadily declined in the aggregate of their output as Kansas City has steadily increased in hers. The future outlook for this source of ma- terial prosperity is exceedingly bright, and that Kansas City will soon take the first place among the beef and pork-packing centers there seems no reasonable doubt.
In the dressed-meat industry there has been a general and for the most part steady advance in the different branches, except in mutton. With a heavy demand the year round for beef products, the dressed meat men have all the business they can attend to. The improved slaughtering processes, as well as the refrigerator car system, has had the effect of doing away with the old method of butchering, and it is really surprising to note the demand upon the market from the smaller cities and large towns in the East, West, North and South. Kansas City dressed meat has been found in large distributing depots at Mem- phis, New Orleans, Mobile, Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Tampa, by a visitor to Florida, who was informed that nearly all of the cities of the South were similarly provided.
Not only can it be said of Kansas City that her position as the sec- ond packing center of the world was grandly maintained in 1889, but it can also be stated with the same degree of truth that wonderful progress has been made in the dressed-meat industry that necessarily entitles her to distinction as the leading city of the Southwest as a market for fresh meats.
In packing operations, 1889 was the banner year, despite the many disturbing influences. The demand upon the home market for meats was greater than ever before, and the facilities for distribution were improved, hence the shipments of the various meat products from Kan- sas City were from 65,000,000 to 75,000,000 pounds in excess of the shipments for 1888, being about 535,000,000 pounds in 1889 as against 463,000,000 pounds in 1888. The number of cattle slaughtered in Kan- sas City in 1889 was 490,000 as against 361,000 for the year 1888, an in- crease of 129,000 or a fraction over thirty-two per cent. The slaughter of sheep also grew wonderfully, the total for 1889 being 201,000, or 20,- 000 in excess of the slaughtering for 1888. In pork packing the ag-
29
458
HISTORY OF KANSAS.
gregate number of hogs killed for the year was 1, 715,000 as against 1,605,000 in 1888, an increase of 10,000 or seven per cent.
There was a decided activity in packing operations in 1889, as in- dicated by the returns for each month, the business not being confined to any particular season. There was a shade of dullness in pork pack- ing in August and September, which was quite natural, the farmers pre- ferring to hold their hogs until cooler weather, but during these months the activity in the dressed-beef line was the most remarkable ever ex- perienced in Kansas City. In October the number of cattle slaughtered was larger than the number slaughtered in the year 1884, and almost equal to half the slaughtering of 1887. The receipts of hogs the early part of the year showed a slight improvement over the receipts for 1888, both in volume and weight, while the warm weather in Novem- ber and December has to some extent caused farmers to hold their stock for feeding. The following is the tabulated statement of the slaughtering of hogs, cattle and sheep for 1889 by months:
Month.
Cattle.
Sheep.
Hoys.
January
38,532
24,700
150,706
February
31,809
19,300
142,262
March
26,809
18,700
139,025
April
31,210
17,700
121,048
May
32,846
13,100
173,783
June
28,970
8,500
199,050
July
41,525
9,900
125,912
August.
45,121
14,100
72,918
September
56,535
11,200
82,095
October
70,305
21,500
121,981
November
47,021
20,700
173.528
December
39,700
20,800
213,000
Total, 1889.
490,383
200,200
1,715,308
The depression in prices of cattle, the natural result of over-pro- duction, was the means of creating a bitter war against the dressed- beef industry early in the last season. This war was instigated by the butchers' associations, who attempted to show that the depression. of the cattle trade was due to the dressed-beef men controlling the cattle markets, rather than to the real cause. While the beef industry was hampered to a certain extent by the passage of worthless cattle-inspec- tion laws, designed to prohibit the distribution of dressed beef, yet the effect is in no manner perceptible.
An inspection of the figures representing the volume of business in the beef products shows that there has never been anything like it. Under the present method of shipping fresh beef, pork and mutton in
459
WYANDOTTE COUNTY.
refrigerator cars, consumers in the Eastern and New England States, in the Middle and Southern States, and in the Western States, are only too glad of the opportunity of buying choice Kansas City meats from retail dealers in their own towns and cities. The cause of all this is quite apparent. Kansas City is within close proximity to the greatest cattle ranges and feeding grounds in the world; hence her packers are enabled to secure the finest quality of beef cattle raised in the United States. Then, too, it is far cheaper and better to ship the beef prod- ucts than to ship live cattle.
The total shipment of fresh beef was 215,387,000 pounds as against 141,414,000 pounds for 1888, an increase of 73,973,000 pounds. The shipment of mess beef was 10,190 barrels, or 2,038,000 pounds, as against 2,165 barrels, or 433,000 in 1888. In canned beef the ship- ments were about 3, 700,000 pounds less than in 1888, the attention of packers being diverted to fresh meats. The shipment of tallow also showed a handsome gain, being 12,992,000 for 1889, as against 7,401,- 000 pounds for 1888. In oleomargerine, which is becoming an im- .portant article in trade, by reason of its superior quality, the output for 1889 was about 10,000,000 pounds, an increase of about 4,000,000 pounds over last year's output.
The growth of the mutton trade is a matter of great satisfaction. For several years it has been almost impossible to supply the demand for choice mutton, but, by an extra exertion on the part of local pack- ers, together with the adoption of cheaper methods of shipping, the receipts of sheep on the market have been materially increased, and the difficulty of supplying the trade has been practically reme- died.
The trade in the various articles classed as pork products was decidedly healthy during 1889, although Kansas City has the facilities for doing a much more extensive business. The trade is governed by the supply of hogs, and while the supply was not so liberal as packers would have liked, yet they had little cause for complaint. Prices of hogs were moderately high and the same can be said of the prices of pork products.
The shipment of fresh pork has become a great item, and this is in a measure responsible for a decrease in the shipments of bacon and salt pork, the output being about 243,000,000 pounds for 1889, as against 259,000,000 pounds for 1888. In barreled pork there was a very large increase, the shipments for 1889 being 9,600,000 pounds, as against 3,144,000 pounds in 1888. The amount of lard shipped in
460
HISTORY OF KANSAS.
1889 was practically the same as the shipments for the previous year, being 42,000,000 pounds.
The following shows the receipts and shipments of the pork prod- ucts for 1889:
Pork, bris,
Bacon, Ibs.
Lard lbs.
Months.
Rec's.
Ship.
Receipts.
Shipments.
Receipts.
Ship.
January.
100
900
4,225,000
22,531,200
525,000
4,560,500
February.
1,000
3,180,000
23,441,500
150,000
4,389,000
March.
3,775
3,087,000
17,312,750
375.000
3,807,000
April.
270
14.600
2,995,500
10,657.150
250,000
2,189,600
May
500
6,625
1,925,000
19,366,600
475,000
3,741,300
June
250
3,075
825,000
21,109,500
250,000
4,430,500
July.
250
2,175
2,275,000
20,563,600
226,000
4,752,500
August.
1,625
3,190,000
25.739,500
50,000
2,943,500
September
3,300
2,175,000
23,049,800
25,000
1,999,400
October.
4 150
2,450,000
20,368,800
250,000
1,949,500
November.
5,000
2,450,000
18,112,540
275,000
2,634,700
December
1,800
2,000,000
20,800,000
50,000
4,800,000
Total, 1889
1,370
48,025
30,777,500
243,052,940
2,901,000
42,190,500
The volume of business done by the great packing-houses of this city was never heavier than during the first half of 1890. The figures representing the number of pounds of meats of various kinds shipped, which have been compiled from the daily reports of the railway com- panies, will appear somewhat startling to the average person unac- quainted with the magnitude of the packing and dressed-meat busi- ness in this city.
The figures show that from January 1 to July 1, the shipments of meats of all kinds were approximately 265, 190,000 pounds, as against 260,385,000 pounds for the first half of 1889, an increase of about 5,000,000 pounds. Not only has there been a decided gain in the volume of the shipments, but it is shown that the receipts of meats by rail from other points have been 6,785,000 pounds less than the receipts for the first half of last year.
All of this shows a decidedly healthy tone of the meat market, and establishes the fact that Kansas City, Kas., is doing her share toward supplying the world with choicest meats.
The following shows the aggregate receipts and shipments of the various articles of meat products for the six months ending June 30, 1890:
C
WYANDOTTE COUNTY.
461
Shipments.
Receipts.
Fresh beef.
110,345,000
40,000
Mess beef.
325,000
Canned beef.
862,000
Bacon.
129,620,000
13,600,000
Lard.
18,285,000
1,975,000
Barreled pork.
420,000
Tallow
5,330,000
475,000
Total six months, 1890
265,190,000
15,080,000
Total six months, 1889
260,385,000
21,865,000
Another startling thing in connection with this enormous meat trade is the number of animals required. The reports show that 657,- 925 cattle were received at the stock-yards the first half of the year, and of these 233,878, or about forty per cent, were slaughtered here. Notwithstanding the receipts of hogs were 1,161,236, about ninety-six per cent of them, or 1,076,446, were killed in the local packing, houses. The following shows the total packing for six months:
Cattle.
Hoys.
January
41,024
191,689
February ..
32,357
181,622
March.
37,277
114,969
April.
40,688
160,067
May
43,738
223,525
June.
38,794
204,571
Total six months, 1890.
233,878
1,076,443
Total six months, 1889.
190,176
925,874
Increase for 1890.
483,702
150,569
The following shows the receipts of live stock at the stock-yards during the half of the year:
1890,
1889.
Increase.
Hogs ..
1,161,236
1,154,134
7,102
Cattle
657,925
427,789
230,136
Sheep.
302,289
185,500
116,787
Horses and mules.
19,106
16,208
2,898
No. cars received.
47,801
37,242
10,559
In this an enormous increase is shown in everything, which indi- cates that the present year business will be heavier than in any previ- ous year since the stock-yards were started.
462
HISTORY OF KANSAS.
Eighty-four thousand four hundred and thirty-four cars, a suffi- cient number for 4,221 trains of twenty cars each, making a string when linked together that would cover the main lines of the Wabash and Vandalia all the way from Kansas City to Richmond, on the eastern border of the State of Indiana, 578 miles distant-this is the size of the train that brought to Kansas City, the second live-stock market of the world, during the year 1889, 2,082,539 hogs, 1,229,461 cattle, 369,645 sheep and 34,115 horses and mules. It was the banner year of the live-stock business in Kansas City. The receipts of cattle were 173,375 more than the receipts of the previous year, an increase of sixteen and one-half per cent. The increased receipts of hogs over 1888 was 74,000, or three and one-half per cent. In sheep the in- crease was about five per cent, the receipts being 18,000 larger than in 1888. Of horses and mules there were received in 1888 a total of 34,115, which was 6, 465 more than were received the previous year, the increase being nineteen per cent.
The receipts of live stock at Kansas City since 1871, afford a very striking illustration, of the fact that this gigantic industry has kept an even pace with western civilization, in point of progress. It was argued years ago that the opening of the broad plains west of the Missouri River to settlement would be disastrous to the cattle inter- ests, but the result has been exactly the reverse. The farmers who took quarter sections of land as homesteads, went to raising cattle, and the volume of cattle on the Kansas City market has been increas- ing from year to year; and not only this, but the quality of beef cattle has also been improving. The swine industry has also grown wonderfully, all the conditions being quite favorable to breeding and fattening. The increase in the supply of hogs on the local market has been such that the entire receipts for the year 1877 did not amount to as much as the total receipts for the month of December, 1889. The sheep in- dustry is becoming a thing of great importance, and Southwestern farmers are not to be outdone in that line. Only a few years ago there were large shipments of horses to the West, but now Western people are sending them the other way, thus demonstrating the fact that the conditions for raising good horses and mules are as favorable in their country as east of the Mississippi River.
The following shows the annual receipts of all kinds of live stock from 1871, up to and including the past year:
463
WYANDOTTE COUNTY.
Year.
Cattle.
Hogs.
Sheep.
Horses and Mules.
Cars.
1871.
120,827
41,036
4,527
809
6,623
1872
236.802
104,639
6,071
2,648
13,110
1873
227,689
221,815
5,975
4,202
14,603
1874
207,080
212,532
8,855
3,679
13,370
1875
174,754
63,350
25,327
2,646
9,093
1876
183,378
153,777
55,045
5,339
11,692
1877
215,768
192,645
42,190
4,279
13,958
1878
175,344
427,777
36,700
10,796
16.583
1879
211,415
588,908
61,684
15,829
20,702
1880
244,709
676,477
50,611
14,086
22,704
1881.
285,863
1,014,304
79,924
12,592
29.089
1882
439,671
963,036
80,724
11,716
34,668
1883
460,780
1,379,401
119,665
19,860
45,470
1884
533,526
1,723,586
237,964
27,163
55,227
1885
506,627
2,358,718
221,801
24,506
63,213
1886
490,971
2,264.484
172,659
33,188
58,924
1887
669.224
2,423,262
209,956
29,690
67,752
1888
1,056,086
2,008,984
351,050
27,650
74,666
1889
1,229,461
2,082,539
369,645
34,115
84,435
Total
7,669.975
18,901,270
2,140,373
284,793
655,882
At no period in the history of this country has the marketing of cattle been so heavy as in the year 1889. The receipts for the year were 1,229,461 head, as against 1,052,971 for 1888, and 669,224 for 1887. At Chicago the receipts have shown an increase in the same proportion, while at Omaha, St. Louis and other cattle markets the receipts were largely in excess of the receipts of previous years. A casual review of the situation shows beyond doubt that there has been an immense overproduction for the past three or four years. The ranges in the Indian Territory, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Wy- oming and Utah have been practically overrun with cattle, while the farmers and feeders in Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa, and States east of the Mississippi River have had an immense supply. This has naturally created stormy competition between the "barn yard " cattle and the range cattle. As a result of this competition there has been a great depreciation in values.
One of the most important features of the cattle market in Kansas City is the increased facilities for home consumption, the figures showing that nearly forty per cent of the cattle received were driven to the packing-honses in this city. In 1888 less than thirty-five per cent of the receipts were consumed here, while in 1887 the consump- tion was only twenty-seven per cent. This has added greatly to the gen- eral tone of the local market, and the competition between buyers for the East and home packers has done much toward enabling the
464
HISTORY OF KANSAS.
cattle growers to secure better prices than they would under ordinary circumstances.
As anticipated by local dealers and packers a year ago, a more . liberal supply of hogs has been noted the past twelve months. This is the natural result of better corn crops in Missouri, Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska, and more favorable conditions for breeding; and it is also taken as au indication that an even better supply will be had in 1890. The partial failure of two corn crops in Kansas in 1887 and 1888 was a severe blow to the swine industry in that State, many new farmers who were just beginning to get a good start being compelled to dispose of their brood stock for lack of food. The conditions, however, have improved wonderfully the past year, and it is gratify- ing to note that the swine industry is not only recovering from the serions backset, but Kansas is rapidly coming to the front as one of the leading hog-producing States. The opening for settlement of the Oklahoma lands is looked upon as a very important move for the swine industry; but anything like heavy receipts from that section can not be expected until the new settlers get down to actual farming. Missouri can always be relied upon for a heavy output of hogs, and the returns show that Kansas City is getting a very fair percentage of the crop. One of the greatest movements is the increase of railway facilities, enabling large sections, that have heretofore been sending their products into other markets, to reach Kansas City. Particularly is this noticeable in the extension of the Kansas City, Wyandotte & Northwestern system, by which a very large portion of Southern and Western Nebraska is given access to the Kansas City market. The Missouri, Kansas & Texas system, by entering Kansas City, has done much to increase the live-stock trade.
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