THE NEBRASKA WDEPtNDErtt
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Nebraska Stock Growers
Lou Millions in Slump
of Prices A Sample of
Roosevelt Prosperity.
OCTOBER 15, 1903.
In 1900 a large number of men en
gaged in raising cattle and bogs, and
who had been votirs the populist and
democratic ticket, decided that as they
!were getting good prices for their
products they would "let well enough
alone" and vote for McKinley. Enough
"of them did this to carry the state
'for the "advance agent of prosper
ity." " -' "
' Today they are getting a different
brand- of prosperity the Roosevelt
mixture; none genuine without name
blown in the bottle; The prices - of
cattle and hogs have slumped off to
such an alarming extent that conser
vative estimates place the loss on
hogs alone to be between two and
four million dollars in the past week
and compared to prices a year ago it
foots up $8,700,000, or nearly $6 a
head for 300-pound hogs.
: The cattle situation is even worse.
Very few herds of cattle of any -considerable
size are owned clear, but
most of them are covered by a chattel
mortgage to secure "cattle paper" giv
er, at or near tne tim3 of purchase. The
purchaser in . effect bets the banker
that he (the purchaser) can, by hold
ing the cattle, realize something above
their cost, keep and the usury he pays.
The banker is willing to bet, but re
quires plenty of security so that he
can't lose. -
Millions of dollars of this "cattle
paper" is coming due. To sell the cat
tle now would mean that they would
not fetch enough to pay the principal,
to say nothing of me usury. Sq ruin
stares thousands of cattle growers and
feeders in the face. The banks are
not looking for "cattle paper" now,
but, on the contrary, are anxious to
realize on some they are now holding,
and more than one of the "Jet" well
enough alone" supporters of McKin
ley in 1900 is up against the real thing,
lie must fish or cut bait, and the way
His business is fixed he can't well do
either.
There are intimations that a lot of
"cattle paper" will not be collected ex
cept at the end of long and tedious
litigation. The cattle men purpose to
fight for delay, hoping a turn in the
tide will let them safely into port.
It was the rankest kind of dishonesty
for populist farmers to contest farm
mortgage - foreclosures against them
clear through to the supreme court
and back again, simply for delay; but
republican cattle men now consider
this eminently proper for them to do
to save their own skins. t
It remains to be seen whether these
men, whose politics changed with the
price of cattle and hogs, will still vote
the republican ticket. They are be
ginning to realize that a large part of
their present trouble is attributable to
the packing house trust; that the
trust has been built up by collusion
with the railroads; and that the re
publican candidates for"supreme and
district judges are almost to a man the
choice of the railroads. The question
i, Will these cattle growers kiss the
hand that smote them?:
What if they did clear a pot of mon
ey when prices were going up where
U the money today? Pretty generally
tied up in that last bunch of cattle
which promises to sell for less than
the mortgage.
.The election of Judge Sullivan and
the populist and democratic candidates
for district "judge, of course, could
not at once affect the price of cattle
oi hogs. No sensible .man would make
such an assertion. But their election
will be a rebuke to railroad domina
tion and an entering wedge for ulti-
mate control of the railroads by the
state.
State control is a long; weary road,
but it will eventually be traveled be
cause railroad domination is finally
reaching a point where it is unbear
able. It is quite true that the pop
ulists and democrats, when in posses
sion of the state government, did not
accomplish as much as many believe
tbey might have done. But the re
publicans make no attemDt to do anv
thing whatever, and lately have not
oven the self-respect to blush at wear
ing the railroad collar.
-If the stock growers were justified
dn supporting the republican ticket the
past three year3 because of good
prices, they certainly have equally
$1.00 BIO STOVE OFFER.
Ifyoucnu use the best big 500-pound steel
range ninde in the world or the best coal or
wood heating stoves ever made and are willing
to have either stove placed In your own home
on three months' free trial, just cutthia notice
out an 1 send to sears, koebuck & Co.. Chicago.
and you will receive free by return mail, big
pictures of both stove?, also many other cook
ing and heating stoves: you will also receive
the most wonderful f 1.00 steel range and heat
ing Btove offer, an offer that places the best 6teel
range or heating stove in ine nome or any fam
ily, such an offer that no family In the land, no
matter what theircircumstances may be. or how
email their income, need be without the best
cooking or heating stove made.
good grounds now for supporting
Judge Sullivan on account of low
prices. The Independent does not
urge any- such reason in behalf of
Judge ; Sullivan, because he deserves
election- on higher grounds but mere
ly mentions the fact.
The following, quoted from the Lin
coln Evening News, a republican pa
per, will give some idea of the loss
sustained by Nebraska hog raisers, due
to the manipulations of the railroads
and packers: '
SLUMP IN HOG MARKET
HITS NEBRASKA HARD
Millions Lost to R.visers of. Pork by
Big Drop of Past Week Caused by
Manipulation of Packers.
These are trying times for the Ne
braska farmer engaged in the raising
or hogs for the market, for the slump
in prices during the past week have
cost the hog raisers of this state some
thing like $4,000,000. That is if the
price of hogs is based upon the Chi
cago market. Since . last Monday
morning the prices paid for hogs in
Chicago have dropped from 70 to 90
cents on heavy hogs to one dollar on
the lighter quality
The report of the state labor bureau
gives the 1903 crop of Nebraska hogs
at 1,482,764. , Taking the average
weight at 200 pounds and the average
decline in the Chicago price at 90
cents per hundred, it would give a net
loss to the farmers of Nebraska of a
little over $4,000,000.
The market reports from South
Omaha do not indicate so sharp a de
cline. There has been a falling off of
but about 50 cents per hundred in that
market during the week, which would
mean a loss of about $1.50 on each
hog, or about $2,200,000 on the total
Nebraska crop.
Comparisons with the prices prevail
ing at the South Omaha market one
and two years ago must be truly ap
palling to the hog raisers of the state.
The average price paid at South Oma
ha yesterday was $5.19, which lacked
but 5 cents of being $2 less than the
average for a year ago on the corre
sponding - date, which would mean a
loss on the hog holdings of the state
of approximately $8,700,000, or nearly
$H per head.
The statistics of the labor bureau
show that there were in the state two
years ago, 1,451,777 hogs, which fell to
1,303,386 a year ago and increased to
1,482,764 this year. Taking 300 pounds
as the average hog, the crop of 1892,
with approximately. 180,000 less hogs
in sight, was at the price prevailing
that year, worth nearly $5,000,000 more
than this year's crop at the figures now
being paid. .
Two causes are assigned for the pre
vailing depression. Probably the most
important is that the high prices which
Logs have brought during the past
two years has started, every one to
raising them. The other is the lard
and rib corner operated recently by
one of the big packing concerns.
Local market men declare that the
depression in live pork prices has not
been reflected for some time past in
the prices paid by them for wholesale
meat supplies and that the consumers
are not therefore getting any benefits
from lower prices. It would appear
as if the packers are playing a whip
saw game, which is working greatly to
the disadvantage of the producer
while it affords no benefits to the con
sumer. -
One prominent Lincoln market man
Is authority for the statement that
retail dealers are becoming extremely
and heartily tired of the flurries fre
quently created by the efforts of the
big packing establishments to corner
the markets on certain commodities.
Some time ago one of them attempted
to work .a lard corner, but fell short
in the attempt, except that for months
retailers dependent upon the concern
for supplies were unable to get a
pound of lard from it, as it was under
the necessity of sending every pound
Chicago to fill the hole it had there
created by its attempted corner.
' Cass County
Cass is a county where the populist
movement v.a3 never very vigorous
It ha3 always been hampered by lack
of a progressive local populist paper.
The democrats are just strong enough
to ignore the few populists in Cass, and
just weak enough to lose pretty reg
ularly. Until recently they, too, had
no paper of much force. However,
under its new management, the Platts-
mouth Journal is a strong paper even
If it is somewhat of a "remorganizer'
nationally.
t Ca33 county farmers and business
men are obliged to suffer from repubH
can extravagance to the tune of over
ten thousand dollars additional state
taxes. Cass county assessors found
$216,067 mora taxable property of
Special October Combination.
We Pay the Freight.
We will deliver the following $10.00 combination to any towns
in the state of Nebraska, freight prepaid by us, any time during the
month of October, 1903. Reference: First National Bank or The
Independent.
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50 lbs. Best Granulated Sugar.... tl. 00
miu- tj rj
i ma, vuutt.a x i uuco . -, . .. ...... . ,
4 lbs. Nectarine.. .50
25 bars Good Laundry Soap... ................ 1.00
2 lbs. High Grade Tea............ ...... ...... 1.00
5 lbs. Gilt Edge Coffee . . . . . . . . 1.00
3 packages Celluloid Starch , .25
4 lbs. fancy, bright Apricots. . . ..... ....... .50
4 pounds fancy 4-Crown large Raisins. . .50
4 pounds fancy Muer Peaches . .,. .50
12 lbs. fancy Japan Head Rice. ......... ...... 1.00
2 cans 10 oz. Cream of Tartar Baking Bowder. . .50
3 packages 10-cent Soda 25
3 packages 10-cent Com Starch. :. .25
3 packages 10-cent Gloss Starch .25
1 pound pure Black Pepper. .25
1 bottle Lemon Extract .10
1 bottle Vanilla Extract, .10
Scans 10 cent Phoenix Lye....... .25
5 doz. Clothes Pins. .05
3 bars 10-cent Rising Sun Stove Polish .25
All the above for ..'..$10.00
Orders for customers outside of the state of Nebraska and on line of .railroad
entering Lincoln add 75 cents to pay part of freight.
Branch & Miller Co.
Box 2902. Cor. 10th fc P. St., Lincoln, Neb. What'we advertise we do
oooooooooooooosoooooooooooo
Cheap
F
a
golden opportunity for the renter,
profitable: field for investors.
Buffalo County.
No. A24 "640-acre farm; highly improved.
$18 per acre; easv terms. .
No. 7D. 160 acres wild, rolling, No. 1 land.
87.50 per acre.
No. 68D. 80 acres, all cultivated; no build
ings, 6 miles from tovvi; $20 per acre.
No. 44D. IGO-a ere 'farm, lot cultivated,' 10
in alfalfa, buildings; fc2,50U ;A spleirdid
home. "
No. T9D. 160 acres, pood, black soil, build
ings, fiO acres cultivated. $3,000.
. No. 16l. K0 acres, 145 .cultivated: good
buildings; fine alfalfa and dairy farm. $25
per acre. . .
No.
A26,
per acre.
No. A27.
No. A29
Harlan County.
1C0 acres, well improved.
530
120 acres well improved. $2,200.
320 acres choice rolling land, Im
proved. 815 per acre, a snap.
No. A37. 480 acres of good rolling farm
land; 200 acres under plow ; small buildings;
$7.(00.
No. 627. 880-aere stock farm, splendid Im
provements. A bargain at 820 per acre.
No. 648. A splendid 320-aore farm, highly
Improved. $7,200; $4,500 cash.
No. 680. 240-aere farm, lair improvements;
f4 500.
No. 707. 820-acre farm and one of the best
In the county; we recommend this to bo a
genuine bargain at $23 per acre,
Franklin County.
Pome splendid bargains In this county,
both In highly Improved farms aud pasture
land.
Red Willow County.
No. AGJ. Well improved 320,-acre farm 10
miles from McC'ook at $10 per acre. The best
i
I bargain In Nebraska.
No.
$2,200.
No. 713
for $1,800.
AO. 7 to.
742. 860 acres, well improved, for
240 acres good Improvements,
160 acres of suear beet and alfalfa
land for $2,250. '
No. 746. 220 acres, all bottom laud, good
improvements. $15 per acre.
A hundred others just as good,
Merrick County.
No; 1H. 240 acres, 3 miles from Central
City; improved; 160 plowed; $50 per acre.
No. 611. 160 acres, all cultivated. No
waste land; $40 per acre.
No. 711. 320 acres, all bottom land on
Prairie Creek, 240 acres plowed, balance hay.
$13,000.
No. i;;B. 80 acres, imlles from Chapman,
50 acres plowed, balance hay. A snap. $35
per acre.
Webster County.
No. 1M. 200 acres, 90 cultivated, living
water, timber, buildings, 6 miles from town.
$3,200. -
No. 2M. 160 acres, 3 'miles from town; a
splendid farm and a bargain; $3,500.
No. 3M. 200-acre alfalta and stock farm;
fine improvements, 6 tniles from town. $30
per acre.
No. 4M. 405 acres all bottom land, joining
town; 285 plowed, 100 seeded to alfalfa; a
splendid bargain. $00 per acre.
Fillmore County..'
No. 68. 80 acres, highly improved; $3,500.
No. 892. 100-acre farm with splendid im
provements. $7,000.
No. 807, 160-acre farm, fair improvements.
$5,200. -
ao. 901. 160 acres, extra choice improve
ments. $10,500. ..- -,
Fifty men employed in different counties, who devote their entire time to showing land
and listing the best bargaius offered, enables us to guarantee our customers the very best
possible service. - " . '
Railroad fare refunded to all parties who buy land of us.
Four big books full of descriptions of property we have tor trade. If you have anything
to sell or trade it will pay you to correspond with us. List property with us for quick sale.
WEBER & FARRIS,
1328 O STREET,
LINCOLN. NEIR.
farmers and business men than they
did last year. The republican state
board, looking through railroad spec
tacles, saw only $641.91 more railroad
value than last year! They added $1
to the assessment roll for every $110
added by the assessors.
The state levy of 1902, at 5 1-4 mills,
was $24,447.21, divided as follows:
Railroads ...$ 4,510.66
Others 19,906.55
And this year, at 71-2 mills, it is
$36,774.91, divided thus:
Railroads $ 6,491.47
Others 30,283.44
The farmers' state tax Is 52.1 per
cent heavier than last year; the rail
roads get off with an increase of 42.9
per cent. Republican extravagance
causes the increase. Republican sub
servency to railroad domination gives
the railroads a big advantage over the
farmers la who shall stand the in
creased expense.
Having indorsed the candidacy of
Judge Paul Jessen, the democrats of
Cass doubtless feel that . he is free
from railroad stringsa rare thing
among republican office-toMers and
office-seekers. They have thus made
his election unanimous. But they
should not forget that Judge Sullivan
is needed on the bench of the court of
last resort. This tax matter will be
an all-absorbing one in the next four
years, because the intent of the rail
road legislature was to allow the cor
porations to shift the increase of taxes
upon the farmer and business man.
for. your Farm. BimIimm,
Home or property of any kind
no matter where located. If
you desire a quick sale, send
us description and price.
NORTHWEMTRRW RllllVIll
Agency. No. 813 Bank of Commerce Bid Mia
ncapolis, Mian.
GASH