Richmond Palladium (Daily), Volume 45, Number 57, 17 January 1920 — Page 5

PAGE FIVE 9k 1a . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... . ... ... . - .... i 0 A Million Dollars Paid for Live Stock Shurley &jGaar at Glen Miller Stock Yards Last Year

THE RICHMOND PALLADIUM AND SUN-TELEGRAM, : SATURDAY, JAN., 17,. 1920.

Great

and.

After Thirty Years The inception of the present Shurley and Gaar stock yards enterprise dates back thirty years. Clinton Shurley and Clem Gaar laid its foundation out on the old Shurley and Gaar farm on the Williamsburg pike. It was a modest beginning. It took some time to accumulate the carload of cattle and calves which comprised their initial shipment on that Red-Letter day. Hogs and sheep were at first neglected, but not for long, after which the business broadened and shipments assumed regularity. The saddle and the tiuggy served in those days. The modern roadway lay deep under the mud and the live stock were driven in. The auto and the truck had not arrived. The old farm was the receiving center for many years, for it was not until -February, 1908 that a part of the present site of the Glen Miller yards was purchased, and this has been added to from time to time. Hundreds of Richmond's business men have never seen the Glen Miller yards; nor have they any conception of what these yards have done toward the building up of their individual businesses. The fact that Shurley and Garr have been bringing thousands of farmers to Richmond with live stock, and have paid out hundreds of thousands annually, which has filtered into our banks and stores, is a vital fact that many have, seemingly, never discovered.

A Record of Commercial Achievement BY WILLIAM R. SANBORN.

IHE story of the inception, growth and present commercial importance of the Glen Miller

Stock laras, ana wnat this ever available local live stock market means to Kicnmona. wouia be of great financial interest. It would ba a story of years of courageous and persistent effort to foster and build up an important live stock market, in a small interior city, and this, too, in the face of long established near by competition in three larger cities. It must have looked like an uphill task, in the beginning. There must have been days of great discour

agement in that unwritten history, despite strict economy and the most careful planning. .The live stock markets are given to running wild, on O2casion. They are largely speculative at "best and always. Prices change, not merely from day to day and week to week, but frequently from hour to hour. And this is more particularly true as to hDgs, for which this district is noted as a producing center. The distance to the consuming market ; length of time in transit; the hour of arrival, and whether receipts be light or heavy; the certainty of cars as needed; the "shrink" enroute, and a square deal as to grading at the receiving point these are the vital considerations which count for profit or loss on the day's work and investment. The fact that business at Glen Miller has shown consistent ' expansion and that Shurley and Gaar have broadened their field of usefulness from year to year, is the best promise for the future. This plant has grown and prospered because it deserved to. There can be no other explanation for its increasing popularity with farmers and shippers, or of its financial solidity.

WINTER SCENES AT GLEN MILLER STOCK YARDS

Receipts of Hogs The following table shows receipts of hogs at the GJen Miller Yas in 1919: Month Number January Total Purchases 3,113 February 1,264 March 1,166 April 1,023 May 1,2S9 June 2,067 July 1,986 August 2,105 September 1,460 October 1,415 November 1,732 December 3,133 Grand Total 21,663 Three hundred and ten cars of hogs were shipped during the year.

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This winter scene presents the view from the Pennsylvania tracks, looking east. It shows the long concrete loading platform, with car ready to go. Only a part of the outdoor feeding pens could be shown in this picture. Trees shown are in Glen Miller Park, to the east.

Receipts of Sheep July, August. September and October are the principal sheep and lamb receiving months, July and August being the lamb harvest of the year. This is not now a sheep country, but Glen Miller handled its share of the offerings in 1919. Month Number January Total Purchases. 20 February 68 March 33 April 31 May 82 June 93 July 433 August 435 September 239 October 229 November . 94 December 52 Grand Total 1,812 Eighteen cars of sheep and lambs were shipped during the year.

View from the west, showing stock pens and western section of the loading platform, conveniently arranged with cut-off gates to facilitate handling.

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Looking northwest from Glen Miller Park, showing main entrance to trucks, the office building, and one section of the covered pens. There is an unloading platform for trucks, and a runway to pens and scales, which this picture does not show.

Is An Ideal Plant Not in the spirit of boasting but as a statement of the simple truth, be it said that Richmond has a model stock yards plant. Live stock buyers from all sections ; railroad men who have traveled widely, and government inspectors familiar with every phase of the stock yards business, have assured us that this is true. A study of the pictures presented tells but part of the story. It will be observed, however, that the live stock is protected from the cold in winter, and shaded in cool, airy pens in summer. There is ample capacity under roof for this protection, at all seasons, and every facility for humane care and handling. We are told that no city between Minneapolis and New York, or between Kansas City and Louisville, is better prepared to handle live stock to capacity than is Richmond, whether as to local buying or for feeding in transit, of which the Pennsylvania does a lot at this point. The interiors of the buildings are well lighted and have perfect ventilation in hot weather. There are numerous outdoor pens well arranged for feeding and shipping, all supplied with running water. As an eastern stock buyer recently remarked when in town: "The stock raisers in this section may well be congratulated on the market facilities Richmond affords them."

Grand Total 2,731 Twenty-seven carloads of calves were shipped from Glen Miller during 1919.

A Million Dollars Paid Out for Stock Last Year , A The three high-spot months as to receipts of live stock and cash disbursements in 1919, were: January, $132,207.24; June, $101,789.35; August, $116,881.36 a total of $350,871.95 in ninety days. TOTAL DISBURSEMENTS FOR LIVE STOCK DURING YEAR: $988,593.65

Cost of Freight and Loss oh Shrinkage, $57,000

Receipts of Cattle March was the biggest month in the cattle section at Glen Miller. The March purchases totalled 272 head, our next best month. April, when 216 head were taken in. Month Number January Total Purchases. 147 February 142 March 272 AprU 216 May 73 June 52 July 27 August 122 September 24 October 76 November 55 December 34 Grand Total 1,240 Sixty-two cars of cattle were shipped from Glen Miller in 1919.

Receipts of Calves TV" 1 AAA 1 . . I 1 i 1

isrij , o,vv ca.iris were receivea ai me yaras T - 1f. n V, 1. 1 t a l -J

idai jcai. i,i a v nas iue uiggm muiiiii, uunog which 41S calves were bough, these representing a large number of farms. Month Nnmber January Total Purchases. 103 February 207 March 218 April 277 May 418 June 327 July 294 August 148 September 153 October 208 November 198 December 159

To market the 417 carloads of live stock shipped in 1919 we paid out $37,530. This covered freight, feeding in transit, and at destination, and commissions. In addition to above cost the "shrink"

was an important item. Estimating the shrink on 21,663 hogs at 6 pounds per head, and our average cost at 15 cents per pound last year, we find that this item totals $19,470. Grand total, $57,000

Above Statement Proves that We Had to Sell at an Advance of $57,000 Above Our Cost at Our Yards, Before We Could Break Even, and This Sum Does Not Include Shrink on Cattle, Calves and Sheep.

You Can Get a Square Deal, Liberal Grading, the Top of the Day's Market and Spot Cash at Glen Miller Stock Yards Why Take Risks? Our Customers Have Proven That They "CAN DO BETTER AT HOME"

Rome Shurley and Clem Gaar

Glen Miller Stock

Yards

GLEN MILLER STOCK YARDS

PROPRIETORS

RICHMOND, IND.;.

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