I believe that the Grange Acts of ?1911 codified the right of
cattlemen/farmers to accompany their livestock to market. This was at
a time when "markets" were highly centralized (Chicago, Omaha, Kansas
City, Sioux City, St. Paul), and so livestock commonly faced many
days' travel from farm to packing plant- during which time the
animals faced dehydration, injury, etc.- all of which could seriously
degrade what the animal would sell for on the other end. The Grange
Acts forced the railroads to water the livestock at defined
intervals, but it was up to the accompanying stockman or farmers to
take care of bedding, feeding, downed animals, etc.
Most importantly (to the farmer), traveling with the livestock
allowed him to be an advocate for his animals at the stockyard
auction at the other end.
When I was younger, I was filled with tales by my father, uncles, and
grandfathers (both) of accompanying cattle to market (Chicago) in
cabooses with added bunks (their description) from their homes in NW
Iowa. (They would do the same thing when they purchased cattle for
feeding from ranches in western Nebraska and S. Dakota)
Although for the young people, this intitially could be "real
adventure" (seeing the BIG city), but it also soon became old, and
for the most part it was a thoroughly unpleasant and much dreaded
experience. Noise, slack-in and slack-out, more noise, boredome,
heat, cold, no food, dirty bunks, unfeeling crews, etc.
Comment was made that the crewmen felt that these people smelled and
were "dirty". What an insult! The crews could do their 16 hours or
150 miles and go off to beans, bath and/or to a warm bed and hearth.
The farmers were stuck on the train for 24-30 hours or more without
bath, or any means of getting a meal. Meanwhile, they also had to
muck out the stockcar(s) periodically when the animals were debarked
for watering.
Because stockcars were always placed at the front end, if the train
was long, the farmers could face multiple long walks (in this regard
I have read where dedicated drover's cars were occasionally placed
within the train adjacent to the stockcars).
Denny
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Denny S. Anspach, MD
Sacramento, CA
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