Missouri has long been famous as the world's greatest mule producing district. Recent statistics show Kansas and Nebraska as close seconds in the number of mules owned and raised. Some of the largest contracts for furnishing mules that have ever been made in the United States were handled by Kansas City dealers. In the Spanish-American war and in the war in South Africa Kansas City dealers furnished more than 100,000 mules and horses, and about ninety per cent of all the mules purchased by the United *States government in recent years has been furnished by Kansas City dealers. Not only is Kansas City an important market for draft horses and mules, but also for saddle horses, light drivers and roadsters.

In the earlier years of the stock yards the sheep trade attracted little attention, but later the buying side of the market made wonderful strides. At first the shippers and speculators had to be depended upon to take most of the sheep received. This proved to be a most unreliable demand. The killing trade began to show a little vigor in 1883, and the local slaughter of sheep having begun, a steady and reliable market was established. This gave encouragement to the sheep breeders of the West and they began to give increased attention to fattening mutton sheep for the market. The demand for mutton increased until Kansas City has become one of the principal sheep markets of the country. The best sheep, as well as cattle country, in the West lies adjacent to Kansas City.

Situated in the center of the greatest corn growing section of the United States, Kansas City is an important market for hogs. The fact that there are situated here several of the largest packing plants in the world makes a strong demand for hogs. For a decade past the full receipts of hogs have been sold on the market, and shipping hogs through to other markets was almost unknown. Not only has there been a demand for all the arrivals here in the recent years, but the buying side of the market has grown until it has become greater than the selling side. More hogs could be sold each year than the tributary country is able to supply.

Not only are the Kansas City stock yards the center of the movement of the live stock of commerce in the Southwest, but they are the center of the pure-bred live stock industry of the territory west of the Mississippi river. Here is held annually one of the world's greatest exhibitions of pure-bred live stock-the American Royal Live Stock show, which attracts exhibiters from half the states and territories of the union and visitors from all over the United States. At the show in the fall of 1906, 1,500 head of pure-bred cattle, horses, hogs and goats were in exhibition, and $30,000 in premiums was distributed. The attendance was 60,000. This great exhibition has been fostered and encouraged by the stock yards company. The company has provided commodious barns for housing it, and constructed, at a cost of

$30,000, a pavilion used exclusively for public sales of pure-bred stock. This movement to make Kansas City the center of the pure-bred live stock industry has met with the hearty co-operation of the leading members of the National Association of Breeders.

C. F. Morse, president of the Kansas City Stock Yards company, has been identified with it since its early days, having for many years served as vice-president and general manager. E. E. Richardson, secretary and treasurer, has occupied that position since 1872. Eugene Rust, general manager, was made yardmaster in 1880 and later served as assistant superintendent, superintendent and traffic manager. Harry P. Child, general supply agent, was appointed yardmaster at the opening of the yards in 1871; superintendent in 1879, and assistant general manager in 1892, holding the latter office until it was abolished.

The main building at the live stock yards in 1871 was a one-story frame structure. The present (1908) live stock exchange building is said to be the finest of its kind in the world. It is built of red pressed brick, has three and one-half acres of floor space, three-fourths of a mile of hallways, 353 offices and two assembly halls. The building stands partly in Kansas and partly in Missouri. The state line is marked by a row of red tiles across the floor. This table gives the receipts of live stock at the Kansas City stock yards for 1907:

162,991 29,713 208,139 118,791 1,626 9,871 144,015 15,682 274,887 80,276 2,270 9,918

Total .... 2,384,294 285,966 2,923,777 1,582,148 62,341 145,406

These figures do not include receipts at private packing yards, amounting to 964 cattle, 1,604 calves, 552,000 hogs and 765 sheep.