bullyxtreme Chapter 112 Money, so much money!
Chapter 112 Money, so much money!
Chapter 112 Money, so much money!
For this trip to Billings train station to sell cattle, James decided to personally lead the team!
Accompanying them were the Dutton family's strongest forces at present: James, Tom, Zach, and Cooper—they had all gone all in!
How much real gold and silver can be exchanged for 1,160 cows?
As for those twenty?
His mother, Margaret, forcefully stopped him!
"Beef is expensive, but are we supposed to make them sell their cattle and then buy beef to eat right afterward?" Margaret refused to back down.
Tom casually remarked from the side, "That's almost a thousand dollars!"
The loss of twenty cows!
In the past, Margaret, the mother, would probably have been too heartbroken to sleep.
To everyone's surprise, Margaret didn't even lift her eyelids and coldly retorted: "When we can't buy beef, our whole family will starve?"
""
That's absolutely right!
In the current situation, even if you have money, you may not be able to buy meat.
When it comes to food, Mother Margaret is the most qualified to speak!
He glanced at his father, James, who was in charge of the household.
The head of the household, however, seemed deaf at that moment, looking down at his nose and inward, as if he hadn't heard anything.
The team sets off!
"Snow Wolf" is still leading the team!
There are also eleven Klaus warriors.
Four days later, we finally arrived at Billings train station!
The cattle and horse market at Billings train station, once bustling with activity, now felt rather deserted. Even the cattle and horse brokers seemed to be bored out of their minds.
But when the Dutton family's cattle came into view with a thunderous roar, the entire market was like a hornet's nest that had been stirred up!
"My God! After this awful weather, there are still ranches that can produce so many cows?!" The astonished whispers were quickly drowned out by greedy shouts.
"Sell it to me! I'll pay you a price you'll be happy with!"
"Listen to my price! Absolutely fair!"
A group of agents, their eyes bloodshot, swarmed around James, chattering away and spitting as they spoke. The Dutton family immediately stepped forward, parting the crowd like rocks parting the tide.
James's face was ashen as he glanced at the anxious faces of the group, remaining silent. He gave Tom and Zack a look, and the three of them pushed through the crowd, heading straight for the familiar wooden building near the train station.
The crowd of onlookers immediately deflated like punctured balloons.
"Damn it, it was sold to Derek Clay!"
That Pacific Railroad broker, the guy who could get Montana beef onto the tables of Chicago's big shots!
His office was built right next to Billings train station.
Derek Clay had been leaning against the doorframe, waiting, his mouth practically agape as he watched the moving "golden mountain."
Last year's cold wave was like a razor, shaving off 90% of Montana's cattle, leaving him with almost nothing.
This is like a windfall!
"Friend, I knew you were a wise man!" Derek warmly opened his arms, as if welcoming an old friend.
James ignored his pleasantries and went straight to the point: "What's the price?"
Derek's smile remained unchanged, radiating professional shrewdness: "Friend, don't be in such a hurry. You know the rules: cattle are loaded onto trains in Billings, rattle all the way to the United Livestock Farm in Chicago, and once they get off, they're slaughtered, graded by weight and condition—the slaughterhouse has the final say."
He noticed James's furrowed brow and quickly added, "Don't worry! It's a written contract, there's no way it's off!"
James knew it perfectly well.
He had already planned out the entire process:
Prepare the necessary documents: Take out the "Health Certificate" for each cow issued by the veterinarian, as well as the veterinarian's own license.
Then hire a grader to determine the estimated grade of the cattle herd and issue an "Estimated Value Sheet".
If you want to get quick money: take your health certificate and valuation report to the bank and you can immediately borrow a large sum of the estimated payment (60%!). Although the bank will charge a 1.5% "transfer fee", the money comes quickly and you can rest assured.
Other options? Postal money orders are as slow as snails.
Having Pinkerton deposit gold would be faster, but it would cost an extra $200 for shipping and 0.8% for insurance, so it's not as quick as having a bank guarantee.
Afterwards, they signed a "Railway Transport Agency Contract" with Derek, insisting on a minimum guaranteed price of $45 per head and a freight charge of $3 per head.
The money will be deducted directly from the payment once the cattle are sold.
Once the cattle are loaded onto the cart, a railway waybill is signed, and the number of cattle, their class, and departure time are clearly noted.
The veterinarian then signs a "Veterinary Escort Confirmation Form" to prove that the cow was lively and healthy before being loaded onto the truck.
This whole setup takes up a whole day.
The train was stuck in traffic for three days. The veterinarian at the slaughterhouse in Chicago would re-inspect the goods and fill out an "Arrival Rating Report".
What if you get demoted? $5 per head for each rank you drop!
Died on the road? The railway pays $30 per head!
Sick or disabled cattle? We'll just charge the lowest price of $30 per head!
然后就是等那封决定命运的电报，滴滴答答地从芝加哥传来：「1884—06—29收达顿牧场牛1160头=特级80头@$50标準级900头@$45次级180头@$30总价$54，100
Give me the money! But how do I get my hands on it?
The slaughterhouse will send a "dual-track key" to Billings Bank.
James had to personally carry the original coded message to the bank to withdraw the money.
Claim:
Spot gold: $16,230
All of them are bright yellow, heavy Double Eagle gold coins ($20 each), a total of 811 coins!
Pack two sturdy oak crates measuring 60×40×30cm.
Greenback banknote: $37,870
$50 notes: 433 notes, $21,640, stuffed into a thick sheepskin bag.
$20 notes: 541 notes, $10 notes, 820 notes, and another bag.
$10 notes: 541 notes, $5,410, last bag.
Finally, they hired P. Cotton and his gang of ruthless thugs for $180 to escort the chests of gold and bags of money safely back to Dutton's territory, Paradise Valley!
After more than a week of travel, the Dutton family finally returned to the land of Paradise Valley!
Everyone returned safely.
What they brought back was a fortune so heavy it could almost bend the axle of a car!
After escorting them safely to their destination, the warriors of the Klaus tribe quietly disappeared like shadows blending into the sea of grass.
The Dutton family kept this friendship in their hearts; in this wilderness, friendship was more precious than gold.
Now, the entire family is immersed in an almost dizzying joy.
Everyone, from Zach rushing to catch the train to the youngest child, knew what the trip to Billings meant.
That was a huge sum of money, enough to change their lives!
To celebrate this windfall and to dispel the long-standing hardships, Margaret made a decision that made everyone cheer: "Let's go! Let's go to town and shop to our hearts' content!"
Buy! Buy! Buy! These three words seemed to possess a magical power, igniting every pair of eyes.
The time had just slipped into July.
Summer in Montana arrives swiftly and directly; it's time to travel light!
The group quickly packed up, hitched up their best carriage, and set off in a grand procession across the soft dirt road, laden with laughter and heavy money bags, towards Galatin County!
In 1884, the streets of Galatin County were crisscrossed by dirt roads like a chessboard. Amidst the swirling sandstorms, log shops and blacksmith workshops lined the streets, their thick, mottled log walls offering warmth in winter and coolness in summer against the scorching Montana sun.
The hotel, towering high above the surrounding area, though only two stories remain, is still the only landmark amidst the dust; the brick and stone building of the district court reveals the ambition of the emerging town.
In the distance, the snow-capped peaks of the Gallatin Mountains hang like a giant curtain, the river valleys and meadows stretch out like a green carpet, and the rushing Gallatin River glistens with silver light, blending the mountain shadows and the smoke from the wooden houses into the sound of flowing water!
Ahead, several familiar figures rode up on horseback, gradually becoming clearer in front of everyone!