The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1858-06-26
New York Cattle Market.

The New York Tribune of Thursday
gives its usual article on the Cattle Market:
The cattle market of this week presents
one of the curious anomalies of which this
CITY can safely outboast all others. In the
Cattle trace, there is less reliance upon reg
ular prices than in any other branch, and
less chance to make calculation of what will
be its condition week hence, than in any
other thing perhaps that is bought and sold
to so large an extent. Its variations foil the
shrewdcst of its operators; and at times
when the prospect is strongest that the price
will not advance, up it goes five or ten dol.
lars head This is the case this week.
With an increase of stock, and an apparent
full supply, and with no visible cause Of an
increased demand, and in fact with very
dull market for all of the coarse part of the
beef, such as the best retailing butchers
must pack or send to the packing houses
and sell at about half the price of beef on
foot. The holders Of cattle to-day have adj
vanced the rates full half cent upon the
the different grades Of quality, and all of a
cent on the average, at which they have
found more ready purchasers than in some
of the extreme low markets of few weeks
past, when cattle sold at $50 head, or full
two cents pound lower than to day. Sey-
eral of the brokers selling cattle to-day at
1Ot to lie per h., have cattle on their
farms within few hours Of the city that
they bought at 81 to 9ic., but they could
not foreSee the advance in time to take ad-
vantage Of it. Some others went to Albany
and bought small lots at about to 94c, in
expectation of making only moderate com
mission, and now are liable to sell at 81 to
$40 a head profit. How it was brought
about no one can tell. 1t seems that in con-
sequence of the cool weather of the last five
days, the brokers who brought few cattle
into the yards on Tuesday resolved to ask
an advance upon last weeks prices. Seeing
only few cattle present, and believing an
oft-told tale of "short supply the butchers
appeared to take panic, and bought more
cattle at the high figures asked than they
have bought any Tuesday before in long
time. OF the 2,570 reported for this mar
ket we presume 1000 head were sold on
Tuesday. This left the yards comparatively
empty this morning, when the crowd OF
buyers began to come in, and the panic in
creased; and il prices did not advance, the
estimation of weights did, and we have no
doubt that many Of the most common sort
Of builocks bought n7minally st l0c, will
prove or II per 10. 1t Is curious fact
another of the anomalies OF this market
that for several weeks the ordinary or medi-
um quality of c. tile have sold for as much
or more per head than the best 1t certain
ly is the case to- day. Whole droves Of com
mon stock, medium quality Illinois steers
and oxen, will average l0c, while hiGh-fed,
fine breed, ripe Durhams, sci. for 10! to losc
in selected small lots. The advance has
drawn ont great many of the stump tail
cows from the city swiIl stables, but very
few from the neighbo:ing farms The i'm
provement in the price Of cattle sold at Al
bany, noticed in our report from that place,
is not near so great as it is here. The prin-
cpal portion Of the cattle sold, both for
this market and Boston, were from Ken
lucky, and we hear Of large number on
the way, and expected to arrive next week
report says 200 head.