The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-12-06
THE WOOL MARKET NOW.
How the Political Campaign
Affected it all Along.
NERyY BUYERS PROFITED
by their Confidence In the Success of
the Republicans aud Protection.
Wool Scarce Article here
uow-The Present Prices.

Interviews with some Of the leading
wool dealers in this city develop the
fact that about all the fine wool in this
section has been bought up. Immediate
ly after tho election there was considera-
BILE activity in wool hereabouts. The
average price for fine fleece washed wool
jumped at that time from 30 cents to SO
cents, and those who had been able to
hold their clips till that time proceeded
to unload pretty generally ut that price
50 cents. This, it must be borne in
mind, is the average price. Fancy pro-
ducts, as a matter OF course, have COM
handed fancy and higher prices; for
instance, only few days ago, Mr.. Beall,
of Liberty district, this county, disposed
OF his fancy clips to Horkheimer Bros,
OF this city, for 10 cents. This wool was
OF an exceedingly fine quality and well
worth the figure it obtained.
The lowest point the market reached
this season was % cents. Wool went to
that low point principally on account OF
the scare produced by the introduction OF
the Mills bill with its free wool provision
and the endorsement OF such u policy by
President Cleveland. There was not an
industry in the country that would have
been more eriouslyhurtby the operation
OF the Mills bill than that OF wool grow
ing. and il WINS natural that there should
be IA drop in prices in view OF Ike danger
threatened.
Gradually the market grew stronger,
and it was noticeable fact that as the
price OF wool advanced il became more
and more apparent that the cause Of Har-
rison, representing Protection to Ameri'
can industries, would triumph. Three
months before the election enough con-
iidence had been reeained to establish
the average price for iine washed wool
at 27a2s cents. Then just previous to
the election the price had advanced to
80 cents.
There has been but one drawback to
the market since the election, and that
! is that the finished goods market has
not advanced in proportion tOthat OF the
raw material. The explanation Of this
is TINT at the time OF the panic, so to
speak, brought about in the wool trade
by the introduction OF the Mills bill,
when wool went down to 20 cents, sew
eral Of the larger wooden industries in
the East took big chances and bought
freely at that figure. They are now able
to trim out their product ut last seasons
prices and make profit. This has made
It embarrassing for those manufacturers
who lacked the nerve to make large
purchases in the face OF the Mills bill.
They are now busy skirnishing for wool
for which they have TO pay eight cents
more than their competitors paid when
they made big purchases in disturbed
market. The scarcity OF wool in this
vicinity ut this time is such as has not
been known for several seasons.
The prices that have been prevailing
for the past month have not been quite
up to what was anticipated. The failure
Of the London auction sales to show an
advance in prices OF over per cent has
been the cause OF this. An advance oil
nearly 90 per cent was pretty generally
expected. This London market is the
one that regulates the wool markets OF
the world. At the opening OF the sales
there this month there were nearly 30
0OO, OO0 pounds OF wool available for offer
ing at auction.