, 1888-09-23
MARKET DEPRESSED,
Biggest Price of the Season
Realized Last Week,
But the General Demand for
Cattle Was Weak.
The Receipts Still Continue to
be Very Large.
The Cattle Market.


CHICAGO, Sept. 22.-Uattle receipts
continue heavy and trade is slow. Stock
is pouring in from all directions and es-
pecially from the West where shippers
are crowding their cattle forward on the
current low rail rates as it is announced
that there will be a sharp upturn on the
25th instant. Each morning has found
the pens full to OVERLOOKING and many
droves have been left unsold each night.
Some few good natives and rangers were
of course included in the offerings but at
least two-thirds of the daily supplies were
common steers in thin flesh and butchers
cattle. Prime natives are very scarce and
sell around $6.00(66.70 yet a few lots
seem to fill the demand, daily orders be-
ing for not more thar a dozen loads. Still
the general demand is quite active. Ship
pers are ready to bid for anything desira-
BILE and while prices all along the line are
lower, good stock has suffered least.
Western steers in some instances sell 40c
lower than last week and the general de-
cline on all Westerns may be quoted at
25(930c.
On Tuesday an exceptionally fine drove
OF thlrtY-one head of 1876 pound cattle
brought $3.50, the top price of the sea-
son, but mighty few lots are good enough
to fetch above IS. rs. The range of values
between ripe cornfed steers and common
grades is now wider than at any previous
time within two years. Thus with first
quality steers quoted at Sc. so, receivers
of common stock find difficulty in dispos-
Ing Of their holdings at around So. so. AS
a dealer remarked: Good cattle are
strong aud all Others are-any price you
can get for them" A year ago the best
cattle were selling at 81. 9095.0 90. or 81. so
@l.70 under present prices. Texans and
common to fair natives have declined Is
025c this week, and are not much, if
any higher, than they were a year e
All reports from the southwest indicate
that the number of steers on the ranges
adapted to profitable handling in eastern
markets is now very small, and dealers
from that section predict light receipts
this fall, but this is not felt here at pres
ent.
Rangers from Montana, Wyoming Da.
kota and Colorado sell chiefly at 81. 75@
4. so. although as high as $5.15 was paid
for a lot of Montana grass natives.
The quality of the Texans received aver
ages good; native COW stock is 2OC025
C. lower than last week on the low grades
and the best have had to stand part of
the decline. Even at the decline buyers
are independent and the sellers anxious to
realize. The market is glutted with can
ners stuff. This can be accounted for
only on the supposition that farmers are
cramped for ready means; otherwise they
would scarcely part with their lean stock
at the prevailing low prices.
Trade on stockers and feeders shows
some improvement. The isolation of the
Texans in a remote division of the yards
where they do not come in contact with
the natives has removed all danger OF
Texas fever, and farmers no longer fear to
place their orders The west has secured
a beautiful hay crop, and an abundance of
coarse feed is promised while the best
beef cattle are bringing great prices.
(lOSIOp DuOtatjOns rauoa as fnllpws.