The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-06-18
A NATURAL WOOL CENTER.

MINING districts have c~enters-that ls
places where miners ship or dispose o
their ores by reduction or sale, ant
where they purchase supplies. Agricult
ural districts have centers where surplul
farm products are marketed and family
necessaries are bought. Beef and NUT
ton raisers have ~centers where the out
put of ranges can: be best handled, and
where the best prices are obtained, anc
the products of other industries tend &c
certain points or centers where the mar
ket or the facilities for reaching a mar
ket are the best. These centers are sim
ply the creatures of that natural law
which determines 1.-The survival of the
%fittest.
Centers are where purchasers or con
sumers are found. The miner, farmer,
and stpckmen take their products to
them because where buyers are found a
market is found; and the best market is
found where the number of purchasers
is the greatest. There is another factor
which goes to make up a trade center,
and a very important one, too. Sellers
of products are purchasers of supplies,
and the place wherein supplies can be
purchased the cheapest catches the
trade. When both advantages-a good
market and cheap supplies-are com
blned in one place that place becomes a
trade center. Great Falls presents these
advantages to IA marked degree and is,
therefore, the natural trade center for a
large area of surrounding country.
This is particularly true as to wool.
The staple is one of the principal outputs
OF the vast ranges tributary to the city.
This is SO well known abroad that deal
ers in wool make Great Falls their head
quarters. They purchase or receive it
on commission and sellers are thus en-
abled to close their wool business prac-
tically at home. The producers advan
tages do not end with this. Great Falls
has a large number of business houses
carrying immense stocks of goods. There
is sharp competition among them and
consumers can get their supplies at bed
rock prices much cheaper than they
can be obtained in any other sec
ton of the state. II lis Is "A fact
which sheepmen and others should not
overlook. Furthermore the we'll equip
ped banks in the city afford opportuni-
ties for safe disposition of the surplus
funds of wool men. This is also on i'm
portant consideration.
In order, however. to enjoy the full ad-
vantages of a thoroughly stocked wool
producers should conform to GER
tain very reasonable requirements. They
bring their wool to market. This
is apparent without argument. Buyers
make the market and they are found at
wool %centers. With large quantities
the staple before them securely ware |
housed they can sample. select and pur-
.hase such qualities and quantities as
suit their home interests. This
,annot be SO readily and easily done
Shere woods are dumped at way stations
@ wait for a purchaser. What would
thought of the farmer or cattleman
who would thus seek to dispose of his
wheat or beef: The wool raiser who
at home for a purchaser for his
product pursues a like absurd policy.
While the buyer finds an advantage in
he concentration of wool products, a
'art of which he proposes to handle, the
eller finds IA greater one in the number
# competing purchasers he finds upon
he ground. Through their competition
lie gets the highest obtainable price for
lis wool. This fact alone should induce
very wool raiser reached by roads lead
ng to Great Falls to ship his wool to
his point. The city has the facilities to
are for and handle all the wool grown
n the Sun river country, in the Upper
l~issouri valleys. in northern and west
I'm Choteau county and in Meagher.
and Cascade counties. Great
'alls is the natural wool center for the
rOduct of the sections noted. The area
ould protitably be extended by sheep
len.