The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-07-09
THE PRICE IS TOO LOW
It Is Not Much Better Than Last
Year.
FLEECES ARE LIGHTER
Growers Think the Buyers Are TRYING
to Make Fortune This Year.
Montana Wool Going
Too Cheap

Great Falls, July S.-The wool growers
say that wool is not bringing the price
this year to which it is entitled. They
say that a seven-pound fleece at IA
cents brings more money than a five
pound fleece at II cents, and as it is
only a matter of two minutes time
and small scrap Of paper, they are
right. They say that this calculation
shows about the difference between
the market of this year and that of
last year, and the difference, if any
thing, is in favor of last year. in spite
of the fact that all reports indicate
that wool has risen in price since last
season. The fieeces are much lisht er
this year, and the addition to the
price per pound does not represent the
total shrinkage of the fleece, nor, ir-
deed, does it begin to make up for the
freight saved by the ightness of the
wool The grower thinks that the
buyer intends to make fortune off
this years purchases of wool. On the
other hand, the buyer says thar his
house lost money last year by paying
the grower cash for his clip, and one
of them this afternoon offered to bet
any sum of money that Boston brok-
ers last year lost between S250.O00 and
100000 on Montana wool alone. In
reply, the grower reminds the buyer
that it is none of his concern how
the broker came out on his speculation
of last year.
With all personal differences laid
aside, no one who has watched the To-
cal market for the past week, and
making allowances for the decrease in
weight per fleece, can say Candidly
that the market is any higher than it
was in 1898. This is practically ad-
mitted by the buyers themselves when
they are sure that no grower is listen
ing. Right at the present time they
are congratulating themselves and each
other on the cheap price at which they
are getting the Montana wool. Of
course this is business. The buyer is
here to pick up snaps whenever he can
get them, and If the grower sells too
cheap it is his own fault. In fact, it
is his own fault that the present system
of buying prevails in this market. and
the most progressive of them admit
this fact with regret There is no
reason in the world save unprogress-
iveness, why the Australian system of
selling wool should not prevail, and
the grower settle the matter of selling
instead of leaving himself at the good
will of the buyer, as they are unfortu-
nately doing at the present time. How
ever there may be an improvement
to come.
To-day's sales We're featureless. The
best price paid was is cents, and this
was for a comparatively small lot. f.
D. Jones of Pondera sold to Brigham
representing Judd, Root & Co, $4,000
pounds at II cents. Forty sacks were
yearlings and wethers mixed. So ewes
straight, and ,one sack of tags.
Brad Sullenger, 1000 pounds mixed
to Brigham, at 17l& cents. Donald Bell
of Antelope Coulee, Choteau county,
$4,000 pounds to Hollowell & Donald,
a Is cents: 10 sacks were yearlngs
and wethers, SO were ewes. and nine
yearlings. F. Panike, $500 pounds ewes
to Thayer of Whitman, Farnsworth &
Thayer. at 1872 cents. S. A. McPhee
of Choteau, 1900 pounds to Jones of
Wiley & Co., at 1915 cents, Is sacks
yearlings and so ewes. w. S. Ware
ham of Lewistown, % sacks, about
500 pounds, all yearlings. to Barra-
clough, representing ]. Koshland &
Co., at IS cents. James Aubrey of
Deerfield, % sacks, all ewes. to circuit,
representing Ballard & Hall of San
Francisco, at I'M cents.
1t is reported to-day that the diff
Guilty between May and Thayer has
been arranged. and it is possible that