Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1899-08-18
WOOL IN MONTANA.
The Past Season Has Been a Very Good
One There.

ihO NOOl uldIktl III IfllS state mas
practically closed and wool-growers are
jubilant over the sales of the past few
weeks. The wool season for 1899 has
eclipsed all records In Montana for the
last five years, and some maintain that it
is the best within the history of the state
The sales of the season aggregate little
over HOOO,OOO pounds, at prices beyond
even the most sanguine antcipations
Last year the prices on wool ranged from
II TO is cents per pound; this year they
have ranged from III to 20s cents, ac-
cording to the quality of the wool, the
average price being about IS cents per
pound. Billings, Great Falls and Fort
Benton have been the depots to which
nearly all clips have been consigned for
sale this season.
The market opened at Billings, about
the middle of July. although many of
the larger growers had not then COM
pleted shearing. Sales were brisk from
the start. and within three days far
better prices were obtained than at any
time during last year. The sales opened
with few of the smaller clips, from
10000 to $4,000 pounds, which were sold
at IA! and 14s cents per pound, but
prices speedily advanced, until by the
third day more than SOC, 900 pounds of
wool had been sold at prices ranging
from 154 to 10 cents, while 1t was re-
ported that one firm near Billings had
received for large clip of unusually fine
quality fraction over 20 cents per
pound.
AT Great Falls and Fort Benton the
sales eclipsed all records. More than
twenty buyers, representing the leading
firms of Boston, Philadelphia and other
eastern points, went to Great Falls and
Fort Benton by special train and in a
few hours purchased at these two points
more than 100000 pounds of wool at
prices ranging from Isl to 20 cents per
pound. 1t was then thought that the
highest figure had been reached and the
remainder of the season prices would drop
slightly, but for many days the market
stood firm at 20 cents, then slowly adj
vanced, until the best record reached for
the season was that of Bannatyne Bros.
of Great Falls, who received 20 IS cents
per pound for clip of 22O sacks,
weight not given.
The principal buyers represented were
Dewey, Gould & Co., Nichols, Dupee &
Co., Bach, Becker & Co, jeremiah
Williams & Co., j. Koshand & Co..
Whitman. Farnsworth & Thayer and
Judd e Root. One western house, Bal
lard IL Hall of San Francisco, was also
represented and bought in large quanti-
ties.
Some of the largest single sales were
as follows; Taylor & Hogg, 135, 900
pounds, at l5l cents +. NJ. Clark, So
600 pounds, price not given; Cascade
Land company, $4,000 pounds, at 20
cents; Ralph Berry, 1900 pounds, at
lSs cents; Robertson & Cameron, ii. 900
pounds, at Is and 10 S cents; A. New
ton, ~ 900 pounds, at ISL cents; Sam
Philips, 10000 pounds, at l94 cents.
In one days sales In northern Montana
all wool sold was from Choteau county,
and gave to Fort Benton as the result of
that days business, 100000.
Regarding this season sales, Henry
Klein of Helena, who owns large sheep
interests in the Cascade Land company,
and the American Sheep and Land COM
pany says that he cannot account for the
prices paid here except upon the sup.
position that the eastern wool men have
good reason to believe that the market
IN the future will undergo a substantial
change for the better. He claims that
the prices paid in Montana have been
obviously speculative. as they have ex-
ceeded eastern quotations on the secured
basis, with allowance for freight and
other charges, so that the buyers could
not ship the wool they have bought at
2O4 cents to the east, pay the freight and
other charges, scour it and come out
even. He therefore believes they are
counting on future rise in the market,
caused by the fact that large quantities
of wool shipped to this country from
Europe and held in bond, are being re-
called, lille considerable quantities of
territory wool have also been shipped to
Europe.
Mr.. Klein gives as another reason for
the marked advancement in price on
Montana wool the Improvement made in
the grade of sheep within in the last two
years. Two years ago the Cascade Land
company, Thomas c.. Power and few
of the heavier sheep owners purchased
number of Ramboullletl rams, the effect
of the Rambouillet strain being to give
the wool longer staple and increase the
weight of the fleece. The wool now
averages from four to five inches in
length and the effort on the part of
Montana's sheepmen in raising wool is
going to be to reach as nearly as possible
the standard of the long staples of Aus
tralia, since if that standard is once
reached the buyers will, purchase here
rather than pay the duty, and conse-
quently better prices will be obtainable
for home production.
The use of the shearing machine has
also added to the value of the wool, as
the long staple, so desirable, is often
broken by the hand shearers, while the
machine cuts uniformly, producing from