The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1900-01-16
a5-CENT WOOL.
1t Kids Fair to He u Possibility In Nom
tsna This Year.

1t Kids Fair to He u Possibility I'm Nom
tana This Year.
Sheepmen, hold onto your wool next
season as though your life depended OH
doing so! Dom. lat the representa-
tives of eastern buyers hoodwink you
into contracting to sell 1t at from 2 to
5 cents a pound less than it will be
worth. The fact that eastern concerns
have had men in the west for a couple
of months buying up options M next
years clip at advanced prices over last
year, bears out the statement that they
expect wool to 60 much higher than it
hus been at any time since last fall.
Never in the history Of the wool bust
ness have eastern representatives been
on the ground at 40 early n date to oon-
tract for clips in advance and it carries
with it q very significant meaning.
The American Wool and Cotton Re-
porter of Jan. II says of territory
woods:
The attention Of the trade has been
conferred as much upon the interior Of
the country as upon the local market.
III Wyoming, 20o. per pound has been
offered for clips Of unshorn wool run
Mug to oombing, which wool, it is
claimed, would cost, landed here, RAG
78o., clean. For next seasons clips
tributary to Mics City, Montana, 22c.
has been offered, A number of clips
in the vicinity of Saco have been con-
traoted for at 600, purchasers in some
instances going as high as 20Ao. The
william Taylor clip, it is stated, was
taken at the latter price. Representa-
tives Of Boston houses have been along
the Northern Pacific in the past two or
three weeks, and have contracted for
lex summers clips at prices about
equll to those now ruling in this
market. In the vicinity Of Billings.
several owners Of sheep have been oom-
missioned by eastern houses to contract
for clips from other sheepnen. All
northern Montana sheep me agree
that sheep were never before in such
good condition at this time OF tho year,
aud the wool is Of excellent quality,
with fine growth. It there is no
change in the seaboard market, 25o., it
is thought: will surely be paid in the
Great Falls market next summer.
Billings will be the banner wool
market for. Montana thus year, the ma
jolity Of the Fergus county clips com
ing here instead Of going to Great Falls
as heretofore. An average price of
1884 cents was paid here last season,
and comparing this with the advanced
price already quoted by several firms,
the average price this season will be at
least 80 cents, and in several instances
26 and possibly 26 cents will be re-
oeived. "
One theory given for the advanced
prices already quoted for wool is the
fact that manufacturers are fast using
up the visible supply Of the feeoy pro-
ducts and that the winter bids fair to
be mild. So far sheep1nen have not
been compelled to feed their focks at
all and it is thought they will not have
to feed to exceed thirty five or forty
days, while all have hay enough for a
two mouths feed if necessary, The
mildness of the winter will result in
long, heavy ~feeoes, commanding an in
creased price, Last winter was a hard
M and the feeoes were light, yet they
brought good prices.
Although a number of Montana
s%heepmen have contracted their next
seasons clips at prices ranging from 30
to az cents, none from this vicinity
have done so and it is not likely they
will in the face of advancing prices,
which means a difference Of from 2 to
3 cents a pound to them
Again, we say, hold onto your wool!
Competition will be sharp in Billings
next July aud August and prices will
range skyward.