The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-05-17
WOOL RECEIPTS IN BILLINGS
WILL EXCEED LAST YEAR.
TERRITORY WOOL OUTLOOK
Old Wool Notwithstanding About
Finished-Large Increase
Reported.

The first shearing or this section
will Je done by M. F. Trask who viii
begin at Twenty Mile on or about MAJ
rs. From that time on work will be
gin in earnest and shearers will be
in great demand. No little amount OF
the wool will be machine sheared, the
sheepmen preterring this to the hanc
sheared.
J. B. Elliott one or the largest sheer
: owners in this part of Montana, re.
turned a few days ago from a visit to
his ranch in Fergus county. He re.
ports affairs as being in splendid con-
dition. They have had considerable
rain and snow in that section and the
grass has started in good shape. The
lambing season is progressing nicely
and the outlook is promising for as
large an increase as that of last year,
which was considered exceptionally
good. ..
Wool has begun to arrive in Billings
from Wyoming. but it will be several
days before it in any great
quantity. 1t is believed that a larger
quantity of wool from that state will
come to this market than did last year
as the growers have been convinced
that Billings affords a much better op-
portunity for selling at a good price
than either Casper, Rawlins or other
markets in the state. Besides the
wa rQbnrcoc orn haf%o, ooool H.
take care of the clips and when they
ar once sold can move them more
readily than from other places.
. * i X
The representatives of the freight
departments Of the railroads running
out of Billings are now putting in their
tim renewing acquaintance with the
Woolgrowers and getting a tab" on
the clips OF the latter.
There is every reason to believe
that the wool receipts in Billings this
season will greatly exceed those of
last season, when they amounted in
round figures to about II, 500, 900
pounds. The reason for this is the
fact that many more growers of the
northern country, as well as in the
northern and north central part OF
Wyoming will ship to this place, full
ly realizing that Billings was the ban
ner market of the northwest last
season
A report from Meeteetse says that
the approximate estimate OF h clip
at the pens in that place Np to the
present time is about 100000 pounds.
There are freight teams enough at
the pens to load the wool and maui it
to the railroad for Billings as fast as
shorn. 1t is said that there will be
some delay in shearing, owing to the
scarcity of labor.
1t is said that the wool which was
held in Montana and Utah from last
year is now beginning to move in
large quantities. This is because the
new crop, which promises to be a
good and heavy one. is about to ue-
gin moving; in fact, has begun in some
localities, and room is needed for its
storage. But little wool was held
back in this section, despite the fact
that prices were not satisfactory IN
many instances. Those who did hold
are regretting it, for wool brought a
much higher price last year than it
10 b1iI1SihS oN I'm WV SAiiS ~
likely to at any time this season. Many
are ALREADY figuring OF holding back
this years clip for better prices, Dut
in most instances the wool will be
sold outright, if the buyers evince a
desire to make at least a fair offer for
the clips. ...r
Speaking of woods in the interior,
the American Wool and Cotton he
porter says:
This is the time of the year when
interest centers largely in the interior
of the country. Woods are moving out
west. especially in Wyoming, Utah,
Nevada and Idaho, at prices which in
a number of instances seem toe hign
for this market. Most of the trade are
figuring on securing the new woods
on a clean cost of 40 cents, but a num-
Der of those who have recently bought
woods of the growers claim that they
are actually costing them only 37R@
3Sc., clean, except where they obtain
a considerable amount of staple, in
which case they have cost 40c., and in
some instances, 42c. Some of the
sales in Wyoming at HOBO. per
pound in the grease mean all of 42c.,
clean, landed, it is claimed. 1t is per-
maps ueeuleSS 10 say mat CLIPS pur-
chased on the basis o. 40@42c., clean,
cannot De brought here and sold at a
profit on today's market. Growers
r firm, however, and it is impossible
to wiring lower prices from them. The
great bulk Of the purchases thus far
have been made at 10@11c. for early
shorn woods, which are always short,
and which mean 38k40c., clean, land
ed. In the fleece wool sections there
is put little doing.
Trading in territory woods in this
market has been decidedly less active,
and the sales are the smallest recorded
for many weeks. Attention is largely
concentrated on the country markets,
as before stated, and there is no par
ticular pressure to sell wool, SO that,
although the demand has been COM
p~aratiyely quiet, prices have ruled very
cfoodv Thoro 10 nlQutv Of pOod fine