The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-06-13
CODY YET AN. EXPERIMENT
Wyoming Town a. a Wool Market
Still Has It's Reputation
to Acquire.

cific and Burlington warehouses.
Very naturally speculation is begin
ming as to the seasons outlook and
the prospects as regards prices and
the general conditions that may be
expected to obtain. It seems to be
generally accepted as a fact that the
shipments from here this summer
will not be SO large as last year. One
reason for this is the completion Of
the new warehouse at Cody, which
Eli undoubtedly get a large percent
age Of the northern Wyoming wool
that found its way to this city last
summer. Still it is possible that pres
ent estimates Of the amount that will
go to Cody are too large. What gives
color to this is the fact that alreary
a. considerable amount has been ship
ped from Garland, a station on the
Tocula-C ody branch and which be-
cause of its proximity to the terminal
town of the line was expected to go.
there.
Cody as a wool market may be said
to be as yet an experiment and many
who would naturally prefer to- ship
there will probably be deferred from
doing so because Of the uncertainties
that must always be reckoned on in
connection with a new market. Bill
ings is established as a market and
81 .a~,,%o%iNp Sc AvN1 Co11nrc NOV
always depend upon active COMPETE
ton and a large number of buyers.
The largest wool houses in the coun-
try send buyers here and as a rule
bidding is spirited and active. The
buyers can figure almost to a pound
the amount Of wool they may expect
and past experience is also a reliable
guide as to the quality. All these
matters are important factors and
initiate strongly against any new
market that it may be sought to es-
tablish elsewhere, especially one rs
nearby as that Of Cody.
This morning a gentleman who
probably has bought and sold more
sheep than any other Individual In
this partsof the state was heard to- ex-
press himself on the relative merits
of the sheep and wool pro-
duced in the territory tribu-
tary to Billings and these that
are marketed at Great Falls. He
said that he could not understand
why the prices paid for wool at the
latter place last year We're as q rule
higher than those obtained here. II
natural conditions are to be considered,
he declared, the very opposite should
be the case. His experience has
taught him, he said, that the very best
sheep grown in the state are those
which range hereabouts and in the
territory extending 100 miles to the
north. There were a few noteworthy
exceptions, but as a rule there was
no comparison between the sheep in
the northern part OF the state and
those that range in what he called the
Billings territory. The former. he
said, with the exceptions noted,
an inferior lot Of animals; as he de-
scribed them, "scrawny, mangey
things that looked dried up and stunt
ed compared with those in the coun-
try hereabouts." It was but natural,
he continued, that the wool Of such
animals should be inferior, having
neither the life nor the other requi-
sites that are considered in classify
ing the staple. He admitted that the
northern wool was freer from sand
and dirt than that produced in this
part of the state, but the difference
in that regard he did not consider to
Justify the difference in prices that
prevailed.
The only explanation he could make
for the differences in prices last sea
son was a difference in buyers. The
buyers at Great Falls were, as a rule,
men with more authority than those
sent here. The buyers at Billings
were subordinate to those at the 9th
er place and consequently did not
have that degree Of latitude given the
Others and were more bound by their
orders than those at Great Falls, who
could exercise their wi Judgment
more freely. AS corroborative OF this
he cited the instance Of one clip in
particular. It was divided into two
parts. One part was brought to Bill
ings and the other taken to Great
, Falls. The lot sold here realized an
even cent q pound less than that sold
at Great Falls. The result was that
the owners Of the clip declared they
would sell 1t Great Falls this sear