The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-17
THE LIVE STOCK MARKETS
CATTLE QUIET AND WITHOUT I'M
PORTANT CHANGE IN PRICES.
Hogs Fairly Active and n Trine High
er-Sheep Quiet and steady Con-
dition of Other Markets.

AoSS ina ~ COinpdIeu VIII last week, oNtI
GOO compared with the same week a year
ago and a little improvement over the cor
responding week two years ago. The re-
celpts thus far this year are over 10000
larger than the same period last year. This
has been another week of unimportant
changes in the market. o. course prices
have fiucutated a little but there were
very few if any permanent changes. Most
of the time there has been a tendency TO
discriminate against the undesirable cattle
in favor of the better grades and occasion
ally the best sort were considered higher
and others lower. but whenever the supply
and demand were about equal the market
usually was steady. 1t is important to note
that there are very few strictly choice cat
tie being marketed and none in the export
steer line have been good enough to COM
mand the full strength of the market. al
though some prices were considerably
higher than any have sold for a few weeks.
The market for common to medium cattle
of all KINDS is very sensitive and it is i'm
possible to maintain values on a uniform
basis. The greater part of the week there
was a very fair demand for stockers and
feeders of good quality from professional
buyers, but the inquiry from country buy
ers has not been up to expectations. Most
dealers are expecting a continued steady
market for the good stock in the near flu
ture. The highest prices reported this week
were ST.75 for export steers, Sc for heifers,
$50 for COWS, $3.50 for bulls and 81 for
calves. There has been a very limited de-
mand for heavy butcher bulls and they
have sold usually at unsatisfactory prices,
but the good feeding bulls have been steady.
The calf market for an average has ad-
vanced about SOC this week. The receipts to-
day were larger than the average at this
time in the week, but there were very few
native cattle in the supply and the ar
rivals were principally Westerns and
Texans. Most of the offerings were a class
of stock that buyers had been pretty well
supplied with heretofore this week, conse-
quently they were not inclined to bid what
statesmen considered the market value and
there was no life in the trade. II required
considerable time to transfer the consign-
ments. but at a late hour most of the sup
ply had changed hands and the market for
the week closed with comparatively few
cattle in the pens unsold. Sales included 964-
pound native steers at 4.75 and 962-pound
quarantine cattle at S4.25. Native heifers
sold at s4Q4.60 and Westerns at 50. 1904.
Native COWS sold at $3Q450 and Western at
S.25d5.s5. The calf market was strong to
higher with sales at s5.5O97. Quotations:
Good to choice steers. 1850 lbs and
Plain fat steers, 1850 lbs and up o"
wards 6.5oG 7.35
steers 6.5ca 7.25
Plain fat loo to 1,9OO-lb steers. $500 $50
steers $3.50 500
Plain fat 900 to 115O-l5 steers..:.... 4.5o9 5.z5
Choice feeding steers, LOCO to LOO
lbs 5.O0Q 6.25
Good feeding steers. 200 to 100
Medium Feeding steers, 500 to 500
lbs 4.OOa 4.5O
Common to good stockerS......... 3.50Q $50
Good to choice 4.50Q $50
Fair to medium heifers. 1850 4.40
Common light 3.OO4 $50
Good to choice cows.......... ..... Asa 5.35
Fair TO medium cows.............. 5000 400
Gamers and cutters. .............. 1.O0I 2.75
Prime &c fancy export bulls. 4.50G AIS
Good to choice butcher BULLS. 3.15I AS
Common to fair buIls.............. 5000 $50
Heavy $500 $50
Good to choice cows and calves. So. OOQ5O.W
Common to medium cows and
calves q
Hogs-Receipts, $500; shipments. 500. The
receipts of hogs this week have been more
liberal, the total showing an increase of
nearly 5000 over last week, but a decrease
of over II. 900 compared with the same week
a year ago and an increase of 1000 over the
corresponding week two years ago. Thus
far this year the receipts are over 152 600
smaller than the same period last year.
For the week ending yesterday the leading
local packers bought a total of 16. 7S2 against
10, al the preceding week and p, Gle the
same week a year ago. During the same
period the shipments were 5.15S against
1856 the preceding week and n,154 the
corresponding week a year ago. 1t has
been many days since prices of hogs tum-
h1c1 70 tho a~tanf thew haxra this u-aaly
1t seemed that all conditions favored the
buying side and the opportunity was ripe
to put values on a lower level. On &C
count of the comparatively high prices pre-
Vailing here at the beginning of the week
compared with other markets, shippers
were unable TO get a great many orders
and this, of course, added weakness to
the situation. 1t must be admitted, how
ever, that packers have been very reason
able buyers all week and they purchased
more hogs than they have since the week
ending June q. Although statesmen were
forced to accept unusual reductions they
did not become panicky and no really de-
moralizing features developed. Each day
after a trading basis had been arranged
the market was active and satisfactory
clearances were made with little or no
further change in prices compared with the
opening. In other words, ii may be said
that at the decline in prices there has
been a satisfactory market this week. III
break began on Tuesday and in four days
the average had been reduced to between
SOC and Coo per 100 pounds, but at the ex-
treme close or the week there was a Slight
reaction which left values on a basis OF
about soc per 100 pounds lower than the
average at the close of last week. The
decline in a little over two weeks or since
July 81 has been almost 81 per 100 pounds.
The top price at the high time this week
was S7.45. and at the low time Sc 1924. The
receipts to-day were just fair. being a lit
tie larger than a week ago, but over loo
smaller than a year ago. Practically all
grades were represented and the quality
was equal TO the average recently. Follow
ing a shade better feeling in the market
at the extreme close yesterday and 10 un-
favorable reports from other places this
morning the market opened with very fair
competition between buyers and statesmen
were asking an advance in prices. 1t die
not take long to establish a basis for op-
e~rations and almost from the start with
packers liberal buyers and a fair demand
from other sources the offerings were
changing hands promptly and sales indi-
cate that prices were strong to nc higher
than yesterday and ii seemed to be the
general opinion that the average could be
considered sc higher. a good clearance
was made early and the market CLOSED
steady. Ordinary grassers 10 best heavI
nogs sold from s635d7. and a very largt
proportion of the supply sold above sc. IN
Quotations:
Good to choice medium to heavy. 81. S5d7 q
Mixed and heavy packing. ........ 66566 u
Good 10 choice light weights 49,. s 1876 Z
Common to fair light weights. 6.3566.T
Inferior TO best 5.OOGs =
Roughs and 6.O0d6.6