The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-09-22
itself this month remains to be e
Expecting Big Buyers.

Inor6 are some members OL Jue
trade who feel sure that certain big
| buyers, who have been out OF the
market for a very long time, are
! getting ready to buy large amounts
of wool. These buyers have taken
| some wool during the past week, but
no very large amounts. Many mer-
chants are expecting to see a good
duplicate business in light weights,
which will be reflected in a ac-
tive demand for wool, and in the
meantime are holding pretty firmly
on their woods. If they should sell
them, they cannot replace them to ad-
vantage, and with available supplies
of wool small, with manufacturers
lightly stocked and foreign markets
firm, the sanguine members of the
trade are confident that a demand will
develop in due course of time which
will take care of the bulk of the woods
on the market.
While, as before stated, certain
grades of wool which are in largest
supply may be secured on slightly
more favorable terms than they could
have been a month ago., which is u.s.
ually the case after such a long quiet
spell as w have had, there is not
sufficient change as yet in market
prices to warrant any general reduc-
ton in the range of quotations as CIV
en- by us, and, for the most part, the
market is fully as steady as could be
expected under the circumstances. In
fact, it may be said to have held up
remarkably we'll. Much the same con-
ditions prevail abroad, the situation
being reflected in the London sales
which opened with good competition
and an available supply of 100000
bales. AS compared with the close OF
the preceding auctions merinos and
fine crossbreds were unchanged, but
medium and low crossbreds showed
In advance of ~ per cent. This was
about what had been expected.
Texas, California and Georgia.
For eight months Texas woods a
fairly good inquiry is reported as well
as for twelve months, but the best
twelve months woods have been sold.
OF eight-months' stock some fair-sized
sales have been made at 17kc in the
grease, equivalent to a clean cost of
soc. The best twelve months would
sell readily at 55c. The sheep men in
Texas are about ready to shear the
fall wool.
California woods continue to attract
some attention, although holders
have not yet succeeded in consummat-
ing any very large business. A sale Of
about 0 1000 pounds Of twelve months
northern woods of fair staple has been
made at 51@52c, clean. They are in
demand for kerseys. A little defective
| California has been moved at 32hc.
In Suffer county, Cal, fall wool is re-
| ceiving offers of l2Ac.
Georgia woods continue to sell in a
moderate way, and we note further
sales within the range of 24@24hc, in
the neighborhood of $4,000 pounds be-
ing closed out at the latter quotatnion.
Oregon woods are showing some &C
tivity, with fair sales at 15c for cloth
ing and 17@17hc for staple woods.
Territory Woods.
In territory woods the demand has
been streaky and irregular. One or
two houses report that they have put
through a fair-sized business, but the
large territorial houses as a rule, re-
port the amount of business actually
done as very small. The demand still
runs mostly to the medium and quar-.
ter-blood woods, as before stated, OF
which the stock is limited.
Fine and fine medium woods have
moved to a comparatively small extent,
although ON manufacturers evince a
little more disposition to look at them
and are at this writing considering
offers on a few good-sized lines. Fine
medium has sold at 48@5Oc, clean;
fine at 50@52c; fine staple at 53@55c
medium at about 45c; and quarter
blood sells readily at zoe in the grease
or at 43c, clean. Quite a good-sizeG
line of Arizona, grading fine and fine
medium, was sold the past week a
/ 16@16kc, costing 47c. clean. This
was average wool. Fine medium Idaho
has sold at 16c, costing 48c, clean;
a line of $4,000 pounds of medium
Idaho of fair length sold at 17Ac
Another line of $4,000 pounds of New