The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-05-05

lines that it is possible today for
buyers to cur the most favorable
terms.
New Woods.
Confronted with such a quiet de-
mand and with the outlook for manu-
featuring not altogether what could
be desired, the members of the east
ern trade say that they are inclined
to be conservative in the matter OF
purchasing new woods and yet such
new clips as are taken in the west
are sold at prices which are fully one
cent above those paid last year and
in some cases two cents above. Re-
ports are conflicting as to the actual
amount of purchasing which is being
done in the territories. Some reports
state the desirable clips are being
sold as fast as offered, others that
the wool buyers are doing but little.
The truth is that the eason is a back
ward one in many localities, which
may account to some extent for the
fact that thus far not nearly as much
wool has been bought for eastern &C.
couna as was taken up to this date
last year. In Utah there is reported
to have been a considerable amount
of buying the past week, the woods
costing Acc, clean, laid down, and be-
ing pretty short woods at that. Shear
ing is now quite general in Utah, Wy
oming and southern Idaho. AS a rule,
eastern buyers are not willing to put
their money into woods at prices
which the growers want, and it is pos
sible that this year more of the new
woods will be taken by purchasers
from the middle west than by pur-
chasers from the east.
Texas, California and Oregon.
Texas woo's have been lifeless in
the local market, although in the state
of Texas the new woods have been
selling at prices ranging from lac to
15Ac for eight months stock. Ask
ing prices in the local market are
above the ideas of the buyers.
California woods are in very mod
crate movement. A few lots have
been moved at a cost equivalent to
SOC, clean, for nice northern stock,
47@48c for middle county wool and
43@45c for good fall woods. The clip
on the California-Orego frontier
promises to be as good in every re-
spect as it was last year, but there is
a good deal of speculation as to how
this and last years prices will com.
pare. Considerable shearing has
been done there already, where the
plan of shearing before Landing has
been adopted by a good many sheep
men, notably in Warner valley, Ore
gon, and Surprise valley, California.
Oregon wool in the local market is
somewhat more active, the volume OF
business being increased by the sale
of about 100000 pounds of clothing
wool. The sale was made on private
terms, but the price is understood to
have been within the range of 14@15c
Good staple Oregon is quoted at 100
tic, and Valley Oregon about 10000
for best No. /.
Territories.
Territory woods have sold somewhat
more freely, but the business has been
in spots, and the bulk of the business
consists of two Or three %good-sized
sales, one of which is reported t O have
been about 100000 pounds of fine
medium clothing Montana to be used
in army contracts. This wool was
bought reasonably and is said to have
cost in the neighborhood of Acc, clean.
Included in the business OF the week
was another sale of about 500, 900
pounds to a Philadelphia dress goods
mill at about 48c, clean, it is reported.
One house reports the sale of a few
hundred thousand pounds of territory, |
mostly fine staple, which brought,
some of it, as much as 53c, clean; !
but that price is a very exceptional
one in these days, except for an I'M
usually choice article. 1t takes IN ex-
cellent wool to bring over soc, clean.
Good fine medium wool has sold at
47@4Sc, and medium at prices rang-(
ing from 43 to 45c. There does not
seem to be as much difference in price
between a fine medium and a medium
territory as there often is. Thus one
manufacturer who will not pay over
46c, clean, for a fine medium, will
pay as much as 44Rc for a medium.