Fergus County Democrat. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-1919, 1904-11-22
All Glasses and Grades of Stock are
Rapidly Becoming Smaller on
Eastern Markets.
PURCHASED ON The SLEEPS BACK
Conditions Unequdled in twenty-five
YedrS---SenSatiOnal Advance
in Australians.

The boom in the wool market OF the
country is now the greatest since
| 1879 and has been unprecedented dur
ing any period in the last twenty five
years. All grades of stock are rapidly
becoming smaller and prices are grad
ually advancing. The supply OF wool
in the United States at the present
time is the least on hand for years,
and the wool which buyers would not
purchase three months ago is taken
eagerly now at fancy prices. During
the past week, according to the New
York Commercial, there has been Il
sensational advance in the price of
wool in Australia which has been ma
terially felt in this country.
According to the Commercial there
will be no wool left unsold in the
west by shearing time the staple
article already being contracted at ad-
vanced figures on the sleeps back.
Continuing, that paper says:
| AS stocks of wool in the Boston
market become smaller, demand seems
to be more urgent. All classes of
stock are now very limited. There
are more heavy shrinkage woods than
of any other kind. These consumers
would not have them three months
ago, but they are buying them now
and paying prices which will make
wool cost them, clean, as high as G5 to
10 cents, the latter price for the
heavy shrinkage fine staple Wyoming.
All grades Of staple are sought and
bought up as fast rs negotiations can
be completed. Large manufacturers
have been among the buyers this
week, medium-sized mills have taken
all the good territory they could get
and some Philadelphia dealers have
been picking up quarter-blood fleeces.
The sensation of the week has been
the advice from Australia Of very lib
eral buying Of crossbreds and merinos
at about 10 per cent advance over last
years prices. Americans have been
the most liberal purchasers SO far in
that market and their private cables
indicate that the market there is re-
markably strong and active, prices
having advanced materially since the
opening.
One much desired clip sold at l6,d
which is I'D higher than last season,
while l6ad has been paid for merinos
and l3td for crossbreds, in fact
Americans have paid pricess there
which will make the wool cost clean
and landed from 30 to % cents. AS Il
result crossbreds have been advanced
here and the prices now run about as
follows: Wool spinning 40s, 48 cents;
4Gs, 56 cents; SOS, 65 cents; 7Os, S:N0s5
cents: 7Os and above, Ss{09O cents.
A good Australian quarter, shrink
cents, costing clean 56l cents, while
domestic quarters, shrinking A per
cent, are now held for :}3 cents or 50
cents clean, and 3ls cents has been
paid for good Indiana wool, delivered.
1t will be seen, therefore, that do
nestle quarters are up to the import
ing point. Strength in Australians
has stitfened all fine wools.
Boston operators continue to buy
heavily in Argentina and are reported
to have taken Il larger quantity of
staple than in any previous year to
this date, paying from 23l to % cents
for the best crOssbreds, costing, at
the latter figure, 36 cents landed in
Boston. duty paid. These woods,
therefore, must fetch at least 81 cents
or 50 cents clean. Local people are
likewise securing Europe, and one
New England mill is reported to be
making extensive purchases there.
In the west, if reports are to be be-
licyed. there will be little of the 1905
ciipunsold when the sheep are sheared.
Over 20,000,000 pounds of Utah, Idaho
and Montana are already contracted
for. This week - cents has been paid
for 1905 Utah, 20 cents for Idaho and
over 20 cents for Montana. On the
whole dealers have to track back to
1879 for time when the statistical
situation of wool was anything like
the present, the booms Of 1897 and
1899 being insignificant in comparison.