The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-06-28
THEIR DAYS
| ARE EXCITING
WooLBuYERs GET TASTE OF
STRENUOUS LIFE.
GROWER MUCH SOUGHT Man
Lively Diminishing for Clips charac.
| terizes Seasons Trade-AImost
Fatality.
GROWER MUCH SOUGHT MAN

" Strenuous these days is the life OF
| the woolbuyer who has invaded Mon
tana on his annual quest for the sta
pie that has made the state famous
and dealing in which has given Boston
a fame even greater than it earned
years ago because of it's culture and
refinement. There will be compare
lively little doing when the regular
market opens, July 5, for the larger
of the clips, and many of the smaller
ones, for that matter, have been pick
ed up at private sale and only few
remain to be disposed of on the
exchange.
Because of the scarcity of the article
| and the eagerness of the dealers to
acquire all the wool possible the sea-
son thus far has been marked by ex-
treme activity, which began when the
clips of Wyoming and the other states
to the south and west were about to
be placed upon the market. Without
waiting for the wool to be concentrat-
ed at the customary depots where
the buyers meet annually and in open
competition bid for the clips offered,
the agents of the eastern houses
struck out for the ranges and made
private bids. The prices offered were
as rule so much better than the
| flockmasters had anticipated that they
! promptly accepted them and before
any one realized it the wool had all
been sold. -
Continued in Montana.
With the Utah and Wyoming clips
cleaned up, the buyers came to Mon
atna and weeks ago the first sales
| were reported, wool was sold that
was still on the animals backs. It
was thought that after the few very
large clips had been gathered in pri-
vate buying would cease and the
buyers would be content to await the
opening ofz,the regular market. In
stead, however, they continued maxi
ing private purchases, and are still
buying all they can get. This skir-
mishing has had the result that while
| wool has been arriving at the different
| warehouses, there has been an
almost total absence of buyers in
the city, while the sellers apparently
are even more conspicuous by their
absence.
New, But Welcome.
The experience the sheepmen are
having this year is new, but vel.
come one. Whereas they have here,
tofore been obliged to bring their
product to the market and await the
pleasure of the buyers, this year they
find themselves much sought after by
those same gentlemen and are re.
ceiving visits from them at their
ranches. Up and down the different
railroads the buyers have been sour.
rying ever since they arrived in the
state and many are the trips by buggy
and on horseback that have been
made to out-ofJthe-way places in
search of men who were known to
have wool for sale.
Its Effect Locally.
The result of reverting to the old
method of buying at private sale has
had its effect upon local trade condi.
tions. The groups of f1ockmasters
that annually have been a feature
about town since the competitive sys-
tenn was instituted are not to be seen
this year. Being able to sell without
leaving home, they are not coming
in, except singly, as some of them
are doing, to draw their money from
the banks upon which they are given
checks. In consequence the hotels
and merchants are missing the squirt
OF easy money and increased business
of other years. Later on the mer-
chants expect to do the usual trading,
for even though wool may be sold at
home, the journey to the city must be
made to lay in supplies, and the bust.
ness now wanting will come in due
time.
Comes from Far OFF.
Some of the wool now receiving at