The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-08-30
LARGE AGGREGATE OF WOOL is
SOLD.
IT CAUSES A SURPRISE
Early Renewed Activity stirs Up Mar
ket and Tightens Prices-Ter-
ritory in Great Demand.

Big in the aggregate amount Of wool
sold by dealers to manufacturers and
busy in all departments from the or
rand boy up to the merchant himself.
The receiving, sorting and shipping of
supplies occupies the attention of a
large force of employees, says the Bos-
ton Commercial Bulletin.
The early renewal of activity has
been a surprise. The demand has
come from some of the largest con-
sumers who were thought to be tenn
porarily we'll filled. They have taken
large blocks in some instances, espec-
tally of Montana woods, supplies still
in the original sacks and also good
sized lots from the graded piles. The
worsted manufacturers have been
prominent in the buying, showing that
the reported Improvement in worsted
goods is mot a myth.
Fine merino Australian has been
given attention after weeks and weeks
of neglect. 1t would not take a very
big movement to clean up all the fine
Australian on the market. Manufacture
ers have evidently heard from Europe.
Another development of the week in
the foreign wool situation is the ru-
mored offering to several dealers of
Argentine o%ne-quarter blood for No
vember shipment at Cd delivered in
Boston.
Interesting Price Features.
In the price situation there are some
interesting features. In the opinion
of many dealers it is a 60-cent mar
ket for fine territory, which even then
is about the cheapest thing offering.
AS to domestic one-quarter blood
fleece there is a wide difference of
opinion. A considerable line of Mich
igan one-quarter and three-eighths is
reported sold at 29c. Yet there are
holders of Ohio straight one-quarter
blood who are looking for customers
at Csc, and not finding them.
The advance in secured woods seems
to be the only upturn. Every grade
is higher, the me showing the most
advance, selling in one instance at 3
cents better than a week ago. The
general advance in secured woods has
been / to 3 cents a pound. B super
has been traded in between dealers
at 47kc.
All manufacturers and dealers agree
that the market is very strong. Only
some unforeseen calamity, such as
the shutting down of much machin-
cry, can cause a break.
The Mills.
The conditions at manufacturing
c~enters are satisfactory and hopeful.
There is but little machinery idle and
the prospects for employment are
good. Manufacturers. do not expect
any serious break in the prosperous
condition. The initial business in
mems lightweight fabrics is as salts
factory as commission merchants and
manufacturers expected. Clothiers
have not overbought and there is
therefore no likelihood of heavy can
cellations, while the promise is ex
cellent for a good duplicate movement
Enough has developed to show that il
is to be a worsted season. The dis
tribution of sample pieces of fancy
worsteds is reported far in excess ol
any previous season for some years
In this respect the goods market
shows a distinct gain.
Foreign Markets.
There is nothing definite heard from
Australia or South America in regard
to the new clips of those regions
There will be some increase, it is
said, in the Australian clip, but it is
, too early to estimate how much. BOs
ton buyers are preparing to start fol
) the archipelago or are already or
the way. The offerings Of Argentine
: ~crossbreds for November shipment
here are referred to elsewhere, bu'
are believed to be dead wool Or small
lots of the early shorn woods. How
ever, the seller may be specializing
with wool on the sleeps back or have
!. secured an option on some of the
l clip.
There is no important news from
$ London. Europe is very strong on all
grades and getting specially firm or
merinos. The next London auction
sales are expected to show an advance
A sale of sheepskins was held ir
London Thursday. The offerings mum
, lha.od oAnE haiaa Mhano uaa lannc