Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-12-16
Offerings Mostly Light and of
Common Grade--Prices Cover
a Wide Range
SHIPPERS HOLDING THEIR HOGS
Many Thruout tho Corn Belt Refuse
to Ship Their Loads at tho Recent
Decline-Packcrs Will Not Pay High
Prices--Market steady-sheep Mar
ket Booming.

Chicago, Dec. 16. Cattle The
trade was dull at unchanged prices
most OF the light offerings being of
common grade Prices have shown a
remarkably wide, range this week and
holiday cattle are pretty well sold, and
from now on sales above $3.50 promise
to be rare.
outside markets of the excessive num-
Der Of underfed cattle coming" said a
commission man. within the next
thirty or sixty days those parties now
marketing such stock will be saying,
If my foresight was only as good as
my hindsight I would be out of sight
"There may be few shipments of
cattle from the northwest range in the
next several weeks" remarked COM
mission man, but they will not cut
any figure with the general market--a
fact most pleasing to owners of nat
i've cattle that usually come into direct
competition with them"
few lots of choice steers were here
yesterday, nine head of fancy LOO lib
Argus steers from the Iowa experiment
station selling up to $7.25. while one
lot Of Angus and Galloway beeves went
at 81, with three-load string OF choice
Herefords at $6.45. However, sales a.
bove $5.75 were not numerous tho de-
mand for the choice kinds was broad
enough to clear liberal run Of these
grades.
Hogs.
Hogs-Many stockmen turnout the
corn belt refuse to part with hogs at
the recent decline in prices, and this
accounts for the great falling off IN
receipts. Packers will not pay high
prices and hogs are only about ten
higher than last Saturday Today's
market was steady with a good de-
mand
II look for a let-up in the liberal
marketing of hogs for the next few
weeks anyway. basing my opinion on
the belief that great numbers of the
hogs contracted for delivery this month
have been marketed" said a trader.
MANY shippers will lay low for the
time being, seeing IL they can get a
line on the future markets. However,
do not understand me to imply the hogs
are not In the country, for the woods
are full Of en-
cone hears inquiry as to why this
tail-end of the old crop was held back,
said a hog man. "rhere are several
reasons. One is that in many sections
of the country no old corn was avail
able for finishing them. In good health
ana doing well on grass, they were
not source of anxiety to owners
But salient reason was the lack OF
demand for heavy packing hogs dur
Ing the strike, and growers even In
districts where old corn was to be had
did not dare ship them. Packers had
no means of handling heavy stock and
refused, all thru the strike to buy
anything that could not walk. 1t was
market exclusively for light and
butcher weights practically all summer
and es shippers would not look at
heavy packers pleasantly, they had to
stay IN pastures"
White bulish sentiment is by nc
means rampant in hog market circles
at present there is an element of the
talent, which insists that after this be-
lated tail-end of the old crop is in,
there will be gap, continuing until
the late narrowed section Of the spring
pig crop is ready for the butcher. This
some element contends that the mar
ket has been dragging on the bottom
of the winter packing season for two
weeks past.
Sheep.
Sheep - Booming prices, resulting
from strong general demand, have
started more sheep and lambs to the
market, bit supplies have proved In
adequate and prices advanced all a
long line, followed late yesterday by a
decline of 1O@25 in sheep. Today
ready sales were made at steady prices
for both sheep and lambs.
'There is danger that this squirt In
the sheep and. lamb market will en-
courage some owners to forward stock
that lack requisite finish" suggested a
salesman. "They could not make q
greater mistake. My advice to feeders
is. do not market sheep or lambs until
they are in good fat condition. This
season feeders have everything to gain
by pursuing such policy"
"Sheep and lamb feeders have GER
tainly got things pretty much their own
way this season." commented we'll
posted commission man. "While Colo
RADIO feed lots contain more of the
woody tribe than in the history Of that
state Nebraska has not got an over
supply, Kansas parties are not feeding
their usual supply, and 1t is patent
fact that northern and eastern feed
ers are not operating anyways near
on a normal scale"