The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-01-26

The London sales opened with a
good attendance and good competi-
ton, and with available offerings OF
140,O 900 bales. AS compared with the
close of the preceding sales, accord
ing to one cable, merinos were I'M
changed, while good ~crOssbreds were
5@7h per cent higher and low cross
BREEDS 10@12h per cent higher. An
other cable reported merinos and fine
crossbreds Is unchanged, and me-
dunn and low crossbreds k@1d.
higher.
The coarse woods still enjoy rela-
lively a better call than the finer
stock, the grades which are in most
active inquiry being those running
from a half-blood down. excepting
very fine stock, which has sold very
well all along, but ordinary fine and
fine medium stock is not yet highly
active.
As to Prices.
Prices are fairly steady, being firm
err on the lower grades than on the
higher grades. 1t is impossible to
thing in the domestic line, with the
possible exception of certain kinds of
pulled wools. On the other hand,
certain sui who expected this
week to obtain wools at slightly re-
duced prices have been unsuccessful.
Wool moves at very steady prices
when wanted, but the demand just at
the moment is not very large, and
as to speculation there is none of it
whatever in progress.
Territories.
Territories are not as active as
they WERE, but a few large sized lines
have been moved, one concern taking
on about 100000 pounds and a Rhode
Island and a Philadelphia worsted mill
are also reported to have purchased
of territories, the total takings ag-
gregating in the neighborhood of g.
100000 pounds.
Some deals are now understood to
be pending, which may m~aterialiZe
into some large business later. The
buying has been largely for immediate
wants the past week.
Quite a number of the mills using
territories have been represented in
the market, and sample bags have
been taken with considerable freedom,
but a careful canvass of The situation
does not reveal thatsup to this writing
more wool has bten actually sold
than is indicated.
There has been a fairly good inquiry
for half-blood, three-eighths and low
territories, and also for fine terri
tories, while fine medium has been
taken to some extent.
The sales of the past week COM
prise Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and Ne
vada woods, as we'll as Montana. A
we'll known worsted concern bought
a line of Montana wool Of the clip Of
1902, all that the holder had left, esti-
mated at from $50, 900 to 100000
pounds, at a clean cose, it is under
stood, of about a half dollar. Mon
tana woods, however, as a whole, have
thus far moved comparatively slowly.
Among the sales of the week were
100000 pounds of Utah, in the origi-
nal bags, ait 16hc-medium clips,
containing some fine and fine medium,
the woods costing 45@46c, clean; TO-
900 pounds of quarter-blood Utah and
Idaho at zoe, which cost fully 43c,
clean, if not a little more; 10000
pounds fine and fine medium territory
at a clean cost of 48@5Oc; and 2OO,-
900 pounds medium territoryIa at 45c.
Fine Nevada has sold at 52@53c.
On the clean basis, fine medium
territory clothing has sold at 46@48c;
staple at 10000. Strictly fine woods
have sold at 50@53c, for clothing, the
latter, as before stated, for Nevada,
and at 53@55c for staple. Three
Fights and half-blood have been taken
at 45c, and quarter-bloods at 43c. Some
medium Oregon has sold at 1910
in the grease, to cost 44c, clean.
The news from the territories is
that the wool at Boise, Idaho, has
now been nearly all moved, the move
ment having begun with the loading
recently of the well known Noble
clip.
Texas, California and Oregon.
But little interest is shown in Texas
woods. Fall wool has sold moderate.
ly at 15@16c in the grease, costing
44@45c, lcean. For eight months