Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-04-18
Receipts at Chicago We're I'm
expectedly Large and Prices
Declined Today
TOO MANY HALF FAT CATTLE
Market Was Loaded Down With This
Glass of stuff-Export Demand Was
Fairly Active-Hoss Were Also in
Large Supply and Prices Declined 10
to IS Cents.

Chicago, April 1S.--Cattle--Today re-
ceipts were unexpectedly large. The
opening trade was slow at q decline OF
10@15. The market was loaded down
with half fat cattle and a fair pro-
portion of pretty good cattle. Sales OF
beef steers We're largely at 4.10@510
with a fairly active export demand at
4.6005.10. Cows and heifers were fair
ly active at decline, but the stocker
and feeder trade was only moderate.
The cold. backward spring weather
is favorable to the meat trade, and, nc
doubt. has assisted the demand con-
siderably since the middle of las:
month. A sudden rise in the tempera-
ture would probably make differences
in the demand and possibly in the IN
quiry for the fat cattle on the market
1t would be we'll. therefore. to ship az
conservatively as possible until the
market gets down on a stable basis. 1t
ply of cattle will be more than normal
for the next six weeks. and the ma
jority of those who are marketing their
cattle now are of the opinion that the
feed lots are comparatively empty. 1t
is never possible to get even an APP
proximate estimate of the number OF
cattle on feed in territory tributary to
Chicago, for the field is so large that
there are generally more than the es-
timators figure on. There has not been
much change in the general range OF
prices for a month or more. Choice
cattle continue scarce. but in spite OF
that fact buyers are not willing to
give more than steady prices. They
are no higher than they were month
ago. yet buyers say that they can not
get as many as they need to Till tho
demand. Prime cattle are about a dol
lar higher than the medium grades.
yet shippers of these finished steers
say they are not any more than break
ing even on the expense of getting
them fat. Feeders have been COM
planning that the price of cattle is too
low. but the trouble has been that the
price of the feed has been too high.
Hogs.
Universal surprise is expressed at the
large supply and buyers found it an
easy matter to force prices 1OM15 low
er. Sales We're slow, largely at 1850
$40.
The fresh meat trade is none too
good, and packing operations here have
been very small of late. Supplies a.
eastern points have been fairly large
during the week, and tho there has
been a fair demand here from eastern
concerns the high range of values rui-
ing has kept many orders away.
OF late the market has shown a
weaker tendency receipts in the pasr
few days being heavier in proportion To
arrivals at the start of last week. ana
the bearish tactics practiced by loca,
packers have lowered prices in many
instances close to 10 cents from the
high point on Wednesday.
There is at present q pretty good de
mand for light weight hogs of good
quality. the eastern shipping demand
has taken quite fancy to them or
late. but the slim proportion of we'll
hogs weighing 24O pounds and
up will hold these at premium as Ions
as the general average weight of hogs
coming runs as low as at present.
The average weight of hogs for last
month was the lightest March average
in a period of more than ten years,
and, as hogs are coming at present, the
April average will be lower than 70.
March. Scarcity and poor quality OF
corn are the factors responsible for
hogs being marketed at light weight at
present.
Sheep.
Demand was active at steady to ten
lower prices. There was q good ex-
port demand for best flocks.
The volume of sheep and lambs ar
irving last week shows a small IN
crease over the week before and quite
a large increase compared with a year
ago. The shipments of sheep to east
ern points and for feeding purpose.
and also to England show very heavy
increase being about twice as large as
the previous week and constituting
nearly ne-fourth of the entire receipts.
A year ago almost no sheep were be-
ing shipped out. Receipts during the
week reached the highest point of the
season, with fancy clipped ewes SELL
ing up to $3.50. light export wethers at
$40 and heavy export wethers at
s5.250535.