Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-04-18
GOOD WOOL SEASON.
Reports From All Sections Show That
Sheep Have Wintered Well.

Sheep Have Wintered Well.
Chicago, April 1S.-Reports received
from nearly all sections of the coun-
try indicate that sheep have wintered
| unusually WE'LL and that with the
| usual amount of spring rains an ex-
celent wool clip, well grown, and of
light shrinkage, will be shorn, says the
Shepherds Bulletin. In some locali-
ties the woods will be of lighter shrink
age than those last year, as, for in
stance in Nevada. Wyoming and Utah.
as we'll as in Arizona. Another light
shrinkage clip is indicated from Idaho,
as well as from Montana, Range con-
ditions have favored a good growth OF
| wool, as in many localities the sheep
had longer period of good grass be-
fore the snow came on, and In num-
Der of sections abundant rains have
caused the fleeces to be freer from dirt.
Some of the early Arizona woods We're
characterized by defect, but taking the
territorities west of the Mississippi
river as whole, indications are that
the wool f1bers will be fully as long
and sound as usual. Losses of sheep
have been small, and the new season,
| in short, is about to open under favor
able auspices.
All that is, of course. very crafty
| ing to those wool merchants who took
such long chances last fell when they
contracted fer the 1905 wool clip. Con-
| tracing at that time for the following
seasons wool clip was an absolute
gamble, the character and extent of
| thethe yield being necessarily an UNI
known quantity, with a winter ahead
which was just as likely to prove an
unfavorable one for a clean and ex-
cellent growth of wool as a favorable
one, so far as human knowledge could
determine. Weather conditions might
have been such as to cause difference
| of several cents per pound in the In
| trinsic worth of the wool. Severe and
trying weather, or insufficiency of food,
might have caused the growth of a
weak and short fiber, or an absence
| of a proper amount of snow might
have caused a heavier shrinkage from
dirt, or destructive storms might have
decimated whole focks of sheep, whose
woods had been contracted for.
Luckily, however, weather conditions
have favored those who contracted last
fall for the 1905 clip and it is now
claimed by several that the woods
which were contracted for at that time
will prove to be the cheapest woods
which will be bought this season. This
claim, is, of course, based partly on the
assumption that there are to be no
untoward developments in the goods
market or in the wool market at the
seaboard, which would cause break
in the price of wool before shearing is
completed or would lead growers to
make concessions. Such of the early
| shorn woods as have thus far been
| taken have cost fully as much or more
| than the early contracts were made at,
and notwithstanding the intense quiet
ness which has so long prevailed in the
| seaboard market, the new clip woods
| have continued to be contracted for at
high prices.
1t is certainly a remarkable situa-
| ton, and it's final outcome will be
awaited with much interest. 1t is con-
coded that the new woods will prove
attractive to consumers-fully as much
so as they were last year, when it will
be remembered, the large manufacture
ers came into the market early and
quickly absorbed the bulk of the clip.
Will they do so again? That is one of
the questions which is now agitating
the minds of the trade, whose lofts are
bare of wool. The correct answer to
that question will depend partly on
| the size of supplies now in the hands
of consumers, and the character of the
| developments in the goods market.
No Limit to His Speed.
| [Denver Times.]
Vice Chancellor Stevenson was dis
cussing in Trenton, the art of cross
4 examination.
"The successful cross-examiner ex-
cites" he said, "his witness. 1t is on