East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1908-11-02
BAD MONTH FOR
CATTLE PRICES
Beef Prices Reached Bedrock and
Grief Came to Shippers of Hogs
A Slight improvement In Pork,
Though Steer Market Is Very
Wcak-Wheat Market Of World
Seems TO BE Unsettled.
(RY Hyman II. Cohen.l

nave gone 10 the DON-NOh5 Oll SSNSl al
occasions, and it took strong heart
to remain firm.
Steer prices, and in fact, all cattle
prices struck the bottom Of the well;
the price Of steers being weak even at
the low level. While from this there
has been no advance up to the pres
ent time, the indications are that con-
dltlons will improve somewhat be-
fore long.
TO the shipper Of hogs October has
been month full of sorrows, for
while prices never really touched a
rulnous figure. values are consider
ably below the high market, from
where the slump started. Already
there has been a slight improvement
in the price Of hogs, but it is not now
expected that any further improve
ment Of note will be shown in that
! line for several weeks or a month.
While the run Of hogs was not 50 lib
era as last week, when the price
touched the bottom. 1t just about suit
ed the demand.
Steer Market Is Very Slow.
To the steer market there seems not
the slightest show for improvement
in the near future. As long as grass
fed stuff is showed off onto the mar
ket, there will be a lack of support
TO prices. Packers requirements in
the steer line at this time are very
email. because most Of them are al
ready filled up with cheap-prlced
stock. This will cause the improve
ment TO be postponed for a longer
time than would have otherwise been
the case. Among the livestock COM
mission handlers the opinion is gem
eral that the market for steers will
not do much better for fully month,
or until the grass-fed stuff is out OF
the way.
While there is a slow call for steers
the demand for COWS and heifers is
liberal, but prices are not of the best.
There is an especial good call for
speyed he.fers because of their low
price, considering the quality.
Sheep market showed more liberal
arrivals during the past six days; to-
tai arrivals reaching 1901 head. COM I
pared with 112S for last week and
1875 for the previous six days. Dur
ing the past week there was not the
slightest change in sentiment m the .
sheep market from what ruled the
previous six days and all prices are
unchanged,
Following is the general range OF
values on stock ruling in the yards for
late shipments
Hogs-Best east of mountains, So
20; ordinary. Sc; blockers and China
fats. $5n $50; stockers and feeders, .
$475q5.
Cattle-Select east of mountains
steers, 1915; medium steers, $3.50
$50, ordinary $S,25; medium cows,
$2G2.25; stage, $2.5OQS; bulls, $l.75
az.
Sheep-Best wethers, $3.50; ordi-
nary wethers, $3.25; lambs, $S.9OQ4;
straight ewes SO; mixed lots, $2.5OQ
$2.75.
Veals-Choiee young calves, $4.5O;
heavy ad rough, $35004.
Wheat Market Unsettled.
Chicago, oct. 31.-Liverpool show
ed Indifference to the strength dis
played here yesterday That, and the
absence of export demand for Ameri-
can wheat were the bearish features.
Matters connected with the most vital
features of the domestic situation
were bullish. There were only 445
cars at Minneapolis and Duluth COM
pared with 504 the like day in 1901.
Weather was frosty and favorable
for marketing by farmers if so dis
posed, but haste on their part appear
ed no longer to exist. The market
was bearishly affected by an Argen-
tine cable that said the frost damage
to wheat was light and fully compen-
sated for by the increased acreage. u,
An estimate of the worlds shipments ,
for the week made the total about g. =,
)00, 900 bushels. There was no relief
to the stagnation of business until
near the end of the session when fur
her pressure of offerings was caus- ,
ing increased weakness. December
wheat closed at 81 and May at $1.03
3-S, being about 5-Sc decline in each =.
FOR the day
There was firm feeling I'm corn,
although for some time past the
rade was very small. Receipts con- q,
inued light. but the weather ideal >,
'or curing corn. With the early
downward tendency of wheat scalp
ng operations i'm corn rather favored :.
he selling side, so that early slight :
gains were soon converted to loss. :,
liverpool was from unchanged to
sd lower. Sample market was
weak, and prices from l to &c lower. :
losing prices showed considerable y,
oss, and were at the lowest point OF !
he day. Sharp decline in the cash ;,
market was responsible for the heav- .
ness of feeling at the close. :,
In oats there was dull buying and II
elling of no particular significance n
rom a speculative standpoint. Re-
'eipts were moderate, and also ship f
nents. Prices were for the most "
,art a trifle under the closing figures u
II the day previous. Offerings in the h
ample market were readily taken at II
,rices of the day before. b
Oppressive influence OF heavy re-
eipts of hogs of very poor quality
vas the prominent influence on the c