East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1909-01-07
CATTLE FAMINE
BOOSTS PRICES
FOUR DOLLARS IS PAID
FOR SELECT COWS
Great Shortage In All Lines OF Live
stock Is Particularly Noticeable In
Cattle--Shippers Unable to Get
Their Beef TO Railroads and Shun
Danger Of Having Them Frozen In
Transit.

| today, and receipts are less than q
quarter of what the present demand
| justifles. There Is call for livestock
and especially cattle from every dlrec-
ton with the wants Of the trade un-
filled because of the cold weather,
which makes shipments nigh impos-
slble. Interior shippers can not get
their cattle to the railroads, and even
when there they are unwilling to take
chances Of having them frozen while
In transit.
"There is a great shortage of cattle
just now" says C. c. Colt of the Union
Meat company, "and while prices are
higher we are unable to secure enough
TO fill our wants. From present indi-
cations there will be a shortage in
beef supplies for a while, but unless
present weather conditions continue l
do not fear. real famine"
Cows Up Quarter Again.
Price OF cows is showing another
advance OF 25c in the local yards, as
result of the extreme scarcity of sup
plies and the extra liberal demand.
While the regular tabulated sales can
not be given in this report today be-
cause the weights have not yet been
secured, 1t is known positively that
cows have sold up to 81 for extra Sc
lect quality, this being about Csc
above regular quotations of a few days
ago. While no sales of steers are re-
ported beyond s4.75 the market Is
firmer, and considering the quality
that brought this figure, select quail
ity would sell around s4.9O, or even
fraction better The exact figures
can not be told, however, until actual
sales are made, and when they are the
transactions are always recorded in
this column.
Now market is firm, but no sales
are reported beyond $6.40.
Sheep market Is firmer, with no
arrivals since Monday.
The following is the general range
OF values on stock ruling in the yards
for late shipments:
Hogs-Best east of mountains,
$6.4O; ordinary, s6@6.25; blockers
and china fats, $50; stockers and
feeders, IS.
Cattle-Best steers. weighing 1900
pounds. $4.75; medium steers. s4.25@
$50; poor steers, $4,000; best cows
SS.75@4; medium cows. $39S.50.
Sheep-Best wethers, IS; ordinary
wethers. s4.5O@4.75; lambs, s5@5.25;
straight ewes, $3.50; mixed lots. s4-25.
Veal-Choice, young calves, s4.50Q
8; heavy rough, SS.7544.
Values Lower Abroad.
Chicago, Jan. 6.-opening values on
wheat abroad were lower today, but
the tone became flrmer during the
session and the closing was firmer. |
At Liverpool wheat started weak, kd[
lower, but closed unchanged from yes
terday.
This market showed a bulge in |
price at the start, short covering be-
ing the cause of the activity at high
er prices. May wheat went to 107 rs,
or 3-Sc above yesterdays closing. July
started the same sum higher at CSC.
The greatest strength at the opening
was shown 5-Sc above Tuesdays bid.
An excellent cash call had consid-
erable influence with the trade during
the first half of the session, and this
induced considerable buying back by
those who had sold short. Minneapo-
lis reported spot wheat very irm.
with No. northern selling at a prem
um Of 1c over the May. Minneapolis
mills were the buyers OF the cash
stuff
After the opening the strength was
continued for about an hour. Turning
lull, the tone became weaker and this
brought forward more selling.
Ill..... Ilrol.I.... CLAI....l