Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-08-17
Sheep Men Of Wyoming Hit Hard
BY Prices and Con-
dtions.
ZERO WEATHER AND DROUTH
Average Price for Wool From SIX 20
Ten Gents Below That Re.
ccivcd Last Year.
Especial TO Tho Naval

cheyenne, Wyo.. Aug Twin
Shcaring at an end the hockmasters OF
wyoming are able to estimate profits
or losses as tho case may be- for the
season Of 1910 so far as the wool clip
ls concerned at least. and unless those
who stored or consigned their wool re-
ceiye better prices than offerings 10
date. the average price received for the
wyoming product will fan from 10
~ ana even l2 cents below the prices
obtained for the same clips a year ago.
I'm 1909 the 4s7s,125 sheep OF wyoming
produced iOO00.62i pounds of wool.
Whlch returned to the owners the gross
sum OF Ss,of6,l33. The neeces averaged
" pounds, shrinking 81 per cent, and
the secured product aggregated ~, 500
lsS pounds Range conditions were
ideal last year, and owners received tho
highest prices In the history OF tho
range sheep business
But what difference IN the present
year is noted FOR instead of ideal range
conditions, favorable weather. high
prices for wool and mutton, Just the re-
verse has obtained, and unless all
signs fail many nockmasters viii be
years recovering from the effects OF the
uniavorable conditions of the past nine
months.
Last fall the Wyoming hocks never
looked better and with range feed ga
lore the hockmasters looked forward 70
n profitable season. but early in De-
cember the worst storms i'm the recoi-
lection Of the oldest pioneers visited the
state, covering the ranges with snow
and Ice, and accompanied by temporal
lures that seldom arose above zero
This continued for nearly 10 weeks, and
when good weather finally did prevail
and the owners counted the sheep left,
4.
disastrous In the extreme 20 many own
ers.
LAMB CROP SMALL
Aside from the actual losses in num-
bers Of sheep. the storms came during
the breeding season. with the result
that In some instances less than half
lamb crop was secured last spring.
and the limb crop for the entire state
would not average more than 50 per
cent During the storms the owners
were compelled 10 feed hay and grain.
and this additional expense made profit
impossible even where the actual loss
In sheep was small II Is estimated
That in the three counties Of Converse.
Natrona and Fremont owners paid out
more than $3.50 600 for hay and grain.
and the freight thereon. hauled from
the east and delivered at towns along
the Chicago 81 Northwestern railway.
HIT HARD BY DRoUTH.
This summer range conditions ap-
peared TO be ideal and the fiockmasters
thought they would recuperate their
winter losses. but a drouth soon SET
In and continued until a few DAYS ago
with the result there Is no feed for fail
and winter and owners are shipping
their holdings TO market. there TO OBJ
tain whatever the packers choose TO
pay for the animals Lambs are bring
ing a fair price. but other classes ~
sheep are on. with conditions continu-
Ing another 30 days there will be wit
messed the heaviest shipments Of sheen
from Wyoming In the history OF tho
industry, for owners must either
market their stun, or see II starve.
RECEIPTS CUT IN HALF.
II is estimated that wyoming's wool
clip for 1910 viii aggregate about 99.0 o0.-
900 pounds, as against a. 600. 900 pounds
for 1909. And FOR this clip the growers
viii probably not receive more than
one-half as much In the aggregate as
they did for the 1909 clip, the difference
being due to the loss OF sheep and
the lighter feeces and the very low
price Of wool this year.
Some clips have been sold outright
at prices ranging from 1917 TO II cents.
the same clips last year bringing from
IS to % cents The bulk of the wool
that has left the state has been sent
on consi gnment. or has been stored in
warehouses AZ Omaha, Chicago. Boston
or Philadelphia. IL Is estimated that
wool aggregating 5000 600 pounds IL
still stored In the state. being piled up
at the shearing pens or stored In
county association warehouses.