East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1910-01-03
BRIEF SURVEY OF
YEARS STOCK MARKET
nnCORDS IN ALL LINES
SMASHED TO PIECES
hogs Sell at Highest Price In U. s..
Since Civil War-Cattlc at Highest
Price Ever Paid In the World
Hog Record $9.50-Cattle Busi-
ness Not Prosperous During Year.

Portland Union Stockyards, Stock
dale, Jan. 1.-Now that the year 1909
has passed into history a review of
the local livestock market for the past
ss6 days shows the big strides made
by Portland in securing a place in the
livestock world.
Records were smashed to pieces in
practically every line of the local
market, but this Is not the only thing
that the local trade accomplished. It
made sales Of hogs during the year
at the highest price reached In the
United States since the civil war and
cattle were sold at a higher price than
had been reached at any market in
the world at any time.
Years Hog Record at $3.50.
These are records to be proud Of
and naturally the livestock trade at
Stockdale feels its growing import
anoe. In the regular course of busi-
ness sales of hogs were made dur
ing the year at $3.50 per hundred
pounds and even at that record fig
ure purchasers were indeed glad to
take hold.
All along during the past year
Portland hog prices have led the
prices quoted in the markets Of the
east by from 1-2c to / 1-2c a pound.
In fact many carloads Of hogs were
brought here from Nebraska and
even after paying the enormous
freight charges. the shippers received
better net returns than they would
have secured had they sold the sup
plies in either Chicago, Kansas City.
Omaha or Fort Worth.
Stimulating Hog Production.
Hog production in the Pacific
northwest Is being stimulated by the
growing values here in effect for
swine There has been a gradual in
crease in feeding operations notwith-
standing the fact that the price of
feed has broken all previous records
during the past season. With re-
taxation of feed values there is little
doubt that the hog industry will grow
faster than ever before and then ii
will be only few years before Port
land will be IN position to supply
not only the wants of the Pacific
northwest trade but will actually be
shipping provisions to the middle
west. That this prediction is not an
idle one can be seen when It is shown
that the Pacific northwest today Of
fers for the best opportunities to
swine raisers and therefore II good
prices and n suitable market count
for anything-and they generally win
out in the end-Portland is destined
to be the greatest hog market In the
country.
Prize Steer at $25.
Paying csc a pound on foot for
steers was not thought of IN this
country until such transaction was
shown at the first annual livestock
show at the union stockyards. This
10 the highest price obtained in the
world for steers and several sales
we're made here at the same time at
a fractional decline from this high
record. sale was made In the COW
market at ~ 1-2c pound likewise
breaking all worlds records.
Such n thing as breaking records
was quite common in the union stock
yards at Stockdale during the year
and the cattle market came in for its
full share. While II cannot be said
that record prices were received for
cattle in the regular market, consid-
ering the class of stuff that arrived
here, Portland paid higher price
than could have been received in any
other market in the country freight
charges being equalized.
Cattle Shortage to BE Acute,
Cattle shortage did not share in the
general prosperity of the livestock
market during the year, although the
prices paid were in line with advanc-
es made in other lines. High cost OF
hay and feed and the decreasing
range have helped TO stiffe the cattle
industry during the year and therefore
il is quite apparent that shortage OF
supplies will be shown during the
next few years.
With decreasing range and higher
cost OF feed, It develops that cattle
feeders must adopt some other meth
cd OF getting their stock ready for
market and various experiments have
recently been made and several have
proven successful The days of
cheap range beef are over, not likely
to return and therefore the new con-
ditions demand entirely new treat
ment from feeders.
sheep and Lambs Sell High.
While no records were broken in
the sheep and lamb market during the
past year, prices went to height
where the marketing of such stock
In Portland yards was highly profit
able to shippers. In former years
the Pacific northwest was not very
much of a market for sheep and
lambs. but the demand is increasing
and therefore the east and middle
west will be forced to bid higher it
they expect to get their share In the
future.
During the past week there was
firm tone in all lines of livestock, but
most strength was displayed in the
demand for sheep. With sheep re-
oeipts very small the call was natur-
ally greater and this forced the gen.
eral market 25c higher than last week
and lambs sold as high as s6.2b.
There was no change In the gen.
eral situation of the hog market
Receipts were small as could be ex-
pected during the week from Christ
mas 10 New Years but all that came
were picked up around the same val
ues as last week.
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