Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-12-17
ALTHo FIGURES WERE UN'
CHANGED WEEK CLOSES MORE
ENcouRAGINGLY.
TRADE EXPECTS HIGHER
RETURNS FOR ALL SORTS
Hoo Market Was About Like Fridays
Average, But Packers Were Not
Eager and Close Was Five Lower
Than openins-SeI'srs Forced to
concede Sharp Reduction in Sheep.

| Chicago. Dec. 17.-Prices of cattle
were steady, with figures unchanged
Quotations on good top rim heeves
were published as being $3.50 63c.
| The market is closing the week better
than ii opened The discouraging out
look which faced sellers on the open
! ing day OF the week is now in the
J BACKGROUND and the trade IS looklhs
toward to the future with great eA-
pectancy of higher returns for cattle
oil all sorts.
i CUT in receipts si,sse Wednesday mas
| been the price boosting factor Inc
(; Wednesday run fell short close to o'ooo
+! from the estimate, and again Thursday
! actual arrivals went under the expected
number Buyers have simply been UP
against a situation where not enough
OF the righe sort of steers were here
, TO ill their demands and the result has
been a galoping bullish tendency IN the
price list That it Will stick under
moderate dose OF supplies next week
the trade believes, since beef outlet Is
Droadened now that wholesale prices
have been marked down, and there Is
good and sufficient reason for the be-
lief that killers coolers are not holding
any big surplus beef stocks in spite OF
their recent claims to the contrary.
This week the supply at Chicago
stands at $4,000, against 1904 week
ago and S2,.s5 Year ago, while there
has also been falling OFT in arrivals at
western points. For the week to date
six markets have had total OF $171.-
900 cattle, against 1000 a week ago
and 206,U00 a year ago. In this de-
creased supply there Is some evidence
that liquidation, long in force, is slow
ing down. Whether i, will again be
cons picuous will depend largely upon
Gather conditions and the situation at
market. A hard storm or two, how
ever, will, the trade believes. jar loose
another big rush of warmed-up and
short-fed steers from quarters where
feeders are shy Of cattle shelter.
A smaller percentage of good to
choice big-weight steers in the run this
week has been good indication that
biggest share Of the heavy steers are in
for the season, altho a moderate crop Is
still believed to be back in the feed
yards, and it Will require cautious mar
keting Of these to effect further ma
terial price Improvement over recen.
low levels. The demand for beef is
strongly partial to light and medium
weight cuts. but with respect to year.
lings Of choice grade the ravenous call
for them, which is due to needs for
Christmas trade, Is now about over.
Still Christmas demands do not account
for all OF the popularity Of yearlings,
and the trade feels that these will con-
linue 10 command a premium ovs.
heavies for some weeks to come.
This week the yearlings have far
outsold Weighty steers. Fancy year.
lings have gone at S7.35Q7.55 and a
good-sized crop of choice stuff at 1915
4..25 while II has taken as prime class
of 1900 pound and heavier steers as
seen here in months to land a, 500,
and sS.S096.s5 bought prime steers av-
eraging 200 pounds less.
Cattle which have shown biggest
price upAloots have been the medium
to good 1850 to 1900 pound steers,
which were cashed in the recent days
at s5.75@6.35. altho substantial gains,
too. have been made for the warmed-up
100 to 1850 pound steers which found
outlet since late rounds Wednesday
within a spread OF S5.00@5.5O
Hogs.
iIe NoS market opened about like
the average Of the previous day, with
none of the buyers especially active.
Unlike the market last Saturday, pack
ers did not appear to be eager for stuff
land the inference was that they did
the country. A top OF s7.75 was paid
for prime hogs. The market closed
steady to cents lower than the early
prices.
Only $1,000 hogs were received at
eleven markets Friday, being 1900 less
than a week ago. $500 less than
year ago and 32.700 less than two years
ago. Chicago was credited with $4,000
agains, $4,000 week ago, $4,000 a year
ago and $4,000 two years ago. Com
bined receipts at eleven markets first
five days OF this week $1,000 being
1000 more than a week ago, 10000
less than a year ago and $4,000 less
than two years ago. Total at all mar
kets for 1910 to date 18,S90,000 against
% OF 900 a year ago and 27,044,000 two
years ago.
The attitude Of the big packers is
warranted neither by supply conditions
or stocks on hand. Stocks OF pork are
steadily decreasing. but there has been
an increase Of about 100000 pounds Of
ribs during the past seven days. ac-
cording to Schwabacher. The estimate
stock Of pork Dec. Is, is $500 barrels,
against 5,545 on Dec. I: Of lard $4,000
terces. against 227.7OO, and Of ribs $780,
900 pounds, against 100000. It looks
as tho the cash buyer is taking current
product before 1t can be cured.
Sheep.
| Sheep closed a rather draggy week
with sellers forced to eoncede sharp
reductions in order to dispose Of hold
ings. Lambs also were tending DOWN
ward as the week closed. the decline
being 25 to so cents compared with
last week.
Live mutton values have gone down
| with q crush this week under the force
Of heavy receipts for this season Of the
year and a very sluggish market for
the dressed product, particularly for
the weighty offerings that have formed
such liberal quota Of the run. While
everything on the list has participated
in the slump. the market has had de-
cent action ON choice light lambs-a
class Of goods wanted for tho Christ
mag trade. Quality considered. heavy
classes Of both sheep and lambs nit
seasons lowest levels and found such
a narrow outlet at the prices nat SELL
ers experienced nv iit:;;e 1:::>>:::eS :"
securing bids on much Of the supply.