Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-12-23
week, closing yesterday at s6.75@7.S5;

week. closing yesterday at s6.75@7s5:
prime to good heavy steers brought
$S.65@9.1O during the week for some
choice lots while nothing better than
at sS.25@9 was on the market for the
close last Saturday. Price for bulls and
/, stays show little change, but on a
steady basis, sS.25 was about the best
price of the week for the extra fine
lot but the prevailing price was nearer
81 for the best on hand.
In stockers and feeders the trade
has been dull though prices are not
generally lower.
There continues a comparatively
small volume Of business above the &c
line and this is limited to choice Sc
lected classes and very breezy selected
yearlings selling at $7.10@7.25, and
choice grade of feeder steers, not Of
very fleshy class, within the same
range.
days a year ago was 5000 on cattle
and s11 on calves, two years ago So on
calves and $3.50 on cattle.
Western cattle have CEASED coming
and demand for the cheaper class of
killing steers has strengthened. Killers
want something light in weight and low
in price and will probably be keen
BUYERS of steers that are merely fleShy
feeders all winter. They have been I'M
able to put away any frozen grass beef
and will be on a hand to mouth basis
all winter.
Every short run of cattle reveals the
fact that beef distributors are running
with small stocks. Whenever supply is
equal to the days needs they haven't
room to put another carcass;, but let
supply the following day be short and
buyers ride their horses lame getting
bids down. This suggests that the VIM
ter market will be choppy.
There has been pronounced dispo-
sition this week to "buy 'em all at one
price" This is seasonable as after hol-
iday trade has been satisfied the long
fed steer has little advantage at the
market over one that has been on feed
only 80 days. All this week buyers have
bid practically the same money on 81
and e. per cent dressing cattle, al
though one bunch had consumed three
times as much corn as the other. The
obvious policy now Is to buy them all
alike. This was not experienced last
year as the 'long-feds'' had all disap-
peared by this time.
Scrambling for little cattle with
quality has been pronounced trade
feature this week. These have been as
scarce as the big brutes have been
plentiful and everybody wanted a few,
consequently the s9@10.25 grades Of
yearings have had market Of their
to cheap light cattle of which there has
been surplus and the s7.75@S.25 week
have been bad actors. Such steers as
could get SS@S.25 on the high spot last
week are 40 and in places soc lower, the
trade being very irregular. The So kind
last week has had to take $3.50 and
$S.25 steers at the high time have sold
at $3.50. Of course plenty Of exceptions
to the rule could be detected, but $50
40c. declines have hpep common
Nexts weeks receipts will probably
be lighter owing to the holiday, but
that there will be enough to go around
on Monday, if not more, is the general
impression. Open weather. industrial
depression, and competition of foreign
beef have been bearsh factors and a
week Of light supply would be in the
nature of a beneficence, especially as
poultry is serious competitor Of beef
around the holidays. a@
-.a Fancy Pigs at $3.50. .. ..-
A consignment Of fancy roasting pigs
this week brought $3.50, while the gen.
eral market for baby porkers" has
done well to hold around last Satur-
days price of $7.75 for the best sorts,
and down as low as $3.50 on Tuesday.
The quality the past week has been
good though the amount Of stuff over
275 pounds has not been of large
volume, there being more liberal sup
ply Of 140-1S0 averages.
The movement Of hogs this week has
been the largest since December, 1908,
the total being even greater than last
week, was 226,000 in round numbers
this being about $4,000 greater than
the estimates for the week. An unset
tied market prevailed throughout the
week and only here and there strong
tone was noted.
Price comparisons are as follows:
Mixed selling at s7.60M7.75 last Sat-
| urday, sold down to S7.40@7.55 on Tues
day and back nickel yesterday on a
, decline Of t502Gc for the week: me-
dunn weights s7.5597.6O on Tuesday
against s775@7.85 last Saturday and
close the week at s7.5507.65; light
butchers and shippers closed yesterday
at $3.50 ID760 compared with 1850
7.S5 last Saturday and $7.A5G17.G0 on
Tuesday: heavy butchers were off 20
@22b the first three days of the week
and close at 20c decline over a week
ago at $T.6547.70; heavy packers also
! saw decline of 1890 during the
week and likewise recovered some
what from the slump but the close is
still 10020c under last Saturday, at
$7.55W7.65; light hogs around 1876 to
1876 pounds have been pounded the
most during the week the decline for
! the first few days being 20@25c with a
| little recovery noted yesterday, bring
| ing the price to s7.20D7.40 compared
| with $7.45007.65 last Saturday; pigs
Jared about as we'll as their next grade
! with declines on the close amounting to
! 15M25c from last Saturday. the high
spots of So and $3.50 for roasting stock