Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-09-15
EXPECTED DECLINE FOLLOWING
HOLIDAY DOES NOT SHOW UP
INTAE BETTER GRADES.
MUTTON is HIGHER
Sheep Trade Shows Moro improvement
With the Previous Week; Most
All Sorts Bring More
Money.

WIN Sn0 Fe0vtOu0 W00Nj gVVSS
All Sorts Bring More
Money.
Chicago, Sept. 12.--The cattle mar
ket has given an excellent account OF
itself this week. To what extent SEMI
paralysis late last week was respon-
sible for reducing supply Is conjectural,
but between that influence and the
Monday holiday the weeks run has un-
doubtedly been materially shortened.
Late last week there was general ap-
prehenson of trouble for the selling
side and advice to keep away until the
sky cleared was freely disseminated. AS
| the apprehension proves to have been
unwarranted 1t Is probable that FEW
more cattle will show up next week.
Sheep trade has performed well and
increases in prices made all around to
the best levels for moro than month
past.
Business in the hog division con-
tinues to show that above $3.50 packers
stay out Of the market while around
50. They appear to be in need.
| Choice Higher Than Weed Ago.
Choice to prime steers making FUR
Their prices ascension this week are cas-
lily quotable 15@25c higher than the
high spot week ago. Cattle at $11.OO
on Wednesday ranked several degrees
inferior to the fancy heavy beeves tnat
| took $1090@l095 last week and the
latter were considered of intrinsic value
at last 25c higher than tops this week.
1t Is doubtful however, If they could
! have made that much actual premium
/ over the $11.O0 goods. since killers are
extremely DESTROYS Of establishing I'LL
as deadline and keeping 1t there lin
hopes Of checking the necessity OF
pushing beef prices to new high levels
at wholesale.
No. loins are bringing FAC wholesale
now, ribs 21hc and rounds 15c, and
these prices are declared by the beer
trade to be about as high as the tran1c
can stand at present.
Still the choice to prime goods have
been scarcer this week than any time
previously this season, and demand
near future, higher rather than a
lower level Of prices for prime steers
should be established.
| The trade on medium and lower
J grade native steers Is not being ser
iously handicapped by range competi-
ton. A considerable quota of light
rangers have gone this week at $79
7.2b, and Texas and Mexican bred
stun, even under 800, but such cattle
have found an outlet in beef trade all
their own and II begins to appear that
the short fed and grassy natives are as
well going to find their own market, al
though as long as range runs continue
fairly liberal, the effect will be to hold
prices for lower grade natives at a wide
spread from the finished kinds.
Common Higher Than Ever Before.
At that, the common and medium ma
tive steers are selling now even higher
than top spot two years ago, scarcity
Of cattle over the country being the
reason for this. and due to their rela-
lively high value now compared with
then, the average price Of the general
steer run is far and above former
record mark.
Tops scoring now at $11.OO show only
csc under the 1912 record, but that
price was set in Christmas trade week,
early in December, and 1t should be
outdistanced, the sellers believe, before
long In even that beef demand does
not simply collapse as result of too
great strain by the high prices.
Plain fat cattle have not done as
well where quality was right and steers
selling below 50 have encountered
competition from westerns. Such grades
look 25@35c lower than before rangers
began coming freely. Below $40 feed
err competition comes into play and
f1nishers have been taking cattl, suited
to their purpose below So at better bids
than killers made.
Comparisons with the close last week
are undesirable because that event was
abnormal. but the market for good tt
choice cattle is now better than or
cases 10@25c higher. Owing to thu
scarcity Of extra good cattle killers
have been compelled to utilize the pro
duct Of $9.50Ml0.25 grades.
Yearlings have also done a goot
stunt While $1,000 was paid for mix.
ed load few little cattle are goot
enough to beat $1025 and lot Of then
have sold at se.5o@1N They have JUS
stuck around" as 1t were, and main
tanned a somewhat even keel.
Heifer Run Liberal.
A generous run of she stock thi.
week. both here and in the west, hal
enabled killers to hold prices down tt
low levels Of last week in spite Of thu
reaction In beef steer trade. Killers
have had lot Of low-grade cows direc'
for slaughter and these operated
against good market for medium ant
plain grades on offer here, but curren
in competition with range she stock II
still declared by killers to be relatively
high
Dry lot cows and 1eifers Of gooC
choice grades, which are showing ul
in short quota, are having q market o.
their own That kind in holding firm
values well evidences packer apprecia.
ton for the better quality goods anc
the fact that the killers are not claim
ing beef trade to be in mean condition
and using that as bear club suggests
that fairly free movement Of sh'
stock beef is being had as result O.
cooler weather.
Packers direct arrivals Of Gamers
from the east and some generous pur
chases westward of late have tended tt
slow down their demands although
war orders are still claimed to be urg.