Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-05-19
PRODUCERS Of MUTTON HAVE FULL
SWAY IN THE STOCK YARDS MARKET


prevent a break. Eleven dollars was
paid for prime sorts which Is a dollar
| better than last week. Heavy calves
of choice breeding still find a good out
let to stock dealers. Packers are dis
eliminating against this class on ac-
] count Of the relative high cost, but
! country call is not being met and
prices are the highest on record, these
selling up to $s@s.25.
The pot keeps boiling and the de-
i mand appears to broaden in the stock
er and feeder division. Thursdays
business was done on little lower
basis because the fresh supply was
light, but were not peddled.
There Is every Indication however.
of hungry demand continuing for the
! next week or two, ut least. but the
! trade doubts the ability Of the market
| to hold present prices which are by
I, long odds the highest ever paid on
/ the open market. Advances over the
close last week measure from 15@25c
all along the line and this coming in
the face of down-breaking market on
good fat steers, has put stock and
feeding stuff at a premium which it
never before enjoyed.
A bunch Of Angus and Herefords,
Weighing 602 pounds average, sold to
have been numerous sales above $3.50
! while there is slim showing below
s7.65 II quality was there at all.
Scarcity of young cattle suitable for
grazing and feeding purposes has
reached the most acute stage in mar
ket history. In striking and unpar-
allied contrast to tho market for fat
steers the trade in stock and feeding
stuff is active and strong, with the
advances noted, both actually and re-
latively to the fat cattle market
Qualified light fleshed young cattle, in
fact, enjoyed a premium over right well
conditioned beef steers Of like quality.
Spread in Prices Narrow.
The aggravated fashion of the mid
week market recently In not opening
until about noon is SUSCEPTIBLE Of one
explanation few more cattle are
coming than necessary to satisfy con-
sumptive demand at the prices and
with buyers it is merely case of get
ting line on supply, eliminating the
fill as much as possible and deciding
what the crop Is worth to them. They
claimed, however, that yesterdays kill
ing on the hooks would not show the
same decline as on paper. 1t probably
would have made no difference II a
couple thousand more cattle had been
here. It Is a balky, uncertain, pcddling
market, and any optimism that APP
peared recently has been dissipated.
The decline has narrowed the spread
until the bulk Of fat steers is selling
very close together. This is due in al
large measure to continued light re-
ceipts of southwestern grassers and a
liberal percentage of decently fed cat
tie that have been on corn several
months
There is a prospect Of settlement OF
the big Chicago building tie-up and
resumption Of brick making will un-
doubtedly increase beef consumption
OF Hoc v,rYf
local demand and is probably respon-
sible for the bad acting series of We'd
nesday markets, as stuff bought on that
session is utilized mostly for city trade
The arrival Of train OF big Hole
cattle reveals the fact that Pacific
coast demand. has not been equal to abs,
sorb the entire crop. The heavy end OF
these cattle has been In demand Tor
Alaska, but in western Montana beef
consumption has been light this winter
and the Puget Sound market has been
invaded by Alberta cattle All through
western Canada there has been an
abundance of rough feed, consequently
winter beef making has been an IN
expensive process. Alberta feeders have
discovered that Seattle offers them a
splendid market, now that the duty
has been removed. and they are taking
advantage Of it. The consequence is
that western Montana feeders are re-
alizing what Canadian competition Is
and probably will be.
News comes from London that the
beef market there is congested and
prices are going down. This may send
a lot Of chilled stuff across to New
York. The decline in Austria frozen
beef at London has been serious.
Total supplies this week at Chicago
were about $4,000 head, against thou
sand less estimated. against an equal
for the same period g year ago. The
top this week is 45c higher than that
two years ago.
while there can be no big summer
ho. rum" said the 1.-Two stock agent Of
tho Northwestern lines. famine Is not
be looked for right along. In Iowa
spring pigs are doing we'll, and every
where I have been a large percentage
is reported, although in many localities
cholera reduced the number OF sows
bred. ALI through the northwestern
territory the crop prospect is superb.
pastures never looked better and
The whole country is long on grass,
but short on live stock, and unless a
dry spell occurs prices Of young cattle
will be well maintained
Killers appear to have the log mar
ket well in hand. and while no spec
tacular advance is probable, tn, trade
will not be surprised il droves are putt
I'D around So when the run tina. always1
makes Its appearance subsequent to
completion Of corn planting shows up.
Supply continues very light, and
probably will be until corn planting is
completed, when the usual May run
will be due. Shippers are taking their
usual percentage, but local packers are
a resolute pack Of bears. The \ present
market is on about the same basis as al
year ago.
The run is carrying sprinkling of
heavy packers selling at $s@S.30, and al
goodly percentage Of stays that are ap-
praised at $S.75@S.90.
Receipts this week are about 10000
less than for the corresponding period
two years ago at Chicago and the
eleven principal market centers in the
aggregate have received about $4,000
less than a year ago. Total this week
at Chicago is 111,S40, unofficial, against
10000 estimated to arrive. The top at
$3.50, Monday the weeks best is just
a nickel under year ago.
Sheep and lamb buyers have been
forced to discard any bearish ideas
this week, but now that prices have
/