Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-09-22
LAST WEEKS FIRM MARKET
LEADS PRODUCERS TO BELIEVE
TIME RIPE TO SELL CATTLE.
SHEEP MORE FIRM
Mutton Prices Mako Sensational Gains
to New Record Prices for Month
Of September, but Advance
10 Checked.

Chicago, Sept. 1s.-Heavy losses have
been sustained this week by country
cattle shippers who took the bulge iast
week. when Chicago quotations reached
unprecedented levels, as their cue ana
made contracts that have been serious
ly out Of line with this weeks prices.
Since the high spot late last week the
bulk Of cattle show a 25@50c deprecia-
ton and difficulty was experienced IN
effecting a clearance on that basis. 1t
has been q case Of too many cattle,
while the series Of Jewish holidays be.
ginning next week has eliminated
kosher demand, usually a stout prop
under the trade.
1t was another week Of unusual &C
tivity in the sheep and lamb market
sensational gains being made all
around, lambs going to 50 and wethers
to $500, the highest for more than two
months. A natural reaction followed
this booming tone the last two days OF
trading and wiped out some OF the ad-
vance, the close however is still above
that Of the final sales last week.
Packers continue to fight every little
advance in the hog market by staying
out of the market when prices don't
suit, causing lot Of stale stuff to hang
over for the next day which means
sure decline. An occasional strength
was in evidence this week and prices
are tending upward.
Choice Sorts Scarce.
The country is cutting cattle loose to
save buying high priced old corn. This
is true west as well as in local terri
tory, but in the west the supplies Of
good beef are lamentably scarce and
there is a comparatively small quota OF
the crop which qualities above the
good" class, and big quota of 1t that
ia merely classed as medium. 1t Is
paucity OF the choice goods alone that
holds them up in price with last week
Packers having access to big crop
west earlier this week. as well as
generous run here, were very differ
ent lot toward the offerings on sale. and
1t was simply case Of sellers being
forced to peddle their holdings all dur
ing the session and in some instances
they could not even cash at the decline
Measured from the tip-top point
week ago, when everything on the list
brought practically record prices, the
market now is all the way from steady
level. There IS keen call for the $1l.O0
kind still, not enough Of them being
here this week to fill demands, although
there have been made I'll sales than
any time since that prices was estab-
lished That Is the dead line for the
time being, however, and killers bought
some steers at $11 this week that
matched against $11 kinds last week
which were declared to be intrinsically
worth at least 25c more.
The right choice steers, $10.S5@
1880, are quoted down at least 10000
now, and in some cases more, while for
the e9.75@10.c kinds 1t is easily a ESQ
35c lower deal In fact. a drove OF steers
sold at $685. Friday which the seller
declared had better class than cattle he
cashed week ago at $10.25.
For the bulk Of the medium to right
good killers which have been hurt by
reason Of packers getting a lot Of fat
grass steers west, the market is in even
worse shape, good share Of them look
ing 30@40c lower than week ago
and like decline applies pretty well
down the line to the common and plain
grass natives that have suffered from
range competition in the local market.
Yearlings Decline.
Yearlings, outside the few specialties.
have lost about 36c, this referring to
the kinds now selling at $9.25@9.75.
About SO yearlings have not encount-
cred as much vicissitude. The decline
has been least on top and at bottom,
but heaviest in the middle, as most Of
the cattle here have been Of that va
riety.
Big runs west this week have been a
bearish influence in she stock trade,
while the absence Of kosher demand
since Monday has also operated against
a good market and the decline In beef
steers below prime grades was third
bearish influence. Range COWS and
heifers have also been hit hard and
these naturally had mean Influence
on the natives.
In this division declines for the week
with prices at the lowest on the final
sales are figured at 15@35c and in some
instance in the medium to common beef
cows 40@50 has been taken of.
There was continued fairly good call
for strictly good to prime fat heavy
beef cows and from $3.50 up the mar
ket is holding about steady, prime
kinds, in fact. being fully as high as a
week ago. This condition also applies to
heifers. Fat heifers Of really good class
have been in short supply all week. and
although demand for them was hard
ly as good today as yesterday, they are
holding last weeks closing levels
Prices for the better grade bologna
bulls have been considerably braced up
this week, a good share Of them show
ing 15@25c gain, compared with a
ing over European death lists, let ua
look at our own and wonder how it
can be prevented, or at least lessened
Des MOines CAPITAL: As an evidence