The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1922-09-01
DILLON PRIMARY
MARKET FOR WOOL
IMMENSE STORAGE WAREHOUSE
HAS CAPACITY OF THREE
MILLION POUNDS
Building IL Practically FireproOf and
Il Equipped with Electrical Ma
chinery to Handle Heavy Rags for
Piling and Loading Into Cars; In
vestment Of 45O,OOO


rank as one of the greatest sheep
raising sections of America, and Dill
Ion is now considered the largest con-
centrating point of the country. To
handle the output warehouse with
. capacity to handle 100000 pounds
Of wool has been installed by the
First National Warehouse company,
the building being on spur track
of the Union Pacific system in the
southern part Of the city.
The construction is practically fire.
proof. The walls are of brick and
hollow tile, with concrete floors. The
ceiling is of laminated wood, treated
to make it fire resisting. Electric
lights are installed throughout. and
electrically operated conveyors han
die bags of wool for piling and for
loading into the cars. The floor dim
ensions are 1OOx240 feet. and the
clips are stored in such manner as
to facilitate sampling. Up to date
scales are on the loading platform
for accurate checking of the wool as
1t is received or shipped.
Has Facilitated Marketing
The building represents an invest
ment Of $4,000, and was completed
last year. 1t has proved big boon
for the wool men of southern Mon
tana and Idaho, tributary to Dillon.
and has facilitated to marked de-
gree the marketing of the output. The
buyers for the eastern mills have pro-
nounced it one of the best ever in
stalled in the country, and attest its
convenience in transactions between
grower and the mill. Capt. w. W..
Hawkins is in charge of the ware
house; he is an experienced wool ex-
pert, who grew up with the industry
in eastern Montana, though it started
first.
Many Of the largest flocks in the
west are ranging the hills of Beaver
head, Madison and adjoining coun-
ties, and sheep raising has long been
one of the principal industries. It
is interesting to note the record Of
prices since modern marketing meth
DDS have made a careful resume pos
sible for each season. In 1900 prac
tically all the wool for this section
was shipped on consignment to COM
mission houses in the east, the aver
age price for the clips sold being
about 1Oc a pound. There was q
gradual increase in following years
the top prices being as follows: 1901.
12hc; 1908. 1910; 1904. 1910:
1905. 21kc: and 1906. 23hc a
pound.
The next two years saw a decline
but in 1912 the active market again
had top Of 22c. Up to 1914 the
price was lower again. ranging from
12c to 22c.
Wars Effect Felt
In 1915 the effect of the war in
Europe began to be felt, and starting
at csc the price went up to CSC. In
1916 from soc to 32c had been paid
on contracts made as early as Febru-
airy, and the figure went up to SAC
but in the middle of July buying ceas.
ed and shipments that followed were
largely on consignment. The mex,
year marked the height of the de.
mand due to the war and prices wen,
up to 62hc. In 1918 the United
States government took the entire
clip at a fixed price of soc. In 1913
the price ranged from 48c to soc. Fo,
the past two years the shipments have
been on consignment.
While there has been marked ad
vance in price since the industry
started in Montana, the wool growers
say that profits are not abnormal al
the best. since expenses have more
than grown in proportion. In thu
pioneer days of open range it is sale
sheep could be run for the season a
a yearly cost Of soc a head. The in
crease of agriculture has cut up tn,
land. and now it is necessary to owl
or lease grazing land, and the yearl!
cost has advanced to approximate,
10 times the old figure. To be a sue
cessful business now, the industr,
must be conducted along economi
and scientific lines, and this is tn
goal of the stockmen in Beaverhea'
county.