The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1922-08-25

BeaVerhead county has long held
rank as one of the greatest sheep
raising sections of America, and Dill
lon is now considered the largest con-
centrating point of the country. To
handle the output a warehouse with
a capacity to handle 100000 pounds
of wool has been installed by the
First National Warehouse company,
the building being on a 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 1O0x240 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
it is received or shipped.
Has Facilitated Marketing
The building represents an invest
ment of $4,000, and was completed |
last year. 1t has proved a big boon |
for the wool men of southern Mon |
tana and Idaho, tributary to Dillon, |
and has facilitated to a 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 it's
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 1t
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- !
dll LAC WOO1 lOI ILLS SECIlOu II
was shipped on consignment to COM
mission houses in the east, the aver :
age price for the clips sold being d
about 10c a pound. There was
gradual increase in following years,
the top prices being as follows: 1901, l
12hc; 1903, 1870; 1904, 1910; !
1905, 21hc; and 1906, 23hc a !
pound.
The next two years saw 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 D
In 1915 the effect of the war in e
Europe began to be felt, and starting r
at 23c the price went up to 2Sc. In a
1916 from soc to 32c had been paid il
on contracts made as early as Febru- e
airy, and the figure went up to 34c, n
but in the middle of July buying ceas- s,
ed and shipments that followed we're H
largely on consignment. The next h
year marked the height of the de- 81
mand due to the war and prices went
up to 62Rc. In 1918 the United C
States government took the entire a.
clip at fixed price of soc. In 1919 Y,
the price ranged from 4Sc to 60c. For Il
The past two years the shipments have Of
been on consignment. OF
While there has been marked adj B
vance in price since the industry h.
started in Montana, the wool growers h,
'ay that profits are not abnormal at a
he best, since expenses have more
han grown in proportion. In the
pioneer days of open range it is said 81
sheep could be run for the season at al
/ yearly cost of soc head. The in st
,rease of agriculture has cut I'D the st
and, and now it is necessary to own fl
,r lease grazing land, and the yearly
cost has advanced to approximately h
l0 times the old figure. To be a sue IL
,essful business now, the industry b
must be conducted along economic in
and scientific lines, and this is the Of
goal of the stockmen in Beaverhead m
county. a.