The New York herald., 1876-12-04
FINANCIAL AND COMMERCIAL.
The Course of the Stock
Market.
TIE FLUCTUATIONS OF GOLD
Government and Railway Bonds-The Money
Market Easy-Our Imports and Exports
WALL STREET. /
SUNDAY Dec & 1S7f (

In popular estimation stock brokers a class are
credited w,th mors than average allowance OF
Ehrewdness sharpness and energy, and the appca-
ton OF these gifts to the production OF successful
suits is admitted without question. That they
Hruct mountains OF mole hills the analysis Of any
Stock Exchange rumor, VIII ch nothingn grows
into prodgious proportions, will clearly prove while
II is equally certain that from the mountains
created there will issue moro important
consequences than are recorded in similar
:ase in tho old Latin fable Nevertheless, with all
their proverbia cleverness the ockobbng brother
hood have been nonpusssd the past week by market
which has drifted ABOUT without ruddcr or compass,
enveloped in fog and beret Of any guiding light as TO
It's future course 1t has lain sterile the alkaline
plains Of the West dull the Of ditch and
as impossible of profit as it Is to gather figs from
thstIes The great operators SIT, with hands folded,
upon the anxious OF uncertainty, and the small
gather at thei. footstooL
In the main the prevailing inactivity is directly trace
abe to the political deadlock, which has sufficient
threatening features about It to suggest prudence in
operating, If not check operations altogether con-
sequently the business or the past week has been
shorn OF its proportions which, at best OF times,
never very large and the market has fallen into
state OF which only some decision on tho part
Of the political doctors rouse it from. In
addition to this the transient excitement gwen
TO general trade by the Centennial fillip
has passed away with the show, and the
voicc Of the pc-eang rustic calling for excursion
tickos is longer heard in tho land, while railroad
Golfers suffer seriously from its absence Hence fall
ing of OF receipts from this may be expected
natural sequence, whilc yet no countcrpose in
the shape Of higher freight charges to have been
agreed upon. Tue failure OF agreement among the
trunk lines to definite plan of operations, and
the matter disappointment to the street and
depressing influence in the market Despite the opin.
ion in many quarters that the promised cessation
Of hostties merely the repetition Of tho old cry
Df "Wo!' which had often been started for stock
obbng purposes there is at least good reason to be-
eve that the matter is receiving serious considera-
on and that final and satisfactory solution Of the
aifculty is near at hand
As there was nothing encouraging In the surround
hgs is rather remarkable that prices fell of little
they did and that tho desire shit long stock into
bthcr hands was not decidedly expressed The
scircular" attack on Western Union failure, and
the raid on Lake Shore only OF passing effect, and
neither made enough to wake up tho rest OF the
Market which slumbered profoundly during the entire
week.
Per CONTRA the Gold Room was widc awake during
most the under the stimulus impaired to it by
Inc large shipments England the extensive sales of
government bonds the London market for account Of
German aud Dutch bankers ana the uncertain political
situation both ut home ana abroad. decline TO los
from the these and rise TO loo from the
latter with a supplemental and final decline to 1855,
Is the record of the weeks fluctuations.
The last hour of Saturdays speculation showed
fractional recovery in the share market which closed
up strong and with some animation. 1t would not be
safc however, base any ventures upon this crcum
v hat t1,oh uiuOn Of fills
tights to allure the unwary for until the limo of the
political horizon distinctly defined the chances
OF loss more than equal those OF profit.
THE TRANSACTIONS WEEK.
The following table represents the opening, highest
and lowest saes regular way of tho principal stocks
during tho past week, together with the number Of
shares dealt in