The New York herald., 1876-02-22
FINANCIAL and COMMERCIAL.
"A Dull Stock Market, with
Lower Prices.
GOLD FIRMER AT ll3 3-4 A ia.
Government and Railroad Bonds Steady and
Investment Stocks Firm-MOney on
Call 2 1-2 and Per Cent.
WALL STREET.

MONDAY. Feb. 2l-6P. MI
The coming event OF q close holiday cast lis shadow
before II on to-day's market shadow Of apathy and
duiness.
Since the pools sold out the fancies have been
Knocked about from post to pillar with no sure abid
ing place from one day to another The minor specu-
Iators pass them about from hand TO hand, as car
conductor passes his stamps, and when holiday oc-
ours but few bosoms offer resting place for their own
stricken dears."
Consequently holders to-day when prices admitted,
1ere Inclined convey their propretorshp to Others
moro able to carry and willing believe the
good time coming and there from this cause
duh and declining market.
I Western Union, which reversed the engine Of
general speculation a few days back, was
still the controlling spirit to-day's dealings II
was truly the ar6iter rerum, for the tune of tra1c
took its keynote from the avorte's comparative
strength weakness 1t fact there but little OF
either OF these qualities exhibited during the five busi-
ness hours, and Western Union, with the rest OF the
list drowsed through the entire day if under the in
,Auence Of prodgious yawn. Under these circum-
Stances it is scarcely necessary remark that quota
tions nearly at standstll most OF the specua-
tves showing but trffng variations II except the
Granger favorites whic with characteristic nckeness
even that the much desired legislation has ruled
favoraby inconsistenty finished at per cent
lower than Saturdays closing prices As In real life
the pursuit Of object gives greater satisfaction than
Its attainment, did the pools in the Western stocks
;andi TO be the case with them.
Their speciaties DIRT cheap in view OF the prob
able passage of the Vance BILL but they grew decidedly
dear when the bin became a law. Then the shares
which had been good purchase became quite
good sale and under this treatment prices which had
gone up steadily commenced te 60 down.
There lingering hope that the Supreme Court
might do something the way OF decision, this being
opinion day, but the oracle remained dumb
Whatever there was OF in the days doings
hung around Western Union, and operators eagerly
watched the buyers and sellers OF the stock TO detect
come sign symptom which would give them cew to
the general market
Beyond, however suspicion that Twenty third
street stan seller and ill-dehned report that
Commodore Vanderbilt had lost his for
xnent which based upon old iron and kindng wood
and had passed his stock to creduous beev
ers, there little satisfaction gained
Lake Shore and Pacific Mail scarcely deserve mention
An the days proceedings except for their torpdty and
weakness at the close.
In a word we have had to-day brokers' market,
pure and simple In reality this the only sort Of
market we have had for the last sixty days. though
transactions have been less cleanly and complex
There has been any real outside trade such
existed two or three years ago when the Stock Ex-
change the Rialto, ''where merchants most do
congregate" There is longer any Of this class Sin
stocks" and tho movement which appears to be cul-
ninating owes its existence to the manpulatons Of
professional operators who, like the merryandrew in
front Of BOOTH attracted audience by the sounds
tof their drums trumpets and thunder The stmulants
tso freely administered by the bull clques being with
mold the market dropped at the close and finished up
Ialmost in a state OF coma
The transactions on the Stock Exchange to-day az
xregated IL 900 shares which distributed among
active stocks as folows:-New York Central and Hud-
hson 5lo Erie 100; Lake Shore 0, 100; Cleveland
and Pittsburg, $50; Northwestern, s40o; do. pre-
ferred 100; Rock Island 1000; Pacific Mail 1885,
st Paul, 5,ooo do. preferred 5000; ohios 1850;
Western Union, 22465; Wabash, 700; Union Pacific,
HOO; c., q. and L C.. 100; Panama, 200
OPENING, HIGHEST AND LOWEST PRICES.
The following table shows the opening highest and
49, Of ha dav.