The New York herald., 1876-02-08
FINANCIAL And COMMERCIAL.
Another Turn in the Speculative Wheel
Stocks Higher and Firm.
GOLD STEADY At liz A liz s-4 A lla rs.
Money on Call Loans A Per Cent-Inyestment
Securities Very Strong Governments
Quiet and Good Railroad
Bonds in Demand.
WALL SrRKEr.

In the absence OF any pronounced excitement the
Board has been for most OF the day occupied In guess
Eng riddles They have been propounded by Jay Gould
In his new NEUROLOGICAL character OF masculine
Sphinx Brokers who have failed TO solve them have
come to grefas did their prototypes in mythical his
hory The enigmas have been in this wise. Has there
been mbroglio between the Sphinx and his hers or
hts brokersS What is 10 be the result Of the rupture
ar any2 Is the market purchase or salcS In default
Nof plausible operators remained for the
greater part Of the day sitting crossegged the fence
Nearing to drop either side In consequence OF
khls uncertainty although the guessing at the opening
was for lower prices It turned quite around at mid
day and the wiseacres OF the morning found their
lectures all at Evidently q declining market
Hooked for at the commencement and this opinion
borne out by the very evident sales Of Western Union
and Lake Shore, which attributed to Gould and
which carried these fances down fraction. At the
sone O'Clock call however the guessers for rise had
khe best oft, for the market steaded for time and
then showed determined disposition to rise, which
prevailed to the end.
There is mystery about the status Of things which
Us agreeable to neither bulls bears II is like
game at euchre when the players have neglected to
pquire whether there '.okern in the pack and
the holder of the right bower uncertain whether he
possesses the best card not On Saturday IL was
settled thing that Gould had sold his long stock
and gone short Of the Market to-day II is doubtful
whether the whole movement not q plant,
we suggested yesterday, to ncite short interest with
whrl upward in prospective 1t is said again that
compact has been made between the oracle
and his former satellites which points effort to
force Market which will relieve the latter of their
load Another story has 1t that Gould has encoun-
hered lion IN his path in the shape of strong bull
combination, which threatens to turn and rend him.
We cite these rumors seatim part of the history of
The day and because, in brokers' market nne-tenths
of the operations are founded upon better basis
than the stories we have quoted.
If Gould is out of his Western Union and his line in
Pacific Mail he would not appear to have much long
stock outside of Atlantic and Pacific Telegraph and
Union Pacific break the market with Both OF these
securities would be Of little moment producing
effect upon the general list Either both might be
gpilled out like water without materially disturbing
the serenity Of other fances for few people
ested In them but himself With the strong undertone
existing and the fact that the bears of the Twenty
third street party sucking their paws in inacton
is doubtful whether so shrewd operator would take
the chances of serious defeat
The furry in Central and Hudson, which carried up
the shares nearly two points from opening prices
probably not disconnected with effort OF Gould TO
obtain stock 1t is not generally known, but it is
nevertheless fact that he has been for long time
short OF thousands of shares in c. j. Osborn Il
Co Is Office who have been borrowing for delivery at
from fat to nominal rate of interest, and
true that the short sales made at prices some
points below the ruling quotations, and that although
several attempts have been made cover the stock
has taken the bit in its teeth and away from buy
ers like fretful horse from groom.
How far this squirt to day is connected with Goulds
nesre TO cover and how 1t bears upon his designs
upon the rest OF the market may be cleared up in a
day or two.
Although the Supreme Court at Washington failed to
Eender a decision in the Granger the Western
Btocks participated in the general hlarty which closed
Ehe market and finished at the best prices Of the day
Whether Gould be short or long, whether the
rious rumors which flying about blindy
certain is that from the early market which looked
as IL IL had the megrims, the closing one which
seemed 10 be exhilarated with drop too much the
whole days business in intricate snarl
tangled skein Of silk
THE SALES TO-DAY
amounted te 1o3 900 shares which divided among
the active stocks as follows:-New York Central and
Hudson $780, Erie ], TAO; Lake Shore % COO; cleve-
Rand and Pttsburg, 24s; Northwestern. 630o; do.
preferred, $500; Rock Island 2,30o; Pacific Mail
1920; St Paul, o,loo; do preferred, $3.50; ohos,
10000; Western Union, so, 500; Wabash, 725; Union
Pacific. 1850; c., G. and l. c., 1OO Panama, 800;
united States Express, .Ts0; Iron Mountain, lob
OPENING. PRICES.
The following table shows the opening highest and