The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-02-18
FINANCIAL and COMMERCIAL
Review of the Week-Stock Specu-
lation Still Dull.
THE GOLD AND MONEY MARKETS.
Investment Secunties-Government, State
and Railroad Bonds.
WALL STREET.

We have Biblical authority for the statement that
she ancient Jews thought IL hard lines that they
should be ompelled to make bricks without straw;
but that in the ante-newspaper period, or they
would have admitted how much greater was tho d
fculty OF compiling review OF a week such as the
last, which offered materials OF construction what
ever. One main iact may DO recorded, however,
which IL that in point OF torpidty general indifler
ence to speculation and sluggish steadiness OF
quotations the past week has not been matched for
many day. The average broker Is, nevsrt heless,
hopeful animal and fertile of explanations and ex-
cuses and IL quite consistent with this character
tor him to attribute the prevailing dulness 10 the
shadow cast by the Silver DILL the uncertainty Of the
war question and the incubating commission law,
which matches nothing but growls and discomfort.
1t to be feared however, that the real cause for the
depression speculation lies deeper than these. and
that may be found without much devng, in the lean
purses Of the community, which is forced to torego
ihe exciting luxury OF stock gambling In face Of the
prosatc demand Tor the necessities OF life Howbeit,
\ moderate show Of activity Kept up, engineered
by the smaller traders and confined to few prom-
nent stocks OF these Lake Shore the Norlh westerns
and the anthracite ianclss the most conspicu-
The Vanderbilt property, after long career as
first iavorite, suddenly ceased TO be the fashion.
Chronic traders Withdrawing their allegiance, under
the impression that the large spectators had done
The same, and that such honest pennies as tho
market Afforded were more readily to be
picked up in the neighborhood OF the coal
ana granger iancies. Accordingly the most spirited
interest OF the week confined to these latter,
though in respect amount Of dealings the record
was . midsummer The extremely bellicose
news which reached here carly In the week taken
rs a stable foundation upon which to build ediHce
of future prosperity Tor the grain carrying railroads.
but the light OF the peace kilograms which followed
yesterday IL Is possible tnat the structure may not
be anything more solid than Chateau en- Espagne
alter all The coal companies, for the most part OF
tbe week. were dull and depressed, though later on
In due 10 the covering Of shorts and to
The belief, either we'll or Ill founded, that
The Legislative committees Of investigation
would fail TO discover anything antagonstic
10 charter rights In The present combination.
Western Union vibratsd from strength to weakness.
and from weakness to strength again; tho bears
darkiY intmatsd that the next dividend ocu
delusion suoh brought to the attention Of
she late Mrs. elizabeth MARTINI, and that the chief
friends oil tho bad been getting out OF their
holdings while, per contra. the bulls asserted thatth
earnings greater by $4,000 per week than those
of last year. The passage OF the Silver bill by the
Senate Saturday, though anticipated and therefore
discounted as Its effects was used as leverage
toward better prices through the insldious imitation
element which u Is supposed 10 contain, ana irac-
tionally higher figures were thereby made at the
close. Beyond the stocks noted, the market as
dead as "stif7' upon dssectng table, but. unlike
the cadaver, it was utterly wanting IN a financial
siin.que TO manipulate II.
TRANSACTIONS OF THE WEEK.
rne following table represents the opening highest
and lowest Sales regular way OF tho principal
during The past week, together with tho number of
shares dealt I'M