The Saint Paul globe., 1896-12-10
CLOSE FOR THE CHICAGO OPTION
ONE AND FIyE-EIGHTS
LOWER.
ALL OF THE MARKETS DULL.
APATHY OF TRADERS THE STRONG
FACTOR IN THE BEAR
RAIDS.
NO ATTENTION PAID BULL NEWS.
Holders Afraid to Garry Long Wheat
With the Holidays Period
Coming on.

CHICAGO, Dec 9-wheat got fairly and
suuarely below the soc mark today, the May
option closing at decline of 15sc The feat
ure of the markets was their excessive dull
ness Corn declined 1sc and oats 14c. Pro-
visions are practically unchanged Wheat
opened exceedingly weak. The first transae-
tions in May were at declines of from 1S97sc,
prices being from S04 to 1870, with very
few buyers at over the lower figure. From
that point the market tended steadily down
ward the opening quotations being the high
est price reached during the session Liver
pool cables were disappointing, showing
loss of I'D. But the most depressing feature
of the market was the general dullness in
speculation. Holders paid no attention to the
bull news, but could see only the apathy of
operators, and looked forward with appre-
hension to the dull days which are expected
to follow as the result of the holidays. AS
consequence, there was a general disposition
to get rid of long stuff and to sell short.
Atlantic port clearances once more gave evil
dence of the heaviness of the demand They
amounted in wheat and -four together in
Guiding 1928 bbls of flour from Newport
News, to the equivalent of 572 900 bu. North
west receipts were rather neutral Minneap-
oils and Duluth received 629 cars, against 316
last Wednesday and S71 on the corresponding
day of the year before. The market showed
considerable nervousness and fluctuations be-
tween 791s@79S4c were frequent. This feeling
was noticeable to the end. In the last fifteen
minutes of the session the bears made anoth-
er drive at it to test their strength, and for
the fifth time during the session it looked
as If 1t was about to go laundering below
79c, but 791sc was again bottom price The
closing price was 791s@79Ac.
The provision pit was almost deserted.
Prices were slightly inclined to go lower but
not to such an extent as to make any con-
siderable change. Hogs-Receipts were con-
siderably less than expected but any ad-
vantage from this source was offset by the
weakness of grain. May pork closed 215c
lower at $7.92&; May lard unchanged at
$407Q4.1O; May ribs, unchanged at $4.G21h.
Estimated receipts Thursday: Wheat % cars;
corn, 200 cars; oats, 290 cars; hogs, SO 600
head.
Corn could not we'll be duller or less inter-
esting to an expectant speculator than IL was
today. The entire range of the days fuctua-
tions was virtually circumscribed to Lice in
the most active future-May. The opening
was weak, in common with wheat but there
price fluctuations practically ended. May
opened 1s4Ac lower at 26c, sold at 26GD26kc
and closed at the opening price. Oats en-
Joyed quite lively session. The weak OPEN
Ing OF the wheat market started the ball roll
ing, and an excellent country demand kept
the market going. Offerings were free and
prices gradually declined. May started a
shade lower at 21Ac, declined to 207sc and
closed easy at 20BQ21c.
The leading futures ranged as follows: