Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-19
COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL
Wheat tho Only Article on the Speculative
List Showing Activity,
CABLES HAVE QUITE A BEARSH TONE
Corn Extremely DuIl All Day, the Lit
tie business Doing Bcing In
Small Lots and Chiefly of
scnIping Nature.

CHICAGO, Dec 1S-Whcat was the only
article on the speculative list that showed
any activity today II closed with a &c de-
cline, partly caused by the weak foreign
markets and partly through sympathy with
the slump I'm wall street Corn and oats de-
clincd about &c each, and provisions closed
unchanged to DC lower.
In wheat the early Liverpool news re-
ccivcd a bearish Interpretation. There was
no change in price noted In the trst cable
from that point, which was distinctly dis
appointing to the bulls, although why 1t
should be was a mystery, as this market was
weak on the curb last night on the corrcc.
tion of the Newport News exports, which
were found to be only 10000 pounds, or
about 7gO barrels instead of 10000 barrels,
as reported. This disappointment was
shown in the opening quotations for May,
which ranged from 797sc to SOBc, as com
pared with yesterdays closing price OF sO9.c;
after lowering around the best market for
q time. the price began to advance, ana IN
the FIRST forty-hve minutes trading mad
reached SO36c The northwestern receipts
were smaller than ever, and reports from
that territory were to the effect that arriV-
ais are now about down to their average
during the winter Minneapolis ana lluluth
reported 1863 cars. as compared with 5i7 cars
last week and 720 on the corresponding day
low-i3 cars-against As last week and ISL
last year. Shorts did considerable cover
ing being enc9uraRed ny Deter zone 10
prevalent that the Liverpool opening had
been manipulated by this side. The price
had many fluctuations between I9Ac and
SOl.c during the forenoon. a report that
S,OO0000 had been engaged for expectation
was the cause of the drop to the last named
figure. The market came completely under
the spell of the New York financial news
and the weak stock market in the last hour.
1t had recovered to SUIC from its previous
break to 79AC. but went down again with
a clatter to 79Sc about half an hour from
the close. Crop damage reports were more
numerous than before. The crowd refused,
however to allow next years crop to enter
so early into this seasons campaign. and
felt and acted like determined bears The
Corn was extremely dun all day, the lit
tie business doing being in small lots and
chiefly OF a scalping nature. sympathy with
wheat and the colder weather with eNpec,
tations of Increased receipts initiated
against higher prices and caused the weak
undertone which characterized the market.
May opened sc lower at 252Sc sold At 25l3c
and declined to from 25l4c to 253sc, where 1t
closed.
oats opened lower and after momen-
tary display of strength sold off still further
buying principally by one broker the mar
ket recovered. Business elsewhere was dull,
fluctuations being confined to a narrow
range. May opened sc lower at 2Oc' and and
1890 to 2Oc closing easy al 2Oc.
Provisions were affected by dullness in
grain and general disposition to postpone
business untll after the holidays. The Of
fering and orders to buy Were both light
Pork, however was the only staple show
ing any appreCiable change at the close
May pork closed &c lower to S7SIia May lard
unchanged, at from 500 to A02l2; May ribs,
unchanged at from $500 to SL02l2.
Estimated receipts Saturday: Wheat, 81
cars; corn, 3l9 cars; oats, $50 cars; hogs. 81
0O0 head
The leading futures ranged as follows:
d 80