Kansas City daily journal., 1896-12-25
WHEAT GAINS HALF A CENT.
BUSINESS WAS VERY DULL, But THE
MARKET WAS STRONG.
Good Cnsh Demand for Milling and
Liberal Engagements to Go
AbrOad-AH the Other Mar
kets Slow and Dull.

Chicago, Dec. 2t.-wheat, after trying to-
day to divide its favors equally between
bulls and bears, finally showed preference
for the bulls. It closed with an advance
of JkGZc. Business in all departments has
very much of a holiday character, and
there was not enough change in the prices
outside of wheat to call for comment.
There will be no session of the board of
trade until Monday.
Although wheat opened &c higher than it
closed yesterday. it had probably the tam
est start since the day before Christmas
a year ago. The situation was without
change of moment, so that the local spec
ulative position left to adjust itself
calmly without pressure to the exigencies
of three days tIe-up of business. Liver
pool opened with I'D added TO the previous
days closing quotations and the North
western receipts were again small. The
number of carloads received at Minneapo-
lis and Duluth was S39, compAred with 446
on Thursday a week ago. Chicago got
thirty cars and $4,000 bushels were in
speeted out of regular warehouses. The
tone of the market was rather heavy after
the opening and up to about Il o'clock.
May opened at from. 814zc to S15sQS1%c,
gradually sagged TO Size. 1t rose again
when. at the latter price, rumors of consid-
cradle cash business in wheat for ship
ment to country mills began to be circu-
lated. The market kept firm during the
last hour, although there was no accession
to the volume of business. The good cash
demand for milling. the rumor of liberal
engagements to go to the seaboard by rail,
the firm closing cables, all helped to sus-
tain prices. The editor of the Liverpool
Corn Trade News cabled that wheat and
-four on ocean passage would decrease
heavily in the next two weeks, and that
caused the heavy Liverpool buying OF
wheat in New York observable there for
some days back. The market here became
strong on that and closed at Sl7sc, the
highest price of the day.
Corn was very slow, but held steady, fuc-
tuating only nc. with an easier undertone.
The local receipts were above the esti-
mate, but cables were strong and the clear
ances from the seahoard large, about $50. .0gl
bushels. The firm tone to wheat caused
corn 10 close 1-16c over its closing price
yesterday. May opened unchanged at 25ssc,
sold between 25asc and 25lzc and 25kc, clos
ing steady at 252sQ2512c.
Oats were tame, with sales few and un-
important, not a transaction of over $4,000
bushels being reported. Prices were con-
fined to a range of 1sc and held about
steady, following wheat and corn. May
opened at zoe, sold at 1870 and closed with
sellers at 2Oc There was a fair trade in
the cash department and no material
change in prices.
Provisions were just as dull as the other
markets. business being almost entirely
local and in small lots. Prices at the open
ing showed comparatively no change A
slight decline followed free offerings by
packers which was recovered with the
closing strength of wheat. May pork closed
a shade higher at S7.S7iaaz.9O; May lard a
shade higher at $3.97I@ai0O; May ribs un,
changed at S3.95l2.
Estimated receipts Saturday: Wheat, 3
cars; corn, SIS cars: oats, 275 cars; hogs
1900