The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-03-19
PIT HELD IT'S OWN
STRUGGLE OF BULLS AND BEARS
OVER WHEAT A DRAWN BAT
TIE.
CROP DAMAGE A FACTOR.
POOR EXPORT AND DOMESTIC DE-
MAND OFFSET 1T IN IT'S
EFFECT.
CORN CLOSED SHADE HIGHER,
Provisions Dragged Till Noon, But
Improved Greatly During the
Final Hour of Trading.

CHICAGO, March 1S-Wheat opened weak
today and closed firm at substantially the
same price it yesterday. Crop damage
reports and fear of trouble in Europe, strug
gled with a poor export and domestic demand
the result being drawn battle. Corn closed
a shade higher, oats a shade lower, pro-
visions advanced 212@12Rc.
The opening in wheat was weak on the de-
clinng tendency which soon readily sue
ceeded the strong opening at Liverpool. The
exhibition, a few minutes later, of cable
grams from Liverpool reporting an advance
of Id there, and claiming them to refer to a
later hour than the subsequent decline that
was known to have taken place, deceived
good many of those who saw them, and were
the means of inducing buying enough to
cause May to recover PC in about 10 min
utes. The opening transactions were over a
range from 1896 to 1890, and the upturn re
ferred to raised it to 74Ac, the price at
which it closed yesterday. Then the market
turned weak again. not so much on account
Of news from the very dizziness Of trade.
Crop damage reports were quite numerous
and of a serious character from some local
tiles, SO serious in fact that many short
spasms of strength were intermixed with the
general weakness Of the morning. About
noon the price had worked down to 1870.
Aside from the crop damage reports there was
little in the way of news to induce buying.
The clearances from Atlantic ports were again
disappontingly light, and unless Russia and
the Danubian ports have much increased
their shipments this week, the smallness of
the worlds shipments this week must have
brought the time a little nearer when the
demand from abroad must become much
more urgent Closing cables were firm, ex-
cept from Antwerp. Chicago receipts were Is
cars and out inspection $1,000 blu. Mime
apolis and Duluth got 205 cars, against 1913
the preceding Thursday and 672 a year ago.
The price tended downward until near the
close, the rallies, though numerous, being
till then weak-spirited and trifling. May got
down to 1872, but during the last few min
utes an advance of 1c at St Louis put some
backbone to the market, advancing suddenly
to 741sc. That price bid at the close.
Corn was quiet and firm, Influenced by the
moderate receipts and heavy clearances. Ow-
ing to the way in which the crop is going out
Of the country, shorts are getting a little
nervous, and their buying today, though
limited, was sufficient to sustain prices. Ex-
ports were 533 600 bu. May sc lower at 245sc
advanced to 2434 @D24Bc, where it closed. Oats
were quiet and steady during the greater
part of the session, but closed easy with a
slight loss, as compared with yesterdays last
quotation. May started a shade lower at
17Ho, sold at liz 017%c, declined to 17Bc
and closed at 17Hc. Business was for the
most part of scalping nature and limited at
that. Provisions after dragging up to noon,
improved radically during the last hour and
closed very strong. Opening prices were gen.
orally at advance, due to the small hog
receipts. Little business developed during the
morning, and prices were practically at a
standstill. Then a sudden rush of buying
orders boosted prices to the highest point Of
the day. At the close May pork $3.50;
May lard 21ac higher at $4.271a and May
ribs $4.8212. Estimates: Wheat q cars );
corn, 1861 oats, IT'S; hogs 10000 head.
The leading futures ranged as follows: