The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-12-16

CHICAGO. Dec. t5.-Very little business was
done today in the December delivery of wheat
and May did not fare much better. The lat
Ter month was well sustained as rule and at
the close was selling 12c higher than the
final figures Of yesterday. Shorts covered
freely late in the session. Corn and oats had
a lively squirt in the last fifteen or twenty
minutes trading and showed closing advances
OF %sai2c and &c respectively. Provisions
were S.TCng throughout ard advanced 7l20
15c.
There was no strongly developed feeling
either way at the opening in wheat. Prices
were subsequently, the same as at the
close yesterday, May starting at 9OM4902c.
Most of the first sales being at 905sc, while
December was quoted at 97lac. A slightly
flrmer feeling was impaired soon after by
cableSram from the Liverpool Corn Trade
News stating that only five Argentine stemers
had been fixed as yet, meaning only that
many 50 far chartered for shipment of wheat.
1t also quoted Goodwin, the Argentina wheat
authority, as saying arrivals in Europe would
not begin before April. A private Paris
cable ridiculed the statement that France
would only need to import 20 600, 900 blu, for
elgn wheat from Nov. / to- the end of the
crop year, stating their estimate of require
ments for that time at 60 coo, 600 bu and that
bakers and millers' stocks were small and
farmers deliveries light These statements
caused moderate covering by the more timid
shorts. the price of May advancing in con-
sequence to 90Bc. But the dullness of trad
ing initiated against any sustained advance
and prices slowly slid off again to 903sc
though not without several slight rallies
Minneapolis and Duluth receipts were 472
cars against 600 Wednesday a week ago, and
81 the corresponding day of the year before
Chicago received in the usual way, by rail-
S44 cars compared with % a year ago; but
received today, in addition to rail receipts
from the country, 100 cars and sc 900 bu from
unlicensed elevators and 100 600 bu by lake;
the latter lots all No. l northern spring.
Primary market receipts amounted altogether
to $50. 80 bu against 2S2 $50 blu the previous
year. Export clearances from Atlantic ports
amounted to 315,000 Blu in wheat and -four.
second cablegram from the Liverpool Corn
Trade News reported official statistics of
wheat and flour consumption in Germany and
Belgium for November much smaller than in
that month last year May touched 9G3sc.
gaus came to an end when the Bradstreets
reported the worlds visible increased 1853 coo
bu The temporary decline on the reported
reduced appetites of the Germans and Bel
gains came to an end when the Bradstreet's
report was published. The market developed
considerable strength toward the close, due
to free general covering by shorts and limit
ed speculative offerings. May advanced to
9li4c and closed firm at 911sc. December
transactions comprised ali told about 100000
Du, most OF IL SOD FOR ArmOurS account
and bought principally by Alien & Grier at
around SIC. 1t started nominally worth 971sc,
then AZ &c from that up to 9S1a and down
again IN 97hc, where it closed.
Corn very slow and inclined to be weak
up TO within fifteen minutes of the close,
when 1t suddenly became active and strong
on q rush OF shorts to cover sales made dur
ing the recent decline. This caused a re-
coyery of the slight early decline and a good
advance besides. Speculation was quite broad
at the close. Cash demand was slow. May
renged from 299291sc to 2S1ac, closing $50
12c higher at 2sq2915c. Oats. like corn, were
weak early in the session and some decline
followed free selling. Prices turned abrupt
~ upward when covering started near the
close, for very little was Offering and the
market was strong and &c higher at the end.
Cash business was limited. May ranged from
22l2c to pc and closed at 223sc.
Provisions were exceedingly firm and more
active speculatiyely than they have been for
some time. Light receipts of hogs and a
firm market started prices higher and good
general buying kept the market advancing
Purchases of lard were especially heavy
At the close May pork was 15c higher at
$50, May lard 71AG1Oc higher at S4,65. and
May ribs 1Oc higher at $4.4712 Estimated
receipts Thursday: Wheat, 40 cars; corn
200 cors; oats, $50 cars; hogs 81 600 head.
The leading futures ranged s follows