The age-herald., 1898-03-02
Tn Wall Street.

New York, March 1.-The stock market took on no well defined character today
 until after the publication of the state ment attributed to the secretary of the navy that the element of the Spanish off, cials responsibility for the Maine explo- sion might be considered to be eliminated from the situation. This was in the last hour of the session, and the whole short interest apparently rushed to cover short lines that have been put out in the last few days on the developments following the Maine disaster. There had been cov- ering of shorts early in the day in contin- uance of this movement but little later other short selling developed on the theory that the market would certainly sag again after the large interest had been covered. The market had apparently swung to a standstll, and was drifting rather aim lessly, without yielding when a buying and the trading took on all the appear ances of bull market. Some of the ad- vanoes were violent, Metropolitan being pushed up to 1531s, a net rise of B points. This stock closed at 151. Manhattan, Sugar and New York Central were also conspicu- ous in the movement, the former showing an extreme advance of 5 points and the latter 2, rising points each.
 There was large buying also of Changers and Rock Island rose over 2 points above last nights level. The whole list felt the upward movement to a very noticeable ex- tent, and the late bulge added to a very substantial advance already achieved, makes showing of very striking net
 gains, ranging from 1 to points in the general list and above the exceptional cases.
 Buying for London account helped the strength in the early dealings There was some recovery in Spanish securities in Lon don, and this seemed to restore confidence to some extent over the relations between
 Spain and the United States. The resump-
 of hux fnr Ia n tho face of a continued hardening of the money
 market in London. The inquiry for Ameri-
 can account in London and Paris is re-
 ported to be still very keen, but no further
 engagements of gold for import were an- nounced today, and the rate for sterling ex-
 change hardened a fraction, but is still at
 the gold import point.
 The conditions in the local money mar ket have been somewhat more settled, the
 interior demands for currency being some what less eager. The announcement by the treasury that no further withdrawal will be made for the present of government de- posits in New York banks of Union Pa cif1c payments also aided this result. The bond market was somewhat more active today and prices for bonds were higher all around. Total sales, $36OO, ,OOO United States new fourS registered showed a recovery of IS, and fours coupon old, fours registered and fives of each and the old fours coupon 1s per cent bid and the twos declined 1A per cent.
 Total sales of stocks today, 452 700 in cluding Atchison preferred, 6,2sO; Chesa- peake and Ohio, 4,225 Chicago, Burlington and Quincy. 29,635; Louisville and Nash vile, 6.6S1; Manhattan, 32,630; Metropolitan Street, 10 420; Hawaiian, 3,705; Reading, D. 620; Missouri Pacific, 541; New York Gen. tral, 1e,65O; Northern Pacific 14,120; North ern Pacific preferred, 1s,92O; Rock Island, 4,ee0; St. Paul, 33.920; Union Pacific, 500; U P. D. G., 5,100; Tobacco, 4,SO0; Peoples Gas, 1O,220; Consolidated Gas, 3,95O; General Electric, 4,29S; Sugar, 79,620: Tennessee Coal 4,130; Western Union, 7,220. Money on call active, 1%@2k; last loan, per cent Prime mercantile paper, S1s@4 per cent Sterling exchange firmer, with actual business in bankers bills at $4.S4A for de- mand and at $4.s11s@s4S2 for sixty days. Posted rates, $4S21a@s4.S311 and $4S5@$4. .86 Commercial bills, $4.s1@$4.s11 Silver certificates, 55asG56as.
 Bar silver, 55A.
 Mexican dollars, 45H.
 Government bonds strong.
 State bonds dull.