The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-02-21
B USlNEsS BAROMETER.
NH. situation on Wall street-stoehs
slightly DIs,arbsd by the Maine Trag-
.J,-,ioro Itaiirosd Consultations Ia


sL,-,ioro Itaiirosd Consultations IN
Sight.
tspecill Correspondence.
NEW YORK. Feb. 1s-Taklns the
ms, week as a whole. It has been sur
aelsn,ly Influenced by experimental
.,elllng operations to hold In check tho
Improving tendency due 10 opposite fac
r,or,, There IS still a limited class who
think the present range OF prices nd.
nils OF further decline, but they
,,aK, only transient successes In their
aiInmnts 10 force II. Apart from the
General bu!lIsh feeling OF outside opera.
,ors tho foreign market Is showing de-
cIdsdly more disposition to buy since
,be Improvement IN the China situation,
which is a factor now daily felt on the
market
been the Maine disaster. The sudden.
ness and gravity OF the occurrence pro-
Juced a yery severe shock In Wall
street, and all the more SO from It's
appalling mystery
ipaTt from this event, Wall street
,Tain begins to show some uneasineas
an Inc Cuban question. Another dry. or
military, season Is now approaching Its
rIsse: the experiment OF autonomy may
Move failure; the Spanish forces have
Accomplished but inadequate results
ms yet towards the subjugntion OF the
Insurgents: and thus another year has
n1ssel without the accomplishment OF
The extinction Of the rebellion. Mean
while our government continues subject
20 a heavy expense In the maintenance
of rs neutral obligations and our peo-
ME suffer from heavy loss OF trade
with the island, while the sunerlngs
Of The Cubans continue to appeal to our
humane sympathles. The admln!stra-
:I0n is rCticent as to It's future action;
and Congress shows less zeal and ur-
Eere,; but It is suspected that the lat
,ep IA due 10 an Understanding between
The administration and the Republican
1ingoes which IL satisfactory TO the
ialter, The uncertainties as TO the out
GENE about Cuba may suffice 10 pro-
J,re more or less unsettled feeling IN
wall street until further light Is thrown
ON the prospect and until after the
Maine investigation and the complete
settlement OF the De Lone Incident and
The reciprocity negotiations.
Instead OF the disaster 10 the warship
Maine bringing on a war between this
country and Spain. It is more likely
have contrary effect, as It Will be TIA,
means OF causing reelection on the part
Of our lingo members OF Congress and
making them more rational. 1t will
serve 10 show them what war means in
The destruction OF life and property.
This shocking disaster wipes out S.
$4,000 OF property and sends TO eternity
ga human beings In an instant. II 1t
should he found that the cause OF this
disaster was n torpedo. It goes to show.
In the event OF actual war with Spain,
what thousands OF Infatuated men
could accomplish as measured by the
act o, one man who fired the torpedo at
the Maine We can no more contrast
former conflicts on land or sea with
conflicts hereafter, in their humiliation
0. lie and property, than we can COM
rare night and day. Is 1t desirable
then for this country 20 be plunged into
war with Spain. even though we
should get the best OF It in the end? 1t
Is true we could levy an indemnity, but
what would that be worth against u
bankrupt nation, and victory over
power SO much weaker would give us,
no prestige.
The attention OF Wall street has been
attracted 10 the probability of another
important consolidation OF railroad in
terests Apparently on good authority,
II Is given out that the Chicago. Bur-
l!Hgton & Quincy and the Missouri,
Kansas & Texas have exchanged views
relative to consolidation of the two
systems. It is understood that the Mis-
s0url. Kansas & Texas would require
guarantee OF per cent upon its prefer
rec stock, to which the Burlington
Wobably will not object; 1t may, how
ever. hesitate Goout guaranteeing the
Missouri ksnSas G. Texas 1 Per cent
GOLD bonds as Il has always dlsfavo-ed
contracts payable In that form. Should
tbs negotiation be accomplished, II will
add ?,l9I miles TO the Chicago. Burling-
ton & Quincy system. making its total
Of track 9,31, miles. This Is another step
IN the direction OF economy in railroad
finance.
The bureau OF statistics furnishes an
other evidence OF the extraordinary e1-
fans!on OF our export trade. For the
month Of January the exports OF mer-
cAaadise Gncluding silver amounted 10
Ni9So,c0. which Is sH,70o,000 In excess
OF the figures for the same month OF
last year. The imports were valued at
s33G0,01o. which falls 100000 below
January, 1891
The months exports show an excess
OF iSs.5G0,0oo over the imports. From
ms. however, must be deducted $780,
coo 10! our net imports OF gold during
Inc month, also liberal allowance
must De made for the interest and 9TH
er minor accounts during the month,
WnlSA would leave net balance to our
cIealt o. probably $50. 100000 TO be add
60 70 me already extraordinary floating
lnaestedAess OF other countries to the
united States. This IS an additional
reason Tor anticipating protracted ease
!" me local money market.
apart from the Maine disaster and
.He cuban situation, all factors continue
;;nyofaoIe 10 the price OF stocks, and we
.ooh 3of an active spring market, with
III Upward movement In prices.
HENRY CLEWS.