The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-06-16
MARKET NOTES.

1t is understood that the Central
Massachusetts stockholders bill
against the Boston and Maine will be
brought in the name of B. w. Jones, a
prominent New York leather merchant,
who is holder Of 1000 shares of COM
mon and preferred stock,
There was inside buying in Amer
lean Steel and Wire, with a rumor
that a block of stock has lately gone
from an interest disposed to sell to one
which believes more firmly in the value
of the common stock and which was
willing to hold it for future profit.
The prices of S1mrl rails have been
advanced from SO ind $26 a ton to $29
and $50 per ton, and there is every in
dication that the end is not yet
There are all sorts of gossip regard
ing the prospects of a dividend on
American Steel and Wire common
shares. Some time ago there were
semi official utteranceS that payments
would begin in July, but of late the ru-
NOR that there is a division in the
board on the question has gained many
believers. One story is that John w.
Gates, chairman of the board, does not
favor paying a dividend, but that most
of the other directors do favor it. The
DOlL VI Will dGlGlll lAllC TIE IlleiNIG4 NllCll
it meets June 23 The company has
announced an advance in the wages of
its men and the price of its product. All
Its skilled men are to receive 10 per
cent additional pay. The unskilled
men received an advance some months
ago. The advance in products is at the
rate of % cents a hundred, which
makes wire nails $2.45 per key now and
wire s2.40 per 100 pounds.
Some of the bankers in Boston have
made a statement yesterday to the eff
feet that if the opposition to the new
clearing house system for country
banks, whereby such banks pay all
checks drawn on them in Boston funds
at par on the day of receipt, becomes
formidable, the Boston banks will take
steps to protect themselves. In other
words, they propose to retaliate by
adopting the banking plan which is
followed in New York, of putting a dis
count on all checks, except in a few of
the great financial circles.
A. R. Flower announces that Federal
Steel directors would declare a quar-
terly dividend of IA p. c. on common
on Friday.
Flower & Co. are estimated to have
bought upward of 10000 shares of B. r.
T. Wednesday.
The loss of 100000 in the Western
Union net revenue for the June quarter
was the result of much smaller returns
from the press business than those re-
ceived a year ago. officers of the COM
pany said that other business showed
no noteworthy changes
Prime reports from Chicago: Very
heavy rain storm last night cooled off
the atmosphere greatly and conditions
promise to be, so far as temperature is
concerned, greatly improved. The ear
ly winter wheat harvest is gradually
working northward, and in southern
Indiana and southern Illinois some of
the early wheat is ready to cut. AS
harvest approaches the shOrtness vi
the crop becomes more anc more APP
parent and the surplus, if any, will be
very small. Present conditions are
very favorable for corn. Fields were
getting very weedy and needing Gull
tivation. and the last few days have
given farmers an excellent opportunity
to get into their fields and work the
crop"
At an auction sale of securities in
Boston, yesterday, the following prices
were brought for local railroad stocks f.;
y shares Norwich and Worcester R.
r. Co. 225s shares B. & NJ. common
at 1851; Il shares B. & a. Rs r. Co.,
25S5s nK