The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-18

we're reported to be firm in their deter
mination not to accept the miners terms
With easy money assured, with the strike
ended. with the magnificent showing of
foreign trade reported for the year so
lar, with railway earnings holding up
better than anyone had expected. there
can be no doubt that an era OF higher
prices in stocks is near at hand. AS has
been said the present movement is
manipulated one. and it is not improbable
that it will he followed by a decline; but
the permanent improvement based on the
intrinsic conditions cannot be far away.
IL may begin before election, but 1t is
PROBABLE that. it will not be Inaugural ted
until after that event. Then it will come.
no matter which way the election may go.
Peoples Gas was the conspicuous feat
ure of the market during the morning.
II had a sharp advance of 3 points, more
or less, to IS IA, on persistent reitera-
;ion of the story that the gas war has
been settled. accompanied. of course, by
buying for the. bull clique and for the big
short interest. There was very little of
what could be called good buying, for
keeps. Another story put out later in
the day was that many thousands of
shares OF the stock are being purchased
for Mr.. Rockefeller. 1t was said by one
party that the Standard Oil people have
secured control of the company. There
was sharp decline in the price after the
shorts had covered, and 1t closed at "a,
stu showing good net gain for the day,
however.
The railway securities that made the
best showing as far as permanent gain
was concerned. were Southern Railway
common and preferred. They were taken
up actively by a clique of important REQ
pie and both scored sharp advances. the
preferred getting as high as Sc So and
the common as high as 13 1-S. The pre-
ferred closed at sc is with net gain
OF point, and the common at IL 3-4.
The earnings Of the company continually
increasing and the fine outlook for fu-
ture business have made these securities
particular favorites with careful invest
ors for several months past. They will
probably be among the first to begin the
permanent advance. Louisville and Nash
Vile advanced point TO IS yesterday in
sympathy with Southern, but did not hold
the gain.
The movement OF the anthracite coal
stocks was a disappointment. They ad-
vanced fairly well when the announcement
was made of the settlement of the strike,
put uciOTe Tue Ciose large part OF their
gain had been lost. Reading first pre-
ferred went as high as SO Is, and then
declined to IS at the close. Jersey Cen
trail advanced and held its own, but the
business in the stock was small
1t may be said of the coal securities
generally that their prospects are good
for much strength and important ad-
vances in the near future These systems
are showing up in earnings better than
they ever did before. and their prospects
are continually improving. The demand
for coal, both at home and abroad, will
continue to increase for a long time TO
come as far as anyone can judge-and
some of the best minds in work have been
thinking on the subject. The strike very
surely has not hurt the earnings of the
companies concerned a dollars worth.
Taere would be no reason for surprise IL
they were actually improved by it. Coal
is SO high that the 10 per cent advance
in the wages of the miners will be but
e very small item. The loss Of business
for the short period OF the strike also
will be made up quickly by this advance in
coal prices.