The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-08-02
GRAIN qICKERS SILENT
Chicago Bucket Shop Fight Stops
Local Quotations.
Trading I'm Wheat and Corn, Recent
Iy Quite Active, Now Almost at q
Place of the Western City as the
Centre of Speculation in Cereals.

A commotion amounting almost to con-
sternation has been created on the Street
by the s1dien and absolute cutting of of
all grain operations from Chicago, upon
which the local traders rely almost entirely
as the basis for their transactions Bust
ness was seriously interfered with yester-
day and today, and vail OF indignation
went up from the brokers generally. The
Chicago tickers were silent, and many OF
the blackboards. usually filled with figures.
were innocent OF a chalk mark.
The cessation OF the quotations is due TO
the light which is on between the Chicago
Board of Trade and the bucketshops OF
that city, resulting on Tuesday in the ar
rest of over 300 persons. Yesterday. after
a lengthy wait for the quotations, eager
messages from Washington were despatch
ed to Chicago to ascertain the cause of the
trouble. ana the answer came back that
the Chicago Board OF Trade had refused to
allow any quotations on grain to be sent
out from it officially.
The reason given for this action was that
the Gold and Stock Telegraph Company,
which is closely allied with the Western
limit its ticker service solely to legitimate
members of the board and to eliminate the
bucketsbops altogether. Because of this
refusal the Gold and Stock Company,
which has contracts not only with Wash
ington but other large cities in the East to
furnish these quotations. Washington was
absolutely unable to obtain them, and had
to admit the fact.
from New York, Philadelphia, and Boston
that they were in the same condition as
Washington as far as lack of news from the
Chicago Board of Trade went. The con-
tract between the Gold and Stock Com
pany and the Chicago Board OF Trade ex-
pired at the close of business Tuesday
and upon the refusal of the company to
agree TO the stipulation regarding bucket
shops the service was discontinued.
Local brokers were forced to depend
upon private information from Chicago, re-
ceiVed over private wires, but there was
little trading
The matter of obtaining reliable Infor-
nation and quotations from Chicago was
much discussed. 1t was suggested that it
would be found necessary to fall back upon
New York quotations, and that the me-
tropolis would gradually take the place OF
Chicago in this matter.
Baltimore was also a heavy sufferer
from the lack of grain quotations. The
matter was the subject of much excited
comment all day. It was threatened that
the trouble would be likely to throw all of
Baltimore's grain trade to New York and
to hurt Chicago permanently. Another
statement was that there would be a suit
against the Geld and Stock Telegraph
Company. Mr.. William T. Whitney, Se,s
rotary Of the Chamber of Commerce, said
that the company had broken its contract
and should be punished.
I'VE hold q contract with that telegraph
company" said Mr.. Whitney, 'by which
they agree to furnish US these quotations
for certain sum of money annually, and
we, in return, are to furnish certain things
We have kept our agreement to the letter
and yet they break the contract without
any notice whatever and interfere with our
business. According TO its terms the con-
tract may be abrogated by either party on
thirty days notice. But these people have
given nc notice.
AS an explanation Of the reason why
they do not furnish quotations today they
say that they cannot get them from the
Chicago Board OF Trade. What have we
to do with the Chicago Board of Trade !?
That is not-in the contract and we are
not responsible for what they refuse CT
agree to do The contract with US has been
broken and the matter may result In a
lawsuit Of course if the stoppage of the
quotations is going to last only a day or
two we will not bubble about it. although
it will mean considerable inconvenience,
but If it lasts any considerable time there
will be trouble
One member Of the Chamber of Com
merce suggested that the root of the trou
bic was the desire of the Chicago Board
of Trade to make the Gold and Stock TeIe-
graph Company pay higher price for the
service which they receive from the board
and Islieh they disseminate to The bucket
shops.