The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-21

by the farmers will be so good that gen.
cral traffic in the West will be large. Pre-
dictions OF poor earnings for this group
have been made so long that the bears
still make them automatically, but there
is no reason for them. People familiar
WITH the prospects Of the Atchison and
the Rock Island systems especially talk
enthusiastically of the coming year being
oae of the best On record. if not the best.
The movements OF these securities yester-
day were insignificant. Burlington opened
of il mere than the ! IL per cent divi-
dcn'i, the stock selling "eX'' yesterday. It
advanced from The opening lavel fraction
ably Atch!son preferred. Rock Island, and
81. Paul all went of fracticnally closing
WIKI slight gains from the lowest prices
Of the day. however.
The earnings df the Big Four for the
second week Of August showed en- increase
Of $40 Cos The earnings Of the Chesapeake
and Ohio for the same period showed an
Increase of +sf2.279. Nearly all The re-
ports for tae second week Of the month so
FAR received have shown an increase over
the big Eeures Of last year. There were
no sales Yesterday in either of these two
securities
The death of John D. Flower. news Of
>
had no effect whatever on the market He
is the second member of the firm of
Flower 6 Co. to die within 2 short time.
but h. has never been conspicuous in the
street or in public life in anything ike
the way that Gov. r. 4. Flower was. The
collapse that followed the death of R y.
Flower was one Of the mos startling the
street aas ever seen, BIZ. he was the
leader of one of the most tremendous
booms that ever occurred. and the calse
Of it, too. to large extent, and when ne
died people a-oke to the fact that he
advance had gone many points too far.
1t is probable that there is no man in
the street. or out of it either whose death
at this time would cause anything like so
bad a slump.
Brooklyn Rapid Transit, one of the
Flowers chief favorites, sold off nearly
two points at one time yesterday. getting
as low as So 1-2. Later it recovered
point Of its loss, but it was at no time
strong. The death of Mr.. Flower had
nothing to do with the decline. The pro-
fessionals are still selling the stock with
the excuse that the annual report was not
a good one, and that the price is too
high for a stock that will NOS be likely 10
pay dividend this year, and maybe not
next either. Shrewd people are not going
short of the stock TO any extent, how
ever. The report is really good one,
as has been said, in that it shows a most
encouraging increase of gross earnings.
Operating expenses continue heavy, but
these will be reduced in all probability.
Other street railway systems everywhere
operate for so per cent to so per cent of
the gross receipts, and the Brooklyn Rapid
Transit is using 81 per cent or more. Gov
ernor Flower believed that this company
was one of the greatest in the world in
its prospects, and. notwithstanding the
fact that its stock is now selling a one
half what IT was when he died there are
many very shrewd people who still believe
as he did regarding it
Jersey Central was one of the few Sc
curities TO show a gain for the day. 1t
got as high as I3l IA and closed at
1874 IA Reading first preferred sold off !
fractionally Ontario and Western ad-
vanced to q. closing at the top. The coal
securities generally, both the anthracite |
and the soft coaiers, we're well suppC-.sd. |
Talk Of the outlook for profitable export |
Of coal to Germany, based on the consular
reports received at the State Department, |
is heard in the street. and this prevents |
the selling of these securities. The fact |
that there is to be large export trade in /
soft coal this year is well understood by
railway men. Such d movement mas az
ready begun, in fact. 1t would seem that
the earnings of the coal lines at least
should be sure of continuing heavy.
Sugar sold off to 122 ga, but was dull |
and uninteresting. 1t closed the day at
1913. with net loss of q point or SO. No
news was heard regarding the stock. but
some of the, BROKERS circulated the tip !
that there is-to be a big advance in it In |
the near future.
One of the tips is TO buy st. Louis f-,i |
preferred. The recent earn
ings of the company have shown large In |
creases and the company is row earning /
at the rate-o of something like 4 per cent /
on the stock.