The age-herald., 1901-05-28
STOCK TRADERS DID
 LITTLE BUSINESS Day Was Dullest on Wall Street Since Election T0BACCOS MADE GAINS Professionals Made Several Futile At tempts to Force Movement of
 Prices-Marl<et Closed With
 General Hardening.

New York, May 27.--Today's business in the stock market was the smallest for any full day since the Presidential cleo ton. There was nothing in the market 10 indicate any outside interest, either speculative or investment. The bond market shared in the dulness In the general run of stocks professional traders made futile attempts to force a move ment of prices but in covering their con- tracts the movement was undone again. There was a slight hardening of prices early in sympathy with the movement In tobaccos end then period of pretty general weakness. The fact that there : was general hardening again before the close showed clearly that this weakness was largely due to selling by the bears. Recoveries were not complete in the gen eral list and net losses are the rule in stocks that were traded in These losses ! represent the gravitating tendency of the market from inanimation as there was no active liquidation going on, such as was evident from time to time last week, and which found it's natural reflection in the large liquidation of loans shown by the Saturday bank statement. The movement in the tobacco stocks was the only thing worthy of special notice in the days trading. It was unexplained except by the persistence of recently current ru- mors of a consolidation of all the tobac % interests.
 The movement came to halt and suf- fered some reaction on the first announce ment of the supreme courts decision in the Porto Rico cases owing to the con fusion and doubt as to the scope and bearing of the decisions. Continental 5 Tobacco, however, held stubbornly and rose to the highest in the late dealings, closing at the top 512 points over Satur- day. American Tobacco net gain was 3A. The weakness of sugar was perhaps the effect of the decision although the trouble with the importers of refined r sugar has affected the stock. Lacka- 1 wanna moved up conspicuously 8 points after an opening reaction on light trans actions and without explanation. There was besides a gain in the Twin City Rapid Transit of 41s; North American, 4; Laclede Gas, 8; Minneapolis and St. . Louis, 2; Standard Rope and Twine, 1s and United States Leather l. Amalga- mated Copper was under some pressure . and fell at one time 2%. Late in the day there were two transactions of 100 shares each in North Dakota at 1S0 compared with 200 on Saturday. The failure to re- lax the close holding of this stock on E the part of any of the interests concerned keeps alive apprehension respecting the Northern Pacific situation. Although ! the foreign markets were all closed to- < day, on account of the whit suntide holi- days, there was a good demand for ex- ] change from arbitrage houses said to be { in preparation for the stock exchange settlement in London in the latter part Z of this week. The continued demand for t exchange from these sources attracts in creasing attention to the heavy return E of American securities to the home mar ket The money market showed increas- ing ease and it Is the general expectation that further gold will go out to France this week.
 There was a small business in bonds
 with an irregular movement of prices. Total sales par value $2, 200, ,000
 : United States bonds were all unchanged on the last call.