Omaha daily bee., 1902-12-25
NEW YORK sTOCKs AND BONDS.
Market Closes Firm nj Top Notch Of
Days Prices.

NEW YORK, Dec. A.-The stock market
closed firm today at the top level of the
day, with net gains in a few Of the prom
inent railroads, and specialties reaching a
point or more. The days movement Of
prices was not of much significance and
the dealings were on a very small scale,
except In the local traction group, In which
there was come large buying without any
definite explanation. The trading was Idle
and the brokers gave more attention to
playing FRANKS I'm celebration of the eve
of the Christmas holidays than to trading
in stocks. The Produce exchange celebra-
ton began midway of the session of the
Stock exchange on the same floor and
separated only by a low partition. Specula-
tured by the festivities. The distribution
of Christmas donations was on a liberal
scale and helped the prevailing cheerful
sentiment. There was apparently, some
outstanding short interest also which chose
to cover for the holidays, especially as
many brokers are preparing to leave town
for the rest of the week.
The strength of the local fractions had
a sentimental effect on the whole list, the
rise in Brooklyn Transit extending to over
4 points. No definite explanation of the
rise was forthcoming, but old rumors had
to the Pennsylvania. Sugar also was well
sustained at a recover from yesterdays
sharp decline; The most active period OF
the trading, however, was during the de-
cline of the morning. The maintenance Of
the call rate at between 9 and 10 per cent
was the depressing influence. The block
ade restriction enforced by the blocking
powers of La Guayra on the steamer
Caracas occasioned some uneasiness,
though of little direct influence. The an
nolncement of wage increases by the New
York Central and the Atlantic Coast line
called renewed attention 10 a tendency
which is general throughout the railroad
world. The passing of the dividend by the
St. Joseph Island sirst preferred explained
yesterdays late break of 81 points In that
stock, to which was added a 2h point de-
cline today. Canada Southern was also a
sufferer from the reduction In Its dividend
rate. The great Influence of these two
cases was not encouraging. The rise of 10
points in Cleveland, Lorain & Wheeling
was unexplained. The stiffness of the call
money rate and a hardening of the time
market were not effective in checking the
rising tendency in sterling exchange or the
fl ling tendency in New York exchange at
interior points. At Chicago the New York
exchange fell back to par, after having
ruled at Acc premium last week. More
than 100000 was again transferred to New
Orleans today, but $250,0O was paid out
by the sub-treasury on transfer OF Alas
kan gold from San Francisco. Yesterdays
heavy customs collections, coupled with
the falling off in pension payments, has
resulted in a wiplng out of the sub-treas-
ury's earlier contribution to the money
market. Money Is also rising In London
and there were continued large transfers
by cable to that center today.
There was some distributed activity in
the bond market, but the price movement
was rather irregular. Total sales, par
vanced u and the old As " per cent on the
last call.
The following are the closing prices on
the New York Stock exchange: