The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-05-28
STOCK PRICES
 MOVED CONTRARY Interest Centered in a Handful
 of Best Stocks BONDS WERE IRREGULAR Speculative Sentiment Was Wholly Confused and Almost Paralyzed,
 With All Glasses Holding
 AIoof-closed Easy. 
BONDS WERE IRREGULAR

New York, May 27.--rhe only signif- canoe In todays stock market movements centered in a handful of stocks and in these prices moved. contrary with the re- suit that speculative sentiment was wholly confused and almost paralyzed. The whole market was inert to the degree of 1ethargy and in very few cases was there a movement exceeding a small frac-- tion. Some comfort was secured from the evidence of support in,st Paul, Penn syivania, United States Steel preferred and for a short time after the opening in few other prominent speculative stocks. But on the other hand there was obvious liquidation, continued in Rock Island and the Paclfcs, and the coalerss were general ly inclined to heaviness. brief upward movement in Reading seemed to have no other purpose than to correct this im- presson as to the coalers and 1t was quickly abandoned The occasional rallies in the market which were invariably led by St. Paul were made in the intervals between the execution of selling orders and were not pursued with any aggres- siveness. The appearance of the market suggested that those who had constituted themselves its protectors were satisfied to acquiesce in q downward movement of prices, while the selling treasure lasted. but sought to improve the price level by bidding up when no serious obstacle was encountered. It was evident that suspicion was rife as to the condition of the market and there was no deep ground ed conviction that the liquidation recently in evidence has been fully completed. If there has been any extended bear account left over as the result of the prolonged decline, there was only the slightest evi- dence today of any nervousness on the part of the bears over the check to de- cline and the apparent cessation of heavy liquidation and the demand from Nhe shorts was very light. Some slight buy ing for London account helped the firm undertone of the early market
 The very fact that the demand for stocks could be so languid and indifferent after a decline of such violence as has occurred during the last week, served to deter buyers from committing them selves, whether for speculative or invest ment account. There was very little news of importance bearing on values, and lit- tie attention was paid to what there was The rise of a point in United States Steel preferred was attributed to reports of the purchase of 100000 tons or upwards
  cry during the late summer months. The gain was lost before the close.
 St. Paul got as much as 1ss over last night, and was near the high level sev- eral times during the day, but 1t clused a shade under last night. The weakness of Rock Island was unexplained beyond the general argument that the sum of the market prices of the securities exchanged for old Rock Island stock make a vaua- tion for that stock considerably above that prevailing for other similarly sftuat- ed stocks.
 Southern Pacific, Union Pacific and Bal timore and Ohio lost nearly a point The selling of the United States leather stocks was connected with the reported project for a bond issue by the company. The market closed weak. No gold was taken for export, but this was said to be due to inadequate shipping facilities.
 Bonds were irregular. Total sales. par value g, 205, ,00O United States bonds were all unchanged on the last call