Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-15
The Market Was Much More
Irregular Today.
MATERIAL .SHRINKAGE
INDUSTRIAL AND MISCELLANE-
GUS STOCKS FIGURED TODAY.
Very Heavy Proft-Takings Followed
Higher Prices at Open1ng-Few
Stocks offered.

NEW YORK. August 1.-THE stock mar
ket today much more irregular than 1t
wns yesterday, and after the first hours
dealings there was Il material shrinkage IN
activity. There was also noted restless
shifting OF activity from one quarter Of the
market into others
In today's dealings the Industrial and
miscellaneous stocks furnished large pro
portion OF the total transactions, whereas
yesterday speculative interest converged to
a large degree upon the railway list. The
local traction shares received this morning
q larger share of attention than has been
accorded them in some time. with quite de-
cided animation In the Metropolitan stock
Broadly speaking. the dealings presented
pretty much the same characteristics which
have been observed of late.
Very heavy profit-takngs also followed
the generally higher prices quoted at the
opening Of business. but these were IN
measure offset by the fresh buying by COM
mission houses and the bidding up of quota
tons by the pools active in one stock and
another.
The success which attended these latter
operations attested sufficiently to the fact
that there Is yet only meager quantity
of stocks Offering for sale.
Prominent Subjects.
The most prominent subjects for at
tent!on were the same those which
monopolized discussion yesterday. namely.
the progress of the peace negotiations at
Portsmouth and the agricultural situation.
The weekly weather bulletin of the Agrt-
cultural Department set forth highly sat
isfactory conditions for the cereal crops
and n rather discouraging state of things 50
far as the cotton crop is concerned
The commodity markets today moved ir-
regularly. and price changes there had
scant influence in the dealings in securities.
London Continued Firm.
The London stock market continued very
firm in nearly all of It's departments. The
cheerful speculative sentiment prevailing
there was based upon the very easy none
tary situation and the optimistic views with
regard to the outcome of the Portsmouth
peace negotiations. Foreign houses were
more active in the local market than they
have been for many days past. and their
purchases were estimated at upward OF
5000 shares, fairly well distributed among
the internationally listed stocks.
This buying contributed a great deal to
the strength which the market displayed at
the opening of business, and upon its con-
clusion the trading quieted down and de-
veioped the uncertain tone already men,
toned.
Industrials Prominent.
AS noted above, the Industrial stocks
were particularly prominent in the deal
ings, furnishing most of the more extern
sve advances scored, and showing for the
most part better sustained tone of
strength than the railway list.
The most noteworthy advances In this al
rection were in American Locomotive and
the other so-calied railway equipment
stocks, the Central Leather shares. Ameri-
Wooden. United States Rubber Ma
tonal Lead and American Smelling. The
last-named stock moved irregularly in the
early dealings, but subsequently rose
smartly upon renewed discussion of the
prospects for the declaration of an in
creased dividend.
The Copper Strength.
The continued strength of copper metal
was reflected in firmer market for Anal
gamated Copper shares.
The United States Steel stocks. while ac-
tive. fuctuated very irregularly.
No well-detined and sustained tone ac-
companied the transactions in the railway
list Transactions there also were unat-
tended by any considerations except OF the
most general character.
There We're quite extensive early advances
In New York Central, Great Northern.
Reading. Missouri. Kansas and Texas, Kan
sas City Southern and the other south
western stocks. but the maximum gains
were subsequently shaded or altogether lost