Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-23
LOCAL FINANCIAL NEWS.

| This was field day In Lanston on the
Washington stock exchange, and a result
| OF the active trading the stock sold at the
| close point and a quarter more than the
| bid at the last meeting. Today the buyers
! paid as high as 10y while on Tuesday IA.
was the best price paid. Not for two years
has this stock reached such high level,
and 1t may also be said that the trading in
X has by no means been AS free at advanced
figures rs was the case today.
The transactions were mnde with SO
much rapidity at times and so many
brokers were on the floor at once that the
scene had some of the phases of an excit-
ing day on the exchange. Toward the end
of the trading one broker with Napole-
onic sweep took all the options offered at
15R. and in consequence there was quite
hustle on the part of brokers TO get the
stock to cover the options which had been
sold.
One feature of the trading the deal
ing in options. or rather the attempt to do
so. there was comparatively small
part of the > 3ts, shares which constituted
the days transactions. disposed of in this
form. No stock sold less than l4is or
higher than i5Ix. and at the close 1t for
sale on the latter level and l5li was bid
On Tuesday the closing bid was IA and the
asking price was 1iis.
A marked advance was made I'm Mer-
genthaler toward the 300 level which this
security has been steadily approaching for
some time past. The trading was excellent
in this stock was the case with Ianstnu,
with which Mergent haleU has been con-
nectcd in the common gossip for some time
past.
The increase in the capital stock of the
Mergenthaler and the current talk that
some portion Of the new issue is In be used
in the purchase of the Lanstpn Company.
as well the reported near advent of the
much-taiked about dividend on Lanston.
are usually assigned as the reasons FOR this
stock being worth more at the present time
than has been the case.
One hundred and ninety shares comprised
the entire dealings in Mergenthaler, and
the prices ranged from 1877, 10 100. On
Tuesday last the closing asking and bid
price was 1915 and 197.
There was but little trading in the Sc
curities of the Washington Railway and
Electric Company. but better prices were
bid for both the preferred and the common
stocks. The former sold for SSA to $685..
some five or six hundred shares in all. At
the last meeting the bid was 81 and the
asking price SIX AT the close of todsys
trading the bid was $50 and the asking
price SS3s.
An option on fifty shares of the common
stock was sold at ~. and the bid FOR ifty
shares was 23a. and the asking price BOA
The bidding for Gas stock began. ut g.
and that was for 100 shares. as we'll as for
Il quotation lot OF twenty-five shares. The
bids for the two lots kept pace until finally
81 was REACHED. and then there were bids
for two 1o0-share lots and one 25-share
lot The entire 22J shares were sold at the
bid price. The stock was still to be had at
90, but the best bid was G69s. After call
two 5o-share lots sold for G6ia.
Several fractional lots of Washington
Loan and Trust Company stock We're Of
fered at 220, and were taken. Then a lot
of eighteen shares sold a 21Di%. and
that was the bid for ten shares more. There
was no stock for sale less than 81.
Five shares of Union Trust Company
stock sold for lbs The bid for ten shares
was then l27, and lbs was asked.