The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-03-21

"
 Decllne--Reports from Algeciras and
 Denials of Sensational RumOrs Help
 Matters-GOssip of the Day.
 The stock market presented more hopeful aspect yesterday and prices im- roved.
 Encouraging news came from Algeci- ras and there was a better feeling all around in the European financial mar kets.
 The denial of the sensational reports as to the illness of John D. and Will liam Rockefeller were also a factor for improvement in prices.
 The improveent reached points in "Soo" common, 1-2 in Great Northern, In Anaconda, 8 in Duluth South Shore and Atlantic preferred and to 12 in a variety of other stocks, including a number of the prominent railway and industrials
 The strength of Reading, following the announcement that the committee of anthracite operators were in session in reference to the letter of President Mitchell, caused a more optimistic feel ing as to the coal labor situation.
 There is a general feeling that there will be a compromise between the bitu- minous operators and miners, thus pre- Venting a strike.
 Firmness in the gas stocks after the recent prolonged depression was also a helpful influence to speculation
 The small buying power in the mar. ket was illustrated by the fact that of ten there was a decline of 1-4 point or so between sales, as if the operators who bid them up did not themselves want to buy, but we're adopting a sell ing policy themselves.
 Lawson's advices were wholly ig- nored.
 Stocks developed good deal of buoyancy in the early part of the last hour, but the rise brought some profit taking, and many stocks eased on mod erateEy under offerings of long hold- ings. Nevertheless the tone of the market continued good.
 The character of the business contin- ued wholly professional. Conservative observers of the course of the market were predicting that this rally could not go far.
 The money situation was little im- proved. But the stock market was purely professional, and the big people were not participating in 1t.
 All the trading sentiment early fla vored the purchase of stocks for a turn on the bull side. There was general covering. The volume of liquidation was much less, and specialties showed considerable support.
 A bulletin issued yesterday by the Census Bureau shows the complete crop of cotton for 1905, including linters and counting round bales as half bales, to be 10,697,0 compared with 13, ,697, ,31O for 1904, and 10,O15,7 7M for 1903.
 The demand for steel rails continues, and 1t was calculated yesterday that inquiries in the market aggregated 150,O0O tons.
 t is remarked: "At any rate, this is a rich mans market. It seems to change it's trend daily, and 1t is almost impossible for the little man to make money in 1t"
 A sharp squirt in Distilling was one of the features of the last half hour.
 Keene brokers were said to be buy ing stocks.
 It is only on rare occasions that Wall street as whole-including bankers and the rank and ffle-is so much at sea as it is at the present time. This is because of the difficulty of securing any reliable information as to the pos sible outcome of the coal labor contro- versy.
 Consolidated Gas was stronger than in some time. It was said that the di- rectors will take no dividend action for several weeks to come.
 1t was asserted that banking inter ests would not let Union Pacific go be- low il; hence this stock, being a recog- nized leader should be bought for a turn
 Peoples Gas was also stronger; also o. S w. E.ade a good gain and South ern railroad common behaved well.
 Interviews with prominent railroad men in the west are decidedly optimis- tic. An officer of the Burlington says the company had all the tonnage itI could take care of during the first half of March, and there is "elear sailing ahead" "Our lines are all busy as they can be-" comes from the Northwestern.
 "There is a to 10 per cent increase in acreage of winter wheat in our ter ritory." says an officer of the Atchison, | 'The winter kill this year has been comparatively slight, and if we do not experience damage later by excessive rain or other extremes, the crop is go- ing to be the largest on record. The | Atchison needs all it's cars to move the tonnage.
 I've have every reason to believe that there is heavy business ahead" says an officer of the Rock Island. T have just returned from a trip over our lines in the winter wheat belt and can say that the outlook for large crop Is at this time excellent. There is little reason for fearing damage now unless it comes from floods, and that danger ought to be minimized because there | has been an unusually small amount or AI,fe 4-,,f