The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-02-16
STOCK MARKET FEATURES
QUITE 4 SERIOUS BREAK IN
 PRICES AT THE CLOSE.

Market Had Been Dull All Day and
 Sagging Bearish Feeling Quite
 Prominent--WaII Street Worried
 Over Departure of Many of the Big
 Leaders.
 Yesterdays market was dull and a sagging one, and towards the close prices fell off sharply
 There was considerable pessimistic feeling afioat.
 Money rates are higher, and there is a big volume of corporation bonds and stocks authorized.
 Then Wall street woke up to find that a big lot of the big men of the finan- clal district are either out of town or soon to depart. Among them J. Pier pont Morgan, John D. Rockefeller, Will liam Rockefeller, William G. Rocke- feller, James Stillman, William K. Van derbilt, H. Nick. Twombly, James J.. Hill, John W. Gates, D. 0. Mills, George Crocker Washington F. Connor Jacob II. Schiff, Henry Budge, s. Neustadt Alfred Heidelbach, Morris K. Jesup, Thomas P. Fowler, M. E. Ingalls,, w. H. Newman, Edward Wassermann, Oliver H. Payne, Edwin Gould, w. B.. Leeds The fact that so many men, who are accustomed to have an active interest in the stock market, have de- parted or are going, was utilized yes- terday as ammunition by the bears in an attack upon prices They used it in regard to the possibilities of a coal strike, crisis in the Algerciras con ference, and an advance in money rates. John D. Rockefeller's exact whereabouts remain the great mys- tery." William Rockefeller, his son, William G., and James Stillman are in Europe, MT. Mills is in California and MT. Gates is at Hot Springs, Arkan- sas. Mir Morgan sails for Europe on Saturday, as does MT. Ingalls, MT. Hill leaves to-day for Aiken, s. C., and MT. Crocker on Saturday for California. MT Vanderbilt, MT. Twombly and Mir. Fowler sail for Europe next week. MT. Connor is in Florida and MT Jesup is at Jekyl Island. MT. Newman will soon sail for Europe, and Messrs. Schiff, Budge Neustadt and Heidelbach will start next Thursday for a trip to Ja- pan, whence they will return in June. MT. Wasserman sails for Europe on Saturday. Colonel Payne Is at his win ter place at Thomasville, Ga; Edwin Gould is at Jekyll island, and MT. Leeds has gone abroad.
 Wall street is afraid that the rail- road and other deals, rumors of which have lately filled the financial district, will now not materiallze, at least i'm mediately, In view of the fact that so many men who were supposed to be concerned in them have gone or are about to leave.
 Shelters and Lead showed much strength, but the point was made that they were put In order to help the mar keting of other stocks
 The feature of the early trading was the heavy liquidation in United States Steel. But some support was encoun- tered around 42 7-8 for the common. The rising money market was consid- erable factor, in the stock market. It did much to check trading.
 The bull argument of the profession al clement which commands most re- spect is that the market is heavily oversold.
 The anthracite conference between operators and miners yesterday in New York city checked buying of all of the coalers, in spite of the common belief that there will be no strike. The ap- parent determination of both sides not to yield was regarded as in the na- ture of "bluff."
 There was more evidence of liquida- tion yesterday of the quiet kind than has been witnessed in several weeks Stocks were not offered in large blocks but the aggregate of small lots sold was sufficient to produce considerably lower range.
 Close observers on the floor of the exchange said that onfy one banking group appeared to be buying stocks tc any extent-the one which Is most
 (Continued on Eighth Page)