Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 December 1900 — COMMEPCIAL FINANCIAL [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

COMMEPCIAL FINANCIAL

Noav York— rt is true that the business transacted on the stock exchanges is alAvays more or less of a purely speculative character, but at the same time it is none the less true that the movements of the markets enu usually be, taken as a pretty correct index to general business conditions and as a reflection of the sentiment of the best-posted people Avith regard to those conditions. Only to the extent that the markets anticipate the future is there ever any variance, between their movements and the actual state of affairs in the commercial world. Recently there has been an enormous demand for the better class of dividend-paying stocks, and prices have been advanced all the Avay from $5 to sls a share, and in a few instances even more. Sales on the New .York exchange since Nov. 7 approximate 20,000,000 shares, a record for that length of time that never before has been equaled. This extraordinary activity in securities and the strength of values has been a surprise to even the most optimistic of the bulls. Money continues surprisingly easy in view of the greatly increased activity in trade and speculation, Chicago—lnterest grain market during the week avus largely centered on the corn, and more especially regarding the probability of enough corn of contract quality being procurable to fill sales made for the current month's delivery. At the close of the week preceding there were only about 600,000 bushels of the desired grade in the public warehouse# of Chicago, and not much more than 2,000,000 bushels of all kinds in both public and private elevators. Wheat has not recovered from the depression of the week preceding, but the tone of the market Avas heavier than appears from a decline of cent a bushel. News concerning the growing crop of Argentina is so varied in character that it is ditticult to arrive at any definite conclusion. Unless the crop should prove considerably smaller than the production of the previous year there appears little hope of the high prices for wheat that seemed probable AA-hen the trade A\-as stirred by reports of extensive damage to the domestic crops of both winter and spring wheat. The plentiful supplies, notwithstanding undoubted failure of the crops oA'er extensive areas, is a striking illustration of the marvelous resources of the country and its vast agricultural area; likewise of the wonderful compensation provided by nature for failure in one section by extraordinary abundance in another. Small stocks of proA-isions hold the market firm. As the receipts of hogs continue in excoss of those at the corresponding time of the year previous, it is a gratifying indication of the excellence of the demand for the manufactured.products.