Show DEALINGS ON DNA A SMALL t Speculation on Idle to the P Stagnation S PRICES SOMEWHAT BETTER B 4 CALL MONEY BANGED BETWEEN 9 AND 10 PER PEB CENT 4 New York Dee Dec D 24 The stock market S closed firm today at the top level of the day with net n t grains gaIns alos in a few of the prominent railroads and specialties reaching a point or more The days movement of prices was not of of ch h significance and the dealings were on ona ona ona a very small scale except In the local traction group In which there was fas some large buying without any an definite ex explanation explanation The trading was WiS idle near ly to the point of stagnation at times and the brokers gave more attention to playing pranks in celebration of the eve of the Christmas holiday than to trading in stocks The Ghe produce ex exchange exchange exchange change celebration began midway in the session of the stock exchange on the same floor and separated sepa only by a low partition Speculative senti seatS sentiment ment may have haE been Incited by the festivities fe ue or of donations was on a liberal scale and helped the prevailing cheerful cheer l senti ment There was a partly strong shot sho t interest also which chose to cover for the holiday hollday especially as many brokers are preparing to leave leav town for the rest of ot the week The strength of the local tractions had a sentimental effect on the whole list the rise In Brooklyn Transit extending to over 4 points No definite explanation of ot the rise was forthcoming but old rumors had renewed circulation of the passing of control to the Pennsylvania Sugar also was vas well sustained at a recovery from yesterdays sharp de cline dine The most active period of the trad ing however was during the decline of the morning The maintenance of the call rate at between 9 and 10 per i cent was the depressing influence The i blockade restriction enforced by b the powers at La Guayra on the steamer Caracas occasioned some uneasiness though of little direct Influence The announcement of wage increases by the New York Central arid the Atlantic Coast line called renewed attention to toa toa toa a tendency which is general through out the railroad world The passage of the dividend on St Joe Grand Island nd first preferred explained ined yester days late break of S points In that stock to which was added a decline today Canada Southern was also a sufferer from the th reduction in Its dividend rate The great Influence of these two cases was not ing The rise lise of thirteen points in Cleveland Cl veland Lorain Wheeling was un explained The stiffness of call money and a hardening of time rates caused a firm ing in the sterling exchange At Chi cago the th New York exchange fell back to par after having ruled at 40 cents premium last week More than half halfa a million dollars was Wc again transferred to New Orleans today but 2 OOOO was paid dut out by the s 1 rea ury on trans L UL UI nan can c Yesterdays heavy customs collections coupled with the falling off in pension payments has resulted In a wiping out of the early tion to the money market Money is also rising In London and there were continued large transfers by cable to that center today There was some distributive activity In the bond market but the price move movement movement movement ment was rather irregular Total sales par value alue United States new advanced 14 and the old oth per cent on the last call |