Every issue of The Times published between 1785 and 1985 has been scanned and made fully searchable. Here’s an excerpt from a column by their financial correspondent in New York from June 30, 1920:

“The Stock Exchange will be closed next Saturday and Monday for the ‘Independence Day’ celebrations.

Trading to-day was a trifle more active, but the market showed an absence of feature, although the undertone was hopeful. Sales were returned at 330,000 shares.

The opening was fairly firm, with generally light offerings and some demand to cover. Delawares, in the railroad group, recovering smartly from yesterday’s depression on the understanding that there was no intention to ‘cut’ the dividend at to-day’s meeting of directors. Oil stocks developed marked firmness later in the session owing to the prospects of increased earnings. Shorts were impressed by a newspaper interview, quoting Jesse Livermore as holding bullish views. The Waldorf-Astoria crowd were particularly noticeable in the covering movement. Reports that the British Government was encouraging private gold exports to America also had a favourable influence. Tobacco stocks were firm owing to a renewal of the merger rumours, and accumulation of Steel Common was accompanied by a statement that the earnings of the past quarter were satisfactory, despite the inadequate shipping situation.

Towards midday realizations caused a moderate setback, but the market soon rallied, owing to the ready absorption of the offerings, sentiment generally being better. Oil stocks marked a further improvement in the early afternoon, but the rise in call money to 15 per cent. checked the upward movement in stocks, though the general opinion was that dear money would not continue for more than three or four days. The close was irregular.”

Don’t you love the language? The next time someone asks me about the market, I plan to say: It showed an absence of feature, the undertone was a trifle hopeless, and the close was moderately irregular.