New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1866-01-25
SELLING STOCKS AT AUCTION.
Strange Convooation Of Bedlamitss.
THE PIT IN THE FLOOR.

eIpenetyeDees OF iadies COSTUMES oho wv bosos"S
lavish and elegant nature Of the pas!imes OF tne
fashionable world. but even the prosaic and sordn
business of money .gettng presents unequvocal sgns
Of the times. In passys men grew rich by thri" ana
hard work. and to be successful Of business was
suggestive Of dull stern private life whose only be-
roim was the unlinohing selfdenia the seadfast Do
yotion to Mammon and the immoyabe oneness OF pur-
pose by which the branches Of the decayng tree VI h
were a, last loaded with the uit OF gold True thers
was now and then South Sea bubble OF speculataso
which would turn mems heads for brief period. but
the dull. ploadng highway to wealth was the favorifs
road. aud the possessor Of great opuenee was gem
orally associated with tho spare figure and bowed or
the shallow pinched countenance. small. keen eyes ana
shabby garD VI the miser.
But men grow rich at present with as mqcn dssn -
distinguishes al their other actions KIND OF nn"hy
enters into their very business transactions; convs
Is combined with money making; and msn IN thoosus
"deuced good fellow" at the same iime tnas Ss
receives general credit TOT large amounso' ""s
wisdom. visit to
TaE Nyw-YoRK STOCK EXCHANGE
will illustrate this novelty than anything else thss
The building in Broad-st. Just below Wall ia noble
one of hite marble While ascending the broad irVn
steps to the second floor tho general pala w q .c
the tobacco Juice upon the steps cannot Wholly dss,
pate Supposipg YOU to be one Of the unniate1. you
first receive most yoroble inpressOn "a o"
oavr,dor and across LOFTY antechamber toward ~
great door beyond, through which so many are pas
ia and ont you hear NOISY hun OF human voices VITA
now and then an excited shout witch slightly detrac0
from the magnifcence Of your surroundings. lcw
steps more, aud you are indicted into the mysteries
THE OPEN BOARD or BROKERS,
andalway. surprising that this your first experiences
you mechanically shrink back as though mere weso
some mistake and you had suddenly broken INTO sns
The noise ia deafenIng, and OF q peculiarly craEy
but you have time to note the roon, whico
is green grand, and graceful The windows are piaA
oes.see .aem Is covered VII
throws pie isaut light over the entire apartment IN
closed in handsome wooden railing re large NUM-
Der Of easy chairs Tor the accommodation OF t1e menu
bcrs of the Board who are the only ones adnted IN
side; the lobby between the walls and the railing pong
| for the convenience Of mere on-oo ,ers
| A raised platform RUS along tire back part OF tne
room and seated at desk in the center o this u the
Cer the Board who oHiciates IN the capacity Of an
auotioncer. Immediately below this stand there II
round DIT in the floor the bottom OF which contafns
round table which is reached by several regularly de-
sceuding steps, giving tue whole affair amphthe-
strca appearance OF miniature eh"facssF Ane os''
| STYLING STOCK AT AUCTION
Is cow in full blast aud this pit in the floor Is sur.
Ned BY hedge Of eager bidders aus sellers, whls
birds eye view, II attainable would show the round
table in the bottom OF the hole occupied by o.
men, also bidding and busily making notes in little
memorandum books.
AN Of inc men are well dressed and most Of them
young-tbai is less than forty years OF age. pre-
vailng Hebrasm Of countenance at first strikes tne
spectator, who finds himself wondering whether this
popularity is incident OF blood the result OK long
assoca alton with business with which tho sons Oh
Moses have identified themselves throughout tho
world. But. without pausing to conjecture n pawn.
broSerage would indeed tbioke9 the Saxon tongue 70
the awning guttersl Of the Scion OF tls Sdtse Of
David or II the dealing In old cl,a.es would really
occasion gradual ho0keuing CT tho nose to the trus
Jewi,h aquine yea arc next at a loss to know how
sales eap effected n snch tumut OF wild voices
| THE SCENE OF CONFUSION
absolutely makes the head OF the novice swim and In
artillery of great battle field pleasant and peace-
ifal ehsngs The suctioneor--a wetaressed, goSds
looking johrg tnan-is calling the stock at the poi
be might well DO sounding an alarm OF fire. or invoE
ing ~; Vengeance Of the Almighty upon sinful world
for all that you can distinguish Of his voice through tho
EubDub and the din.
A Chatham st. mock. auction 10 q vista Of heavenly
peace and the old Cheap Jack who sells razorsrops a
the with windy eoqucnce Is prattiinR
child In comparison with the crazy scene The men all
cry out at once. They signal each other at distance
with extended fingers. crooked up In peculiar way ~
though containing a secret meaning. They grasp
each others cOat-collars shake each other by the
shoulders cry and yell and babble and laugh aud moan
like legion Of escaped feDdsi and over al sits tho
auctDneer croakng and croning away Ike the
master maniac Of the scene; while undy ALL aroond
that circular table ct tho bottom Of TIE wooden
pit stand those grim serbblers In Notebooks Ike 70
many demented neTsPsper reporters GUY cero,ng L
Convention Of the Bedaniies Tor the next Issue OF I
Daily Idiotic GGEstte.
Some OF the bidders quietly stand the edge Of tho
mole murmuring blandiy. with monotonons gestenar
ton or signal zation OF the right hand. though they
mad been in the asylum long time. and were quite
harmless. Others scowl wildly and howl ntiuhy; -
though preparing for straghtJacke,s ard lone dun
geons Offers hop about IN harmlessy violent way.
with periodical squeaks from shrl vsices but tho tao
ties o. Majority are IN s ~ n@
perpetual shaking Of the clenched ht or extended two
fingers u, some imaginary demon m the air, and an
raying obout certain figures and uncertain
frao ti,na. VIII %
weil-dressed msniaos run from opposite directions
across the platform aud back Of the clerks desk The
close your eyes and shudder think OF the two repre-
sentaiives Of tie Highland feud meeting ths pre-
oipors pathway Of Ben Nevis with sheer plunge into
the blue lake thousands Of feet below.
But your alarm 10 altogether unnecessary. The two
naniacs meet poke each otler in the ribs
pull each others hsr bab6e into each Others ears In
separating plunge again into the crowd below Win
many anlic leap.
something about " Erie" Hudson River" Chicago
and Northw estern." &C., accompanied by wild m1x
murng respecting figures and fractions OF fsuTeA
which alone appre you shat these manises are IN
reality interested In something OF worldly impoitapss
The antics and gambos OF some OF the poor creatures
are quite amusing.
his triumph by futtering the leaves OF his potebsoh.
and dancrg about the among the legs OF the spos
x piping so Sus sarss sH
ti-ttii-tittl-tar0ooo Another crows nk6 .
game cock Tapping his hips with bis hands like GnssE
and yet another leaps on . chair BY hts and starts.
cheering most disusly, indication that no hes
done sonetheg which tiekes bis selfconceit lnsey.
The inmates Of this strange asvluD having wresteA
with imaginary bulls and bears for nearly an hour she
good looking auctioneer suddenly prts on bis bat and
takes m bis oyercost As he does his eyes beeeme
beautifully luminous with the light OF returning roAsoss
aud At the same time wonderful change f the hstieR
takes possession Of the crowd 10 and wasden
pit. They stop yelling. and contsat themselves with
rational speech.
They Joke and laugh little bat In O pleasant wsy.
sad begin 70 dsperss like good!ooking. wei-dresssd.