West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1878-06-01
The Way They do Business In France.


at Rome, surrounded by spacious
portico, with n colonnade OF sixty-four
Corinthian pillars. Its great interior
space has handsome vaulted ceiling,
painted so skillfully as 10 resemble bds
rciicS. This interior, on the ground
floor (to which the public is not ad-
mitted), has a circular, rallied off space.
surrounding round white stone slab,
which is also rallied in, and into this
penetralia the sworn brokers or
agents de change and their uni
formed messengers, who take their COM
munications 10 the outer crowd and To
the telegraph, alone are privileged to
enter. Outside this railing is a series of
coops or pens into which the common
brokers herd. A spacious gallery runs
around the hall from which the public
may enjoy the exciting scenes below;
and on medallions overhead are the
names of all the chief commercial cities
of the world, with whom this Bourse
communicates while the clock i'm the
hall sets the time for all Paris. About
half an hour before the opening time
a company of good looking and hand
somely uniformed municipal guards
marched into the open space, where
they were drawn up and remained look
ing quietly on the mad scene that FOL
lowed. Next | heard sound like loud
chanting with stentorian chorus from
Il corner of the hall, and fancied they
were opening the services with n hymn,
but il was only the auctioning of of
railway shares and the bids of the pur-
chasers. As twelve o'clock approached
a helter-skelter race took place 10 secure
tnNnruhln nIunna ot tho ratltnu, nd -,
the coops and pens, and to hang on TO
them. A bell rang at the precise stroke
of noon, and the French Drews, Goulds
and Vanderbilts, all dressed in the
height of fashion, took their places in
the inner circle, and straightway went
at each other, while without and around
them commenced furious riot, which
you would have thought frst-class row
were it not that each one of the mob had
red covered note book in his hand i'm
which he was writing away as hard as he
was able, while he yelled meanwhile
with all the power of his lungs. The
vaulted ceiling above swelled and re-
verberated the wild clamor. Men used
each others backs and shoulders for
writing desks, and emphasized, some
times with stamping feet, ~ If they were
w many AFAANlllE ahhhg HbllitNllutb Wllu
slaps on the nearest convenient bald
heads, and / noticed that the heads of
three-f0urths of the brokers resembled
Heaven, at least in one respect, that
there was no dying or parting there.
Some Of the Howling Dervishes yelped
out their bids like ours, some doomed
them out like old bullfrogs, and there
was one red-polled chap in the central
space whose hair bristled with excite
ment like pOrcupine's. crazy little
man, with big hat and shrill,
resonant voice, who danced. gesticulated
and screamed like Bedlamite, when he
seemed 10 think more force necessary TO
accomplish his purpose, waved his hat,
and then flung il into the air. The
coups and pens surrounding the central
inclosure were filled OF once by n we'll
shrieking, Pesticulating inAdmeh, pen
ned in 80 tight that they seemed like
bees in a hive. ] expected TO zee them
fly at. each others throats and rend each
others haif and garments every in
slant. An Eighth Ward caucus Vas
Sunday-schoOl or n pTayer-meeting in
comparison. I'll wager that the Tower
of Babel was built with but half the
clamor Had J not witnessed the Board
Of Brokers in New York, should have
taken this for a serious emeute," and
expected to see the Guards draw their
sabers and charge and disperse the raw
ing lunatics. 1T was amusing 10 watch
a pale, exhausted, careworn official, who
seemed TO be charged with taking note
and keeping record Of the howls and
yells, as he worked sadly away with un-
moved mien, looking AZ If the grass
hopper was burden. He might as well
have tried TO record the howlings of
a pack Of wolves. A fat fellow, who
seemed his deputy, oiled his notes pro-
fusely with his perspiration, earning his
bread by the sweat Of his brow Some
exciting, war-threatening news arrived Z,
and then the yells redOubled, and each
broker danced like st. Vitus, and
moved his arms aloft like a semophore.
In the galleries where 7 stood, we'll
dressed women around me got into a
quiver Of excitement over their ven
lures and chances below. They 6uttered
their pretty skirts about, and tossed
their ribbons as madly and wildly as
the men in the ring below, and vented
their emotions in shrill feminine yelps.
But women are always more furious
and reckless gamblers than men, when
once they learn how. And there we're
even two or three black rObed priests up
here, who waXed quite ~ eager and de
mOnstrative a. the rest. But / believe
that indifference % filthy 'lcre is not a
clerical Characteristic, except among the
barefOOted Franciscans. Oh money,
money! Thou hast more power over
human passions than love, ambition or
hatred. Presidents Of Y. NJ. 9. As,
deacons Of churches, United States Vice
Presidents, Senat rs, men Of the highest
posts and trusts, Will rob savings banks
and life insurance companies, and pil.
lagc trust funds Of widows and orphans,
and do everything that is black, base
and vile, only 10 get enough Of IT, Show
me the man who can resist it, power and
III show you man among thousand
The row increased until the brokers got
speechless and hearing became impOssi
BILE, and then they got down 10 dumb
show and made bargains with their fin.
/ gers. The floor was strcwed with torn
paper like VallOmbrOsan leaves. If they
/ had proclaimed the Commune and had
AT burst into singing Ca ira" and
/ proceeded 10 dance the CarmagnOle, d
and % gu llOtinc the weary clerk anc
the fat one, 10 would have seemed ex
/ actly en- rcgle" None Of these fellow
could have been convicted Of murder bC