Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1882-09-29
wOMEN AS spECuLATORs.
Lady Brokers Doing a Large Business
without Publicity.
New York Time

the only woman who puts up margins
and takes the risk of their being wiped
out in the tickle, huctuating course of
the marAet. Seized with the mania
which has made and unmade many
men, women are plunging into the
vortex OF speculation. There are more
places than one would imagine in New
York where women can consult the
tape" and give their "orders"-places
that were established for their exclu-
sive accommodation, and where the
sterner sex are not expected to intrude.
There are "bucket Shops" as they are
called, for female dealers, to--places
where no actual transactions are made,
but where money changes hands on
quotations without making purchases.
The offices intended for the patronage
Of ladies are up town. There are
"bucket-shops" in Twenty fourth street,
but "bucket-shops" only thrive among
certain class. Ladies of refinement
who have money to invest, prefer to
place it where they can venture with
out fear of exciting adverse comment.
Thus it is that behind the walls of a
staid and stately brown stone front in
fashionable neighborhood the busy
ticker jots down the quotations, and
ladies who like to chance their ad-
vances can watch the course of the
market without any one being the
wiser for it. Notwithstanding the fact
that the people who conduct the better
class of offices do not advertise, they
do large and profitable business.
Their customers prefer absolute pri-
vacy, and they trust to their patrons to
increase their operations.
Half dozen wires run from the net
work strung on Inc Western Union Tel,
egraph company's poles in Sixth ave-
nue. over the roof and down into the
back parlor of the house, No. AZ West
Thirty-seventh street. The house is
like the others in the row. 1t is brown
stone front with modestly curtained
windows. There is an iron balcony in
front. Green ivy climbs up the heavy
balustrade leading to the entrance and
entwines itself in the iron work of the
balcony. The present occupants have
been in the house only short time,
and 1t is within the past few weeks that
the wires have been put up. Were it
not for the wires which are discreetly
trained like honeysuckles up the back
of the house, no one would take it for
anything but a private residence. But
the wires have thrown the neighbor-
hood into a ferment. They have won
dered what their purpose was, and
time has not only increased their curl
oslty, but excited their suspicious as
well. They have not made bold to 90
10 the house and find out, and have
consequently lived in q state of per-
plexity. The people in the neighbor-
hood even went so far as to seek the
owners of the property, but they, too,
we're ignorant on the subject and could
throw no light on the mystery A re-
porter called at the house one day to
solve the mystery. A woman answer
ed the bell, and he was shown into the
front par]or. The door of the back
parlor was partly open, and through it
came the sound of Il ticker" such as
are seen in the offices OF brokers to
register stock quotations. There was a
telephone and a messenger. There
was desk near the ticker, at which a
young woman sat, and there was some
thing of an air of business about the
room. The front parlor was hand
somely furnished; fine engravings
hung upon the wall, and a grand
piano stood in one corner. Near the
iron window was large desk with a
rolling top which was closed. The
woman who admitted the caller was a
middleaged person with blonde hair.
She wore glasses and light we'll fitting
dress, and was brisk in her airs. She
explained that the ticker was put in for
her own use: II have dealt IN stocks
for ten years." she said. eff ladies
want me to buy stocks for them | will
do SO. l require an advance of 10 per
cent, and | will buy no less than 100
shares. charge eighth to buy
and one eighth TO sell. | defy you to
find any lady who has lost money in
deals with me. If any one has / have
yet to know it. You can see what kind
of business | dc" and she exhibited
receipts for purchases through a well
known house down town. which were
made out to Mrs. G. r Morse. "As I
said l will take no orders for less than
100 shares, | charge 10 per cent, so
that if the stock goes down point or
two or three the margin will not be
wiped out. Here is an advertiseme
of what is known as 'buckat shop"
she went on, pointing to notice in a
paper. do you suppose a
legitimate business is done on a mar
gin of 2 to 3 per cent? No, indeed;
that is simply gambling. No stock is
bought or sold. l do no advertising,
and | want no puff in the newspapers.
If the neighbors wanted to find out
about the wires, why didn't they come
In and ask about them. have leased
the house for three years, and have
right to put in as many wires as like"
The woman asked the person at the
ticker how a certain stock stood, and
the reply in a pronounced French came
back. '643. Madam"
HASN'T it reached 65 YETI"
"No, Madam"
A decline in another stock brought
forth the remark: "Well. l am glad |
am out of that"
A lady in black, evidently an invest
or, was in the parlor when the reporter
came.
Inquiry revealed the fact that the
numher OF female investors was ra ther
increasing, and that they risked their
money, many of them, quite as boldly
rs the men.