Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-09-30
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OUTSIDE OF ,CHANGE.
How the Spare Time and Cash of the
IrrePressible Brokers are Spent.

Brokers are so much in the habit of buying
and selling in the Exchange and during business
hours" one of the laxative brokers said, ''that
they keep at it after they get out and are about
to set off for their homes No men relish bar
gain more than brokers do. They positively
gloat over the purchase Of a thing that looks
cheap or is cheap. Look around you here in
New street. You see the sidewalk over there
looks like a picture gallery. The pictures
are poor works of art, but are SLOWLY
framed. Then they are surprisingly low priced
at least when you bid the seller down
to something like their value. and look
well in bedrooms and other upstairs
rooms in country houses. The man that sells
them knows the customers that he deals with.
He asks big price in the beginning, and tells
wonderful stOry-sOmething about the painter
being royal academician, or a member of the
Paris salon. in temporary financial difficulties.
His customers delight in turning this buncOmbe
into ridcule and beating him down forty or
fifty per cent. He can afford to be beaten down.
and never fails to connect on good profit In
these easements you will find all manner of
odd china, curious brasses, Chinese and Japan
csc curios, and Turkish rugs, silYerware, cut
lery, and jewelry. Whenever broker has a
particularly good day, and his big roll of bank
notes burns in his pockets, he lounges into one
of these places and looks up something out OF
the general stock to take home. Nothing but
oddities will please him. That's the reason
why the stock is 80 surprisingly varied. The
jewelry that he buys he may have to part with
in a few days or few weeks and that is the
explanation of the quantity Of jewery that is
always to be bought reasonably in the street.
"Those two dark, plainly dressed men, talk
ing earnestly together, are brothers-in-law, and
dealers in diamond jewelry. They have no
store or office. They carry their stock about
them. They always have small fortune in
gems In their capacOus pockets. They are
shrewd buyers and shrewd sellers, but they
would starve down here II they were not If
you want solitaire, or cluster ring. or a stud
for yourself. or pair Of earrings or lace pin
for your wife, they will dive into their pockets
and fish out what you want in a jiffy. When
broker finds himself in tight place he sells
to these men, and when he is flush again he
buys. So they make profit both ways
NOW make mental note Of how many
tailors. shOemakers, florists, cigar dealers and
| restaurateurs make good living out of the
Exchange, and form part of the great outer Ex-
| change. AS to wine rooms, you see, their num-
Der is large. Unless they are in q hurry or
specially invite q customer or friend In brokers
are much given to throwing dice to determine
who shall pay tor the drinks. l haye seen
wealthy men, after 3 o'clock, devote hours to
throwing dice for few dollars worth of cigars.
| Sometimes, however, it Is different Cigars
| enough to last a year are lost and won, and
| then heavy sums OF money are wagered. A
habit OF playing poker In back offices after bust
ness hours Is, AIN sorry TO say, getting to be
the thing among young men. In fact, there is
| hardly any end to the ways In which brokers
risk their money and crafty their passion fol-
games of chance. Brokers have also fashion OF
buying thingsin way peculiar to themselves. Fol-
instance, if a man hereabOuts asks say $50 for an
article, and the broker does not want to pay
| more than $35 or $40, he will say, I'll match
you to see whether I'll pay $50 or nothing or,
| IN match you for the difference Then there
is an eager matching Of quarters or cents to de-
| termine the issue Some of the younger brokers
have acquired great skill in matching. AS for
raffles. there is no limit to them. Horses and
carriages, diamonds, and even houses and lots
are rallied by brokers who are hard up.
"a novelty this summer and fall Is the sale OF
dog carts, village carts. horses and harness in
the street. 1t has been possible to buy really
| stylish turnout for few hundred dollars that
| cost, perhaps. three times as much, and was
used only for few weeks or months. Brokers
who go to watering place for a few weeks
often buy turnout to cut DASH When they
come home to the city, to live in hotels OF
apartments for the winter, they sell their equi-
pages. They are bought up by brokers who live
| In the country or keep eauipages in the city, OF
| by dealers In horses and carriages Altogether
the outer Exchange is as remarkable in its way
% the inner ont"