The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-07-07
WOMEN WHO SPECULATE.
The Females Who BLOW In" Their
Money on Puts and Calls.
The Bulk of These Traders Said To Be
Spiritualists-A Visit to a Broker Who
Does Business for Women.
Chicago Times.

L
like to know why?' said a nervous, self-as-
sorting little woman.
''There is no particular reason that need
give, except that it is standing rule with
us. Yes, we are brokers doing business on
the Board of Trade, and on the call board.
We sometimes go into the open board, but
that does not alter the case. We do business
with men only"
"Well, L guess 1 can find another broker to
my luck. know lots of ladies who operate
on the board. Don't you, Annie?'
II should say So" replied her companion.
II know some myself" said the booker,
refectively, but we don't want their Gus
tom"
why not?' chimed in reporter, who
happened along
"Ob, they are no good" said the gentle
man, as he looked over his papers absently.
I'm what way?'
AS customers, | mean. Some of them are,
no doubt, excellent ladies'"
ers?'
They are never satisfied If they lose
anything by trade they kick first, last and
always They swear something is wrong
that somebody's crooked, and they want their
money back"
What is the nature of their business?'
They deal in futures, principally in puts
and calls through the open board"
DO they play in much money!
| mo, not as a rule, though once in a while
lady customer can be found who puts up
freely. A thousand bushels of grain, the
margins of which amount to about $40 is
the average purchase"
| What class OF women engage in these
! transactions?'
Married and single working women and
] women of ill-reputa seldom Gahhla in Suob
affairs. Those that l met mostly during the
| time that my firm tried to accommodate
them were nearly all spiritualists Those
| that were not spirtualiss trusted to dreams.
| That is the reason why they can never be
| convinced that their money is not stolen.
They will swear by the dream in the very
face OF an unfayorable change in the market.
Sometimes you will hear one say: We'll, l
knew it was going up, but l thought it would
go down first. That is why l sold instead of
buying Now and then they'll sing you
pitiful song and try to borrow the amount of
their loss. If they have not borrowed the
money from a friend whose husband is sick
and dependent upon her exertons as seam
stress, they have taken it from their hus-
band without telling him about it, expect
| ing to be able to replace it, and they will be
ruined If they do not have enough to cover
| the amouBt of their shortage. The
women who take OH this way usually
come in disguise, and n nine cases out of
|
| right to use; but, OF course, the story they
| tell us is altogether false. One day, some
| months ago, while we were doing business in
| the Exchange building and taking few or
ders from female customers a woman with
large black eyes and refined features came in
| and laid down 800 note which she wanted
invested in futures. She had on one of
| those large straw hats which seem to have
| been invented for purposes OF disguise and
l thought at the time that her hands were
rather white and soft for one who would
wear a calico dress, but SAID nothing. | took
the order. All the time l could see she
wanted to get away, and that she was slight
| ly embarrassed. Her excitement on her first
visit was but suspicion in comparison with
her emotion on the following afternoon,
when she came in and learned that she had
made 500. As it was quite late when paid
over the money l closed the office as soon as
she was gone, and walked leisurely down the
| street. We had done heavy business that
day, and l felt good. As l reflected
over the incidents which had
| come under my observation in the rush of
my business | scarcely noticed which way
went. Feeling the need OF a smoke | turned
| into a cigar store, when for the first time it
occurred to me that | was on South Clark
street. As | was about to pass the sign of a
cigar Indian which stood between the tobac-
co store and pawnshop, the door of the
pawnshop closed with a slight report, and to
my surprise l saw the customer | had last
| served fastening away and fumbing in her
pocket. l guessed that she had used the
money had given her to redeem something
she had pawned. I thought there could be
no harm in finding out more, so | took the
other side of the street and followed her
She was fast walker, and got out of that
neighborhoOd as if she had suddenly discov-
cred herself surrounded by a raging pesti-
lence. thought for a time that she knew l
was shadowing her, but she never looked
| in
Harmon Court, near Wabash avenue Being
satisfied she did not live there, l waited ff-
teen or twenty minutes and was gratifed to
see her again. She had changed every rag
of clothing and | scarcely knew her. Any
| way, 1t was growing dark, which aided me in
concealing myself. | will not tell you
where she went after that. | saw her take
car. and as | was right in surprising her
course would be south, | managed so that
the car passed me after she got on, having
retreated in that direction at her departure
from the house. As the car came by
stepped on the front platform. She finally
| entered very spectable-looking mansion
on the South Side, which | am sure was her
own residence. A boy on the next corner
| to whom gave quarter told me who lived
! there That is pointer You can get either.
| FL tell you this much, He was the pastor
of church, and believe the woman was his
wife"
Did you ever see the lady again?" he was
asked.
"Of course did Do you think YOU can
get woman to stop when she wins? She
came to see us again. put up the same
amount and lost. She turned perfectly white
when l told her the result, and trembled so
that l thought she would faint l had but
little time to feel anxious for she got out in
short order. She did not belong to the class
who give us the most trouble, as she was too
timid and lady-like to complain, but the in
cident will serve to characterize one of our
reasons for shutting them out They do not
always get their money legitimately.'
How many ladies are there in the city
who trade regularlyF'
uEullv 900 and nerhans GOO Ynn see