Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1883-08-26
WALL STREET A r
How Spectators Have Made Big
Fortunes.
Pictures of Kirkner, BOgert, White and Other
Little Big Men Of the harket-An
Interesting Peep at Some
Lesser Lights,

I,The distinctive and peculiar feature
of the stock market at present Is the
room traders. There have always been
room traders, but they have been
incidents rather than factors in the
market. They have sustained the same
relation to the recognized large opera
tors as guerillas do to an army. But
from their ranks have sprung half a
dozen men who from scalping fractions
have become 4 power in the market.
ANY two or three of them acting in N
cert, can give any one stock, and fire.
quently the entire market, a definite
impulse either way. Oftentines N of
them, by his
vigorous Tactics
i'm II stock, will swerve the whole ac-
tive list in sympathy with it.
They have made considerable fortunes
AMI are still pushing their luck. From
tWo-dollar brokers and scalpers they
have become semi-millionaireS and the
owners Of houses, horses, pictures and
other luxuries, aud are quoted as au
thOrities ON the course OF the market.
10 correct judgment and good calcula-
lions they add early and correct in
formation obtained by methods known
only TO themselves.
In many respects Mr.. Joe kirkner
takes precedence in this class of stock
gamblers. His medium, compact fly
uIs, long, dark brown beard and Ger
man face, shaded by a brOad-brimme
sluuch hat, are familiar OIL the floor.
He looks more like q c~Ountryman or q
Dutch OurgOmaster than
AStoek Broker.
lie has been a member OF the exchange
since 1876, and handles anywhere from
U,uCO to $4,000 shares of stock on a sim
gle turn. When he is not trading his
manner il quiet ana unassuming and he
II lrauk aud communicative. AS soon
a. he can settle up his business for the
day, which il generally shortly after =
o'c!ock.E lie hasIens TO his home IN Plain.
field, y. j., where he lives unOStenta-
liously aud is a substantial pillar III an
orthodox church.
Among the most conspicuous brokers
ALWAYS to be seen upon the floor IS a
tall, exceedingly erect gentleman OF 40
or thereabouts, with fair hair that is al.
most white, carefully parted down the
back, brushed iato tufts over the ears,
and falling in n bewitching short bank
upon the forehead. This is Mr.. Eugene
T. Bogert, on Ofthe acknowledged wits
ofthe exchange, and
The Champion Trader
for fractions. He takes the first profit
on his transactions, no matter how
.mall-even an eighth Of n per cent.
He is quick as q chipmunk in making
turns in the market. IL n stock starts
sCain~t him he drops il as 4 Il were a red
lot poker, turns about aud goes with
The tide. Until this sprIBg he was one
Of the governors of the exchange.
The conservative element among the
room traders is represented in the per-
sOn of LOomis l.. White, one OF the old
st members of the Board. His move
u ents are characterized by a good de-
gree of caution, and his preference is for
the long side of the market. He is at
the head of q large commission house
and is supposed to act in unison with
his customers. Other traders, less con.
spicuOus in their operations, yet very
active at times, are Billy Bird, Mr..
Jack Sheppard, and q newcomer who
has won the title of "CocOanut" Schepp,
because of his previous condition Of ser
vitude in the manufacturing Of that ar
ticle. He has been a member Of the ex-
change only about 8 month, yet he
tosses big blocks o fstOck around with
the apparent recklessness ola veteran.