The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1884-07-12
New Tsts stssk Exchange.
IBrooklyn Eaele.l

G@A
AT the height Of the excitement
| wandered up TO the Wall street
door Of the Stock Exchange and
attempted to mount to the visitors
gallery. Three policemen and two
attendants objected and I didn't
mount just then. A few minutes
later man whom l knew passed
me In. vas prepared to see 3
Wild degree Of excitement on the
part of the brokers. but l was
again disappointed. Stocks were
selling for oil they we're worth.
and the din and uproar was almost
deafening, but then that is the
case nearly every day In the year.
What l noticed particularly was
the extraordinary jollity that ex.
listed among the members, despite
the fact that they feared all sorts
OF evils and that firms we're going
to pieces all around them. The
older men were quiet aud cynical.
They talked together slowly but
earnestly, and seemed reasonably
good natured, but the majority Of
the younger brokers-men like
Frank Ellison, for instance-who
were elaborstely dressed and
thoroughly at ease, moved about
with great calmness In the crowd,
and transacted their business hap
PLY. When one Of them got ex.
cited and threw his arms into the
cir, his friends rallied around him
and alphabetically turned up his
coat collar, pulled his hat over his
eyes, thumped him In the ribs,
picked his pockets and indulged in
other pleasantries, with faces as
solemn as owls. Meanwhile. the
broker paid no attention to them,
but went on hawking his wares.
After he had found q purchaser or
got tired out, he made feint at
the most aggressive Of his torment
ers, rearranged his disordered at
tire, INDUCED In . wild shrek and
turning on his heel. walked on.
Everybody yelled for the mere fun,
ofthe thing, but their yells amount
ed to nothing compared with the
appalling and calliope shrek Of .
red-headed broker In a black busi.
ness suit and black silk hat. This
gentleman seemed to enjoy him
self more than all the other mem.
bers of the Exchange put together.
The excitement had an exhilara.
ting effect on bis spirits. | sup
pose he was there on the floor for
business purposes, as most Of the
members are, but to the casual
observer II seemed as though he
merely wanted to have little
fun. He had voice that would
make Pop Whitaker turn green
with envy. He wandered about
from one end of the Exchange to
the other whistling to himself and
winking at his acquaintances. AT
intervals Of about half o minute
he would throw back his head
open his mouth shut his eyes and
send forth . crescendo shrek
that sounded like the mingled ef'
forts of a Long Island foghorn and
a factory whistle. II was the most
amazing sound I ever heard from
q human throat. The people In
the visitors gallery hung over the
railing and stared at the man with
intense facination, but the brokers
paid no more attention to him than
II he did not exist. After finishing
his yells the broker would open
his eyes, tip his hat over bis left
ear aud walk about whistling soft
ly to himself again. Then would
come the awful shrek again. Il
is supposed that he did 1t by way
ofs joke.
There was another broker on the
floor whose hobby proved to b.
an alleged desire to quarrel will
every one he met. He did moi
smile once during the two hours !
was in the Exchange, and he seem
ed to be in perpetual wranglt
with every man he came across
He wore bis hat jammed over his
eyes, the collar Of his coat wal
turned mp and the jaw was thrus'
forward. He would rush into {
group Of men who we're busily buy
ing or selling some stock and be
gin to yell with the rest Of them
The louder they yelled the louder
he yelled, until at last be worked
himself up into an alleged stata
Of wild excitement and stood shak
both fists in the face of some one
who was offering higher bid thar
he was. The others stood around
and urged him on. He would
thrash around with both arms
howl maledictions and exercra
tions on the head Of his opponent
and shake his fists ominously IN
der his nose. Then he would In
wife him 10 walk oufnde with /.
voice heard above al the din o