The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1884-08-16


smart broker has had his neck twisted
in trying to nibble Mr.. Gould's cheese.
"Did you ever try to get any OF MIR.
Gould's cheese?'' asked one OF the
maidens, rougishly.
"Well, if | have tried l certainly
have never succeeded" was the am
bigUous reply.
For few minutes every member of
the quintet remained silent Suddenly
a pair of rowing eyes. under the brim
of a saucv pink hat, espied lot of
white numbers on the black front OF
the gallery at the other end OF the
room.
Look look, girls" she exclaimed.
''See those numbers change over there.
The figures 1872 nave just faded away
and "a is coming out. Now number
- up in the corner has gone, ami, see,
'12' and go have just appeared on the
same row. How funny. wonder If
the same thing is being done on the
| front of our gallery Looking down
over the railing in front of her, she
added yes, it is just the same. What
are these numbers for, Mr.. Z.
Those are the signs by which men,
bers on the floor are notified that some
body at the door wants to see them.
In 50 great crowd, and with so much
noise, it is extremely difficult for
messenger boy to find any particular
person, and it is impossible for the
doorkeepers, in shouting the names, to
make themselves heard more than ten
feet away. Each member OF the Ex-
change, therefore, has a number, and
whenever an inquiry is made at the
door for member an attendant
touches an electric button and causes
the number of the desired man to APP
pear on these conspicuous blackboards.
As soon as the member responds to
the call another button is touched
and the number disappears. The ar
rangement is on the same principle as
the electric calls in hotels"
"But what are those boys in uniform
doing?" asked one of the ladies, indi-
eating with her parasol number of
Young men clad in brass-buttoned suits
of gray, who were lodging briskly
about on the crowded floor.
"Some of them are pages whose
services are required by the members,
and some of them are employed by the
Gold and Stock Telegraph Company to
report the sales, prices, etc. All OF the
quotations sent out of the Stock Ex-
change as official are picked up by
those active and expert reporters. III
you watch closely you will see them,
book and pencil in hand, lowering on
the outskirts of every crowd where
trading is going on. They have to
be on the alert constantly
"Are they expected to record every
transaction that occurs?" said the
brokers' male companion. sit does
not seem possible that they should be
able to do such a thing amid all OF
"Of course, they do not get all OF
the sales" replied the broker. 81
presume they do not get one quarter
of them, but they get all they can. and
their reports show pretty accurately
the condition of the market. Some
days when the trading is uncommonly
lively the reporters don't get more thar
one out of every ten sales that are
made"
"Do all members of the Stock Elk
change get richP" suddenly PROFOUND
ed the girl with the pink hat.
The young broker cast searching
/ look into the demure face of the ques
, toner. Seeing nothing there to leaC
him to doubt the sincerity of the ques
= ton, he looked thoughtfully up at tn,
, ceiling and pulled his mustache saw
) agely. After a while he answered
, my unwavering regard for the trutl
= compels me to say that all of the mem
bers of the Stock Exchange are not ricl
: at present. Many of them, in fact, ar
t feeling too poor to hold their seats
b: With few noted exceptions, the mem
!. bers of this board have Jared rattle
f badly during the past year or two
t Brokers who deal in securities on com
4 mission usually look for their profits t.
t buyers outside of the regular Wal
? street community of Spectators. 1t ha
2 been long time, however, since an,
h outside buyers have sent in orders. Tn
general public seems to have grow
+ suspicious of Wall street A member
. ship in the Stock Exchange three year
f ago was worth S35, 600. Now member
h ships are selling at 1921 ,00) and So, 00
r each, and during the recent panic
understood that a seat was sold TO
d $4,000, Brokers that used to live a
: the rate OF $4,000 to $4,000 yea
: are now exercising the most rigi
economy. Why, half-a-dozen fellow
. that l know have got the retrenchmen
t fever so bad that they will wait aioun
f corner for ten minutes for one of thos
cheap yellow cabs to take them u
town"
# chow much are the brokers paid 70
buying or selling stocks for othe
e people?'' inquired one of the party.
:. ''ln the usual run of business broker
y commission is 1 per cent. each way
d When he buys S5,0J0worth of stock 70
a customer he charges ! per cent. o