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

from slight disturbances, expand in un-
dulating circles. and then gradually
break away into mild ripples here and
there. AT no time during business
hours does the noisy activity cease.
Through the length and breadth OF the
great blue-domed hall. men hurry
and scramble, rudely pushing and shout
ing in their eagernesss to bargain, or
jostling one another in playful sport.
Here at one end of the room dozen
brokers swarm like bees around tall
man with flushed face and up-lifted
arms. He seems to be bristling with
indignation, and his voice is heard in
terse. piercing EXPLANATIONS The men
about him press closer and return his
shouts with cries equally shrill. He
shakes q clenched hand at them, and
Immediately a dozen arms are stretched
toward him with vicious energy. He
increases the violence of his gesticula-
tions and seemingly hurls defiance at
the excited crowd. Then there is an
impetuous rush, many voices mingle in
prolonged yell, and in twinkling
the crowd has dissolved, and two or
three brokers ere quietly iotting down
memoranda in their little books. A
few feet away two men meet and eX-
change mild salutations. A third man
comes up and drops remark that falls
like burning lucifer in powder mag
azine. Instantly there is an explosion.
The three men jump up and down, beat
the air with their arms. and yell like
delegates in q convention. In two Sec
onds they form the center of an eager
mob, which circles about them like a
whirlwind. In the middle of the floor
another demonstration is in progress.
A score of animated brokers appear to
be having May dance around tall
staff. On top of the staff is a framed
placard bearing the. words denver &
Rio Grande." A little further along
another staff holds alo!t the legend
wabash" A couple of rods distant
from this is third post labeled Lou
isville & Nashville and in other places
similar staffs display conspicuous in
scriptions. Each of these stats has its
cluster of men, and the larger clusters
are linked together by smaller ones,
forming an almost unbroken chain OF
surging, roaring humanity, extending
from one end OF the room to the other.
The three young ladies gazed with
speeches. eagerness upon the turbulent
scene until their bright eyes grew round
with wonder. The youngest, a fair
haired miss scarcely out OF her teens
turned to the broker after while, anC
said: "For mercy's sake, what are they
doing down thereP"
The young man smiled as he replied
"Why. that's business"
| ,o;l tb. 1;tt1o 1aI Will
pretty frown, g. don't see how any.
body can do business in such hub
bub."
That is what all strangers, and es
pecially ladies, say when they come
here" said the young man with an i'm
portant air. Nevertheless, in all OF
this seeming chaos, business proceed.
Systematically, rapidly, and with de
gree of accuracy that knows no parable
in ordinary mercantile transactions.
The men who trade here seldom have
disputes, yet they buy and sell millions
of dollars worth of securities every
day. They have no time for writer
contracts. With them minutes are as
precious as diamonds, and seconds arr
golden. A shake of the finger, a noe
of the head, or perhaps only wink
are frequently the only signs tina
pass between them. in the bargain
involving thousands of shares of stocks
You see quickness and absolu integ
rity are essential 10 the kind of bushes
tn t is done here. When the market i
lively and stocks are changing in valu
every minute, there can be no hest at
ing and no regulating of bad bargains
A brokers' III take it, is as bindin:
as the most formidable legal dOcumen
ever written, and after seller has said
ITS your stock, the bargain is closed
Occasionally | have known the price o
a stock to go up Two points within hal
minute after seller had nodde
/ affirmativelY to a buyer, who was bu
one of a score of brokers scramblin
, for the stock. BY simply contendin
that no sale had been intended at sue
times the seller might have realize
an advance of ten thousand dollars O
twelve thousand dollars on his stock
But do you think that any member c
the Stock Exchange would dare do sue
, thingP No, indeed! No membe
would dare"
| (Which is Mr. Vanderbilt" querie
, one of the ladies with charming in
difference to her chaperon's earnes
, ness.
T "Mr. Vanderbilt never comes here,
answered the young broker, somewhs
, CURLY. "He is not even a member {
= the Stock Exchange"
/ "Well, which is Mr.. GouldP"
"Neither is Mr.. Gould a member {
2 the Exchange"
= "Why, | am sure that read in tn
} newspapers a short time ago that MI
) Vanderbilt and Mr.. Goulti were SUI
r porting the stock market" persiste
= the lady.