New-York tribune., 1894-04-29
VAIL STREETS FUNNYBONE.
DEMORALIzING EFFECT OF THE NETWORK BASE
BALL CLUB ARBITRAGE LEGISLATION
AND COPPER PENNIES

BALL CLUB. ARBITRAGE LEGISLATION
AND COPPER PENNIES.
wave Of humor swept over Wall Street yester-
day Funny business" thick that 1t could
be cut with a knife Every incident OF the day
seemed 10 produce a crop of Joe Millers." The
most sacred subjects were trifcd with. big chunk
OF plaster fell from the ceiling OF the secretarys
office in the Stock Exchange and narrowly missed
ending the usefulness OF Charles l.. Burnham, tho
handsome and able assistant secretary. Yet this
news caused ribald remarks about the volcanic
effects OF the recent attacks upon arbiiragc bus-
ness which have extended as far Greece. In
deed the policy OF the Governors OF the Stock Ex-
change in striving 70 suppress the arbitragc bus-
ness IL said to have awakened such sympathy In
classical regions that duplication OF the earth
quakes at Thebes Is expected to occur among the
rnumrnes Of the Pyramids 1t even said that
the plaster which escaped Charley" Burnham's
head vas intended originally as a testimonial TO
George w. Ely the handsome secretary Of the Ex-
change, against whom no one Of the members OF
the Stock Exchange is willing to run at the coming
election Yet the disturbance in the ceiling Of tho
secretary's room may possibly be due 10 the sky
soaring performances Of Sugar stock yesterday. or
have been produced by the vibration Of the ground
under the feet of COxeys army, or the vibration
OF the nerves of the Washington Administration as
il lies with It's ear on the floor of the White House
waiting to hear the sound OF coming footsteps
While the plaster upstairs was imperlling
Charley" Burnham's life in its effort to get a.
George Wonthavearbitrage by, the secretary OF
the Stock Exchange. the brokers the floor or
the Exchange tossing about i've red balls IN
honor Of the expected opening OF the baseball
season In this city with the New y ork CLUB IN
evidence. Sugar stock went higher than any OF the
balls that thrown and neither sugar nor the
balls went as far out Of sight as the arpitIase
business has gone carrying with II the commissions
OF lots Of brokers 1t Is rumored that the three games
Sugar baseball and ant-arbtrage-w started
in the interest OF the brokers who recently received
diplomas Of the First Aid 10 the Injured Society
The new graduates are anxious to have chance to
practise.
The Tribune about the old copper pennies received
for redemption Friday making more trouble
for Assistant Treasurer Jordan and Deputy As
sistant Treasurer Muheman than the panic OF 1873
ever made Certnin misguided newspapers had said
that the coins received were the half-cents which
have not been coined since 1851 Dozens OF their
readers embarrassed the minor coin division OF the
Sub-Treasury with clanOr all through business
hours for some OF the coins. In vain Mr..
Muhlenan explained to the disappointed applicants,
who Insisted going directly to "headquarters."
that there was only handful OF the haf-cents In
.he batch, the rest being old copper pennies that
had already been freely culcd by collectors before
the lot was sent to the Sub-Trcasury for redcmp-
ton. Whispering confdentially In his ear gray
bearded numismat toogists begged for the privilege
of getting a few OF the haf-ccnts. Mr. Muhleman
almost wept at the necessity he was under In refus
ing the numerous applications. and Mr.. Jordan
fed TO his private Office and prayed that Congress
would pass bill for the redemption OF Treasury
notes IN COOPER coins.