The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1894-11-21
PLUNGERs
Are the Messenger Boys Who Run in
Wall Street.


New York Herald.
aof course you know those chaps
do not live on their salaries, . said a
Wall street broker a few days ago,
pointing to one of those speedy
messengers that are seen daily, Just
before the close of the Exchange,
flying frantically along the street.
@Just notice the next one that
comes along, the brokercontinued;
at is ten to one that he wears
diamonds If he does not he is
ignorant of the business.
At that moment one of the ames-
sengers, having performed his
speedy and mercurial duty, passed
on his way back to the office.
Sure enough, on the hand with
which he mopped his perspiring
lace there glistened two.carat
diamond.
While the bulls were believing
and the lambs were bleating around
the big railing, two or three mes
sengers who happened to have
nothing particular to do were hang
ing around watching the market
with feverish anxiety. Pretty soon
they were re enforced by new
arrival. he rushed up to the rail-
ing and shouted frantically to a
young broker on the floor, whom 1
happened to know. A whispered
consultation took place, and then
the broker dived into the melee and
began to bid stock until he had Sc
cured the proper amount, when he
emerged flush and perspiring.
cts pretty hot work in there,
isn't it2" 1 asked.
az should say it was" he replied,
especially when nobody wants to
sell"
4whO was the young man who
gave you the order a few minutes
agoa" inquired.
"He's chap that works for the
firm Ok Co., was the reply.
"He's shrewd boy, too, and it is
seldom that he is wrong on the
market"
"Perhaps he has exceptional OPP
portunities, 1 suggested.
al Isuppose that is it. It's no busi-
ness of mine, though. BE has an
account with me, and it is over
drawn. In fact it is constantly in
creasing. | got my start in the
same way, and in fact a great per-
centage of the brokers in the street
were once messengers of one kind
or another"
asked an old broker who had
grown gray in the streets what he
knew about speculation among mes.
sengers. He said: at has increas-
ed wonderfully during the last ten
years. In the old days, when spec
nlation was heavier, it took far less
to sway the market than now.
Then the messengers speculated at
their own peril. The turns and
changes were far more quick and
decided, and it was an almost sure
thing that the small specuIator
would be wiped out in day or 80.
Not half so many men are living by
speculation in Wall street as former
ly, and many of those who dabbIe
in the street do SO merely for the
fan of it. Consequently they do.
not guard their tips as closely as in
former years.
"Not long ago 1 went into Del
monico's for dinner, and sat down
at a table opposite a young man
whom / recognized as a messenger
for prominent Wall street specu-
lator. L would be- willing to take
an oath that his salary is not over
sI5 week. Yet there he sat, with
diamonds on his fingers and in his
shirt front, eating pate de.foie gras
as though he had lived upon it all
his life. I suppose he had made a
lucky stroke on some tip which his
employer had sent to his broker,
and which he had taken advantage.
of"
Most of the Wall street brokers
seem to regard this sort ofspecuIa-
ton among the messengers as
"smart" and legitimate. There are
several large bucket shops along
Broad street which are resorted to
by messengers of low degree who
have "tips" but no money to plunge
with. In some of these bucket shops
you can make deal with $40. Most
of them, however, will not touch
anything below 100 shares.
Tommy sap nao.s.t.,z