The Washington times., 1895-04-21

and Fourteenth Gtr.ets. and are itted
up in nice, neat rooms IL. handsome office
buildings, rtr
There is one large room on one side of
which is a blackboard aud on this board
are written the names OF the Compd nieS
whose stocks are being dealt in, and that
o the stuff. such as wheat, corn and pork,
OH which prices are sold. In ront OF
the board are chairs arranged in semi
circle and at the back of the room is the
desk Of the broker aud on it the little
telegraphic ma chine under glass case.
The prices as they fluctuate in New
York are sent eff instantly over the wire
and in ew seconds are ground out on
the ribbon OF white paper that slowly
comes out from the machine ana rippIes
Into the tall waste basket that stands on
the floor.
a boy has charge OF reading these quo
tations, and as fast as they come he goes
To Tie big blackboard aud marks down in
chalk the new price at which that stock
is selling. The eager watchers in the
room are thus Informed OF the state of
the market every few moments.
The ladies are not allowed to deal in all
the Offices in the city, but in those where
their presence is permitted they gather
early in the morning and stay as late as the
trade keeps UP, which is at 3 III the ater-
noon. At that hour the exchange in New
York is closed for the day and the offices
here in town stop work.
Sometimes the room is full of ladies' as
many as twenty aud twenty-five being
present at one time, and again scarcely a
dozen viii drop i'll during the whole day.
They will come in and stay for a few hours
watching the stock In which they are
interested or sometimes they will stay the
whole day with eyesfixed on the board.
AN EXACTING PASSION.
The excitement as the fluctuations in the
prices are marked is intense, and women who
have money invested grow very nervous.
If the market is in their favor their spirits
rise, but when the prices all their spirits
have corresponding depression. Yet,
as a rule, the ladies are pretty steady at the
game. The women are gathered rom all
classes and all ages and all conditions of
people, yet the most of them are very stylish
and well-d"essed and are often in the best
circles of society.
Il have not so many woman customers
now" q broker remarked, but during the
sessions OF Congress the place is full, which
goes to prove that there are many stock
gamblersamong tue wives of the Representa-
tives But when woman once begins to
deal in stocks she has no time for other
duties and those OF society are abandoned.
''I have young women in the bloom of life
to come in and spend the day in watching the
boy as he puts down the quotations aud 1
have some customers who are gray, yet are
as eager as young men would be about
the market. Most of my transactions are
in small sums, such as ten ortweuty dollars,
but sometimes big deals are made. re-
member one lady last-sunmer made two
thousand in the season."
One woman, who is we'll known in Wash
ington, made ten thousand and then went
on a trip to Europe toseeIebrate the event.
IN
in the city in the most fashionable quarters.
In fact sugar is the mostpopular commodity
in which to deal, and nearly every woman
who comes in will prefer that stock to any
other. The reason is, no doubt, that the
sugar question has been so much discussed
in the papers that it is more familiar than
any other to the feminine mind.
Whisky stock is also q good seller to the
ladies, though the market is not favorable
to that commodity at present. Wheat is an
other thing in which the women largely
deal. AS a rule they display as much as
tuteness as the men and make as good specu-
lators as their brothers and husbands.
ASPECULATORFOR CHARITY.
lone lady remember" said a broker,
came in one day and said that she wanted
to help very poor family down in Virginia
and would buy $50 worth of stock and
give all the profits to the poor, She put
In her money and made good deal on it,
all the surplus being turned over to the
needy friend.
Another lady made a regular thing Of
dealing in stocks in the cause of charity.
Every time she would buy for this cause
it would go up, so we became convinced
that the best thing we could do was to
follow her example, and whenever she
purchased anything, we bought the same
stock We never made mistake, for
her deals always turned out to be suo-
cess.''
The deals or sales are not as large now