Birmingham age-herald., 1895-07-13
WOMEN AS GAMBLERS
AN ESTABLISHMENT IN NEW YORK
 ESPECIALLY FOR THEIR USE.

They Fcverishly Eye the Ticker.
 4 full flodgod establishment on tho fifth floor of building on lower Broadway, fitted out in the regulation manner, the ticker telling of the market quotations, group of excited women gathered in tie room discussing fluctuations like experi- enccd srcculators, conversation on tho variations of points" and a remarkable familiarity with every phase of the steel; report-such was the scene witnessed Saturday afternoon.
 Most of tho women were of middle ncc several were young, two wero decidedly old, but all were posted, or thought they were, on the investments they were so fcyerishly watching. TEat they were "rcg- ulars" was evident at glance, the fas- cination of tho gaInc holding them month after month, although it is seldom they make as much as S10 per Gay, ofteDor clearing, as ono of them said, "anywhcro from 75 cents to s2 or B"
 The woman reporter who obtained en- trance was-closely quest toned by the man. agcr before he would admit her.
 What can do for you?" suavcly asked tho manager.
 q should like to try little investment on the exchange, replied the reporter.
 Are you an experienced handf' ho asked, with keen look.
 "Not very"
 "Havc you ever tried anything of the kind bcfore?''
 "No."
 II thought so. would not advise you to try it. It is very risky business without experience"
 q do not intend 10 invest today. l merely came up to look into it little. I Erow some of tho leading officials of the Louisville and Nashville and of the Chica- go, Rock Island and Pacific, and I shall ret inside pointers for my investment be- fore try anything"
 Tn that casc,n said he, it is different You may be able to do sery well if you can get sucl pointers as those, So you might as well get whatever information you want. Just go iE ihe other room there, and the ladies will Tell you ali about it. They understand all the transactions" :" There was nothing particularly attract i've either in the women's room CT sn the appearance of its occupants. The stock ticker stood by the one window, which Is in the conrt dir. ;tly opposite ihe window of tho men s office. In the opposite side of the room from the ticker was a black board where an elderly woman in black
  were read from the ticker by three women F who read its enigmatical signs as readily as if it were primer exercise. Every woman in tho room carried small tablet and a lead pencil and covered page after page with small tables of figures which they seemed to consult with The greatest satisfaction.
 The questions of tho manager were al- most duplicated by the women, who look ed significantly ut each other when the tips from tho prominent railroad officials were mentioned. A vivacious blond shook her head gayly and laughed outright. You will be in great luck," she said f"When you get your pointers, como right up here and use them, but be sure you get them right. It is my opinion that if you study this thing for about 1000 years you may know something about it. I don't 'tand never will. Tho worst of it all is that there is no logic or judgment or anything else possible in this es far as I can sec It is nothing but luck or fate and Yery small rewards. D
 'Could I buy something witl s5?'' ask ed the reporter.
 A laugh in unison went up from every woman who Lcard the question
 "I should say" said woman or the
 
 comparative gravity, ''that it is no, safe to advise anybody to go in at all for less than $50"
 What arc the Investments of you ladies todayf" asked the reporter
 ''I am in sugar and St. Paul" saio the blond.
 Mine is sugar and gas said middle aged woman on the rororIer's right.
 "1 have sugar and whisky" quietly said good looking and well dressed woman on the reporters left
 ''I bought sugar at 11s1I this morning." Yeid the blond land I want to catch the bulge at ll99s."
 How are you on your stock nowp" asked the reporter of tho quiet woman on her left presently.
 II am ahead on sugar, but not on whis- ky ceplied tho woman.
 "fou may net get your cocktail to- night" said tho blond.
 You don't look as if you knew much of this sort of thing. What sort of luck do you havo as rulo?''
 "In what way?''
 "Why, in netting or in chance games of any kind. Don't you play pool or policy or poker or bet on the races or anything?" The World woman recalled an unfortu- nate bet on horse race.
 "I think I am unlucky," she said. At least I cannot win on horse races, and I know only very little about poker" "Now," said tho blond conflticntially "do you know I think that if you arc un- lucky at ;nc races and ut cards that your luck may Do just here. You know you can't have bad luck in everything, and you're bound to strike it just right some day.
 That's true" said the quiet woman. "I have better luck here than have at cards
 II have better luck at poker than here" said tho woman at the blackboard.
 II haven't had any luck anywhere yet" said tho blond, with an air of indiffer- ence, "but I'm going to stay in the deal I'm in Iow, and I think I'll catch tho bnlgc on something and pull out all right '-Ncw York World.