The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1897-12-01
SELLING BY SIGNAL.
HOW CATTLE ARE DEALT IN AT THE
CHICAGO sTocKYARDs.

Eotween Them, Seller and Buyer Con
cIude "A Transaction by Raising Their
Whips over Their Heads.
The Chicago stockyards are unique
among the great marts Of the world In
! no other place, say those who are most
familiar with its daily routine, is Sc
large an aggregate Of business transact
/ cd in the language Of gestures and with
/ out the scratch Of a pen" as i'll the
] noisy pens Of the stockyards. a whip
is held high in air, across Il sea of clat-
/ tcring horns the signal is answered by
the momcntary uplifting of hand, and
II "bunch" Of cattle worth thousands of
dollars is sold.
There is something splendidly pic
turesque and even spectacular i'll these
wordless transactions. They ignore the
urtificialitics Of the complex system up
ON which modern business relationships
are almost universally maintained
Trade i'll the cattle pens gets boldly
back to primitive simplicity. 1t is done
on honor, not on paper. And the undis-
puted transfer of millions of dollars
worth Of the property here dealt i'll
proves that a bargain sealed with the
wave of the whip and an asserting ges-
turc Of the hand is quite as safe and sa-
cred as if the whole transaction were
recorded ''in black and white. -
Tho trader i'll the wheat pit is armed
with his tally card, upon which he
pauses to note the names of those with
whom no deals and the amount, nature
and price of the commodities bought
and sold. The broker upon the floor of
tho Stock Exchange places equal reli
mco upon the quickly penciled memo
randa made at tho moment when the
details Of each transaction were upon
the lips of those concerned i'll its fulfill
ment; but the buyer and seller of the
yards carry whips not pencils, and
their deals arc recorded i'll memory in
stead of written upon trading cards. As
well try to picture the old knights max
ing laboriuus written memoranda OF
their challenges as to think of the rough
and ready traders Of tho cattle yards
pausing i'll their saddles to jot down
upon paper their purchases and sales.
Such procedure would bid defiance to
the very nature of things and do yio-
lence to the magnificent unconyention-
ality of every environment.
Is there never any trouble i'll this
kind of dealing?' leading commission
man was asked.
of you mean do the men go back on
their bargains made by whip and hand,
| can answer, never, I" was the trader $
answer as he brought his trim black
horse to halt III the cattle alley and
leaned forward i'll his saddle. "Thero
isn't another place in America, or the
whole world, fer that matter, where so
much business Is done on tho basis of
personal integrity, without written
word To show for the transactions, as
right here, he continued, and tho
method beats all the bonds ON Garth
! The days business in these pens will
run about 81 800, 900. And how is it
| done? Iittlo talk, considerable way
ing of whips and hands and no exchange
of written documents between buyers
and sellers
"Hero is Il bunch of cattle that will
figure up about $40, 600. Over there i'll
tho other alley is IL buyer who this
morning offered me price of So 10 for
them | thought that | could do better,
but the market has been little off, and
| l have decided to let tho bunch go M
his offer. Up to the present moment
we have exchanged about dozen words
ON this subject Now, if he is willing tC
pay tho price which he named i'll the
morning I'll show you how a sic, 00(
bunch Of fat steers is sold without
word Of mouth or II scratch of writing
ut the time the bargain is really made. ,
The commission man then straighten
ed up i'll the saddle and waited for tho
distant buyer to looll i'll his direction
A moment later this representative o.
II big packing house wheeled his horse
about and faced in the direction of tn,
seller Instantly the commission man
lifted high his rawhido riding whiI
and held it alott His attitude was ~
striking rs that of cavalry colonel up
lifting his saher To concentrate tho ut
tention of his regiment before making
desperate charge. Tho pose, however