New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-16
SELLING BY SIGNALS.
QUICK METHODS AT THE CHICAGO
STOCKYARDS.
From The Chicago Post.


great marts Of the world. In no other place.
say those who are most familiar with their daily
routine, Is large an aggregate or business
transacted in the language Of gestures and
without the scratch Of a PEN as in the noisy
pens OF the stockyards whip is held high IN
air across a sea Of Gathering horns the signal
is answered by the momentary uplifting or u
hand. and bunch" Of cattle worth thousands
of dollars is sold.
There is something splendidly picturesque and
even spectacular in these wordlcss transactions.
They ignore the artfcialites OF the complex
system upon which modern business relation
Sims are alm0s. universally maintained. Trade
in the cattle pens gets boldly back To primitive
simplicity. II is done on honor, not on paper.
And the undsputcd transfer OF millions OF dol
lars worth Of the property here dealt in proves
that bargain sealed with the wave of the whip
and an asserting gesture Of the hand is quite as
safe and sacred as If the whole transaction were
recorded lin blac, and white"
The trader in the wheat pit is armed with his
tally card upon which he pauses to note the
names OF those with whom he deals and the
amount. nature and price Of the commodities
bought and sold The broker upon the floor or
the Stock Exchange places equal reliance upon
the quickly poncilled memoranda made at the
moment when the details ~ each transaction
were upon the lips OF those concerned in its ful-
flmcnt. But the buyer and seller of the yards
carry whips. not pencils. and their deals are
recorded in memory instead OF written upon
trading cards AS we'll try TO picture the Oh
knights making aborous written memoranda.
OF their challenges as 20 think OF the rouSh ana
ready traders of the cattle yards pauslnS III
their saddles TO jOt down upon paper their pur-
chascs and sales Such procedure would p,u
defiance to the very nature OF things ana 90
violence 10 the magnificent uncOnventiondllty
of every environment
is there never any trouble in this kind Of
dcalinc?" a leading commission man was asked
IF YOU mean, do the men so back on their
bargains made by whip and hand? l can an
swer. never" was the traders answer. as ne
brought his trim black horse to a halt in the
cattle alloy and leaned forward i'm his saddle
There isn't another place in America. or the
whole world. for that matter where so much
business is done on the basis OF personal lnteS-
rity, without n written word 10 show Tor the
transaction. rs right here" he continued And
the method beats all the bonds on earth fhe
days business in these pens Will run ABOUT IL
million AMI 4 half And how is it done? Little
talk. considerable waving Of whips and hands
and no exchange Of written documents between
buyers and sellers
Here is a bunch Of cattle that will figure up
about $4,000 over there in the other alley ~
buyer who this morning offered me a price
of 81 10 for them | thought that | could DO
better, but tho market has been little off ana
have decided to let the bunch 90 at his offer
Up To the present moment we have eXchalS't
about a dozen words on this subject Now II
he is willing 20 pay the price which he named IN
the morning. I'll show YOU how a SloOJD buncn
of fat steers is sold without word Of mouth or
a scratch Of writing at the time the bargain
IS really made"
The commission man then Strengthened up in
the saddr and waited for the distant buyer 10
look in his direction. \ moment later this rep
rcsontative Of 4 big packing-house wheeled his
horse about and faced in the direction OF the
seller instantly the commission man lifted
high his rpwhide riding whip ana hcid IL alpIt
His attitud. was rs striking as that oi Il cavalry
colonel uplifting his saire To concentrate the
attention ~ his regiment before making des-
perate charge. The pose. however was full or
natural grace an freedom, and showed mat the
man was more a. ease in the saddle than ne
could have been out 81 ii.
Oulv 4 moment ola 3sed before the alert eye ~
the buyer caught sight of the upraised Whp
no. l. Il