Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-10-13
CANNING OYER COPS sUssHiNE.
A Crazy Scene in the Chicago Corn Pit
Because of Little ham.

- Srhzy cCcuc thu tuicAHs Sufa ~
Because of Little ham. II
Providence journal. st5.
Chicago is the great wheat market,
the great corn market, the great pig
market of the world. Our feet wan
dered over the throbbing floors Of COM
MERGE. 1t is sullen building called
the Board of Trade. AT the portals
men were talking low with kind Of
muffied excitement In the corridors
was roar of voices. Snakelike tele-
graph boys wound away in and out OF
the crowds. Ahead was square hall,
high-roofed, barren, dirty. The air
was shattered by din like the scrsech-
ing of engines in tunnel. On the
floor stood three crowds of men, bawl-
ing and gesticulating, hoarse and pale.
There were three "pits,n lowered cir
cular steps in the floor, so that men
could stand in rings and see each
other. A small throng was about the
pig pit, good throng around the
wheat, noisy, swaying, drunk-with-
excitement mob around the corn. The
men were the buyers and sellers of the
worlds food, gamblers in bread. men
into whose faces you looked and saw
only passionate brute; men painting
with dilated eyes, alert, suspicious,
crafty and with greed stamped in every
| feature. N4
They were not men in frock coats
and silk hats. Goats and vests were
| thrown aside; collars were removed to
ease the neck; everybody was yelling
and Tuning; hands were thrown into
the air to attract attention; bids and
counter bids and defiances were hurled
across the pits; men rushed at one an
Other like angry animals 4H.H.t ~,
| All interest and turmoil were in the
| corn pit. There had been no rain for
| nearly month. On great board at
| the far end of the hall was the state
ment that the visible supply of corn in
| the world was $780,, 600 bushels less
than at the same date last year. Prices
had been rising; there was fever in
| the air. Fortunes were being made
| fortunes lost. Pandemonium reigned.
Blanched frenzy was on many face.
| Cruel conquest beamed on many an
other. On one side 100 telegraph
clerks ; were clicking instruments.
Every rise or fall in price OF one
sixteenth of penny. per bushel was
| flashed world wide. The air palipi-
tated and quivercd with intensity or
high-wrought feelings The men glared
at one another hungrily, like fends.
i Ihere must be scenes llke bIlab III leli.
A long ray of sunbeam poured in at
a window 1t faded and died. Outside
the sky grew gray. First there was q
drop Of rain; then another glimmer of
sunlight; then swishing summer
downpour. . M
1.-The drouth is brokenW was the
scream. "The crops are not to fail !;
they won't fail; look at it! Look at
the rainn' And cruel cheer, hoarse
and husky, broke from the crowd. Men
stood with fingers pointed at the win
dow-500 human carrion-g loating.
The first time for weeks down dropped
the price Of corn. Those who. had
reclSoned on scarce crop hurried to
sell out.
But maybe it was only a passing
shower, and the drouth was to go on.
Anyway, the market had been broken.
That meant excitement and more specu,
ation. How it would be tomorrow no
one knew. With relish they went
on gambling over Gods beautiful
weather.