Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-01-27

Them, seller and Buyer Con-
oiude a Transaction by Raising Their
Whips Over Their Heads.
The Chicago stockyards are unique
among the great narts of the world, In
no other place, say those who are most
familiar with its daily routine, is so
large an aggregate of business transact
ed in the language Of gestures and with
out the scratch of a pen" as in the
noisy pens of the stockyards. A whip
is held high in air, across a sea of clat-
tering horns the signal is answered by
the momentary uplifting of a hand, and
o bunch" Of cattle worth thousands of
dollars is sold.
There is something s~plendidly pic
turesque and even spectacular in these
wordless transactions. They ignore the
artificialities of the complex system up
on which modern business relationships
are almost universally maintained.
Trade in the cattle pens gets boldly
back 60 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 in
proves that a bargain sealed with tie
wave Of the whip aud an asserting gea
ture of the hand is quite as safe and sa-
cred as if the whole transaction were
recorded 'in black and white"
The trader in the wheat pit is armed
with his tally card, upon which be
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 Of
the Stock Exchange places equal reli-
ance upon the quickly penciled memo.
randa made ut the moment when the
details of each transaction were upon
the lips of those concerned in its fulfill.
inent; but the buyer ard seller OF the
yards carry whips, not pencils, aaa
their deals are recorded in memory IN
sc a Of written upon trading cards. As
well Try 10 picture the cid knighhsmak
ing iaboriors written memoranda q
their challenges as to think OF the r0aah
0ad ready traders Of the cattle ya
passing in their saddles TO iot down
upcn paper thoir purchases and sales,
Slgc1 . procedure would bid defiance 20
;ae very nature Of taings and do yio-
Lessee To tie magnificent unco%nvention-
ailty of c seTy environment.
Is there never any trouble in this
kind CT dealing?'' a leading commission
man was asked.
"If you mean do the men go back on
their bargains made by whip and hand,
l can answer, never was the traders
answer as he brought his trim black
horse to u halt in the cattle alley and
leaned forward in his saddle. "There
isn't another place in America, OF the
whole world, for that matter, where SC
much business is done on the basis OF
personal integrity, without a written
word to show for the transactions, as
right here" he continued, "and the
method beats all the bonds on earth.
The days business in these pens will
run about 81, 500, 900. And how is it
done? Little talk, o considerable
ing of whips and hands and no exchange
of wri.tcn documents between buyers
and sellers.
Here is a bunch of cattle that will
figure up about $40. 600. Over there IN
the other alley il Q buyer who this
morning offered me a price Of IS. 10 for
then. I thought that ! could do better,
out the market has been a little of, and
l have decided 20 let the bunch SO at
his offer. Up to the present moment
we have exchanged about a dozen words
on this subject. Now, If he is willing to
pay the price which he named in the
morning I'll show you how a $40. 600
bunch Of fat steers Is sold without
word Of mouth or = scratch OF writing