The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1900-12-08
ODD SIGNS THAT
MEAN MILLIONS.
H Wonderful silent Language By
WAieA the Brokers 0l Wall
naDot hraosuct business

NJ AnsssN FAn street without the
A - q - The trading Is car
y - ~ lAD Of signs made with
AsAeadh al 0esesa. Il 10 not sener-
~ JBajs.sd <Aat men must be scrup-
NAV honest n these dealings. more
e6AUo in fast SAn in almost any other
6ossA fAs samptation and the op-
DssenAsty to b dishonest are so great
that many rules are IN operation which
would seem esAeuc indeed anywhere
- - shs hses Of the exchange.
~ v1sito9 WAo looks down upon the
Aaes q the exshanEe during aa excit-
~ ssaAsA ss0ciucss that the brokers
~ - ssaW 0Getaer. The sayman
aaA - nofAAG bas . howiins mob.
As Q Hoat0 - fAct the activities be-
DOW ~ srs eoSTied on according to
stfiGa vuls1, tut the action 10 10 rapid
TIA ks sys esoEe. follow It.
4 considerable p.lr: Of the business OF
H. spsatry. invsi.LS millions o. dol
IN Saily, 10 soo4.act by sign Ian
aasae. The sseae 't these great tran
fa4ti>rs 10 The floor of the stock Ex-
eho>Us. Any go Who has seen he
apSSs Of the hesk"fs viii understand
~Ast II ts always tif.tuIt and often i'm
pea6b.s for them to D,ake themselves
hanvl. Tbs asnfuaioc or the Aoor Is
OSssn % arest thai broker canrot
~sn make himself h- ara by shouting IL
m ear Of the mar y. HI him.
when q brohsr lsnes to buy or sell
stock with his customer several feet
fpsn him or pAxh:ps across the room
conversation - impossible. II the
broker Iscd ms0epiiohes 'i1e confusion
wouAa ke merely Increased. TO obviate
this they have deruGj sign ianSuast
son.e;h;sg HE that used by the deaf
and ds,ns. win :i:is vocabulary OF
6Ea,.ce q ma. sn :.ay or sell stock 10
ma1.er how a-ees . turmoil.
Nm. -;i;NS.
The yeca bp!s y s"ar:es a man to biz
or make oieis on .. - ack and announce
the number .t s5zTss and an exact
fractional price i.::ier more quickly
than he could spsak.
A single finger O. either hand held
horisontai!y siSp,ti:s ten shares of
stock or ! $50 bushels Of wheat. Two
fingers together n:ean twenty shares or
2eo0 bushels ef wheat. and so on. Fifty
shares 10 gixniftc ~ an 20" formed
with the ths:ns s..c first finger. One
hssdssd ehsrss ~ lG0. 900 bushels of
whsat ase irAie a.ed Icy the closed hand.
When q hrsxsr wishes to purchase
ssork o. wheat h~ makes known his
want ~ pap,Aay extending his hand.
partially opsa. sn6 drawing 1t slowly
toward him. p signify that he Ii pre-
pared 10 sell he y .snes his partially
opened hand sron h:.ii.
The Sign language does not attempt
- indicate the aSn.' OF any stock. The
brokers dealing iE each rally around
dgnboard On tAs f:,:or OF the exchange
which bears ~ ~ '.ie.
Il sometimes hsyI-us that the crowd
vi be pushed or will swirl away from
Tie centre. but the frenzied shouts Of
ths brokers Away serve to Identify 1t.
1t will be seen how a broker by Joining
enc Of these AowlirY, struggling mobs
With the AID ok his signs may make
knewn the number Of shares he may
wish to buy or sell.
The price Of the stock Is also made
knovn BY signa One finger pointed
vertically and towsrd signifies that a
bid 10 offered At one-eighth Of a point.
two Singers. two-eights. or one-quarter.
and 30 on. The price OF the stocks so
up or down. moving by eighths Of a
point.
ALL DONE QUICKLY.
Al these signs are used SO quickly
and the antics OF the brokers to at
t1aet attention are so violent that an
unframed eye can scarcely recognize
them. A man may be seen. for exam
pie. TO rush sxsitedly to q group OF
wildly shouting men and. after he has
attracted attention to himself by
Shy4eks. move his cIinched fst rapidly
up and down. - though delivering q
ssFiss Of upper-eut blows to an imag-
mary foe.
Instantly q dossn men start for hina
gssticulsting Wildly. In rssDenSs b
triss TO rush ts0aYd them, meanwhile
Appearing to hee1es than On vith hil
DAssia1ly olas0 AAAl