The San Francisco call., 1907-03-03

ana many oDliSatlOnS OF .HAOl ts@S'
banks. railway and Industrial com.
panfes. The German jo6bers are. main.
ly engaged in buying when there IS
probability OF a rise and selling In an.
ticipation Of a decline: they do not
attempt to influence the market Dy
mergers corners. securing controi
of the stock" all OF which terms ara
Americanisms seldom used on the Ger
man Bourse.
Governmental legislation there pro.
vides for honest quotations by means Of
sworn-in brokers who form body Of
quotation brokers'" whose prices ara
known to be authentic.
The curb broker IN New York and
the coulissier OF Paris who transacts
his business on the steps of the Boursa.
have their counterpart in the dool
brokers in Berlin.
A singular and pathetic feature o3
some of the exchanges, notably that OF
Paris, is the time-worn, hungry-eyed
women who haunt the curb, ready Ia
engage in stock guessing with any one
who will listen. Most of them carry
their worthless papers in shabby reti.
eules or tucked inside the boSoms Of
their dresses.
The life of the speculator on any ot
the exchanges is strenuous one, IN
consequence OF which anything and
everything is used as a pretext for
mental relaxation. which is usually o1
humorous nature
Not the least interesting Is the form
of this hurnor When the writer visited
the Berlin Bourse the following story
was told her by a prominent mambe1
of the exchange. A friend from out
OF town came to visit the Bourse on q.
cold winter day. He wore a heavy
overcoat into which he had been as
sisted by the exchange member who
had previously tabulated in crayon on
the back of the coat the names, ages
and other information concerning tbs
mans family. No sooner had he
stepped on the floor of the Bourse when
man after man called him by name,
shook his hand. asked after his frau,
and Hans and Gretel. and much else, to
the utter bewilderment of the stranger,
who found himself so we'll known to
the fnanciers of Berlin.
The Paris Bourse
In Paris many funny things occur
because women are prohibited visitors
TO the Bourse. One day an unaccom-
panied English woman clad in the reg
ulation tourist garb walked quite de-
terminedly into the vast portico where
the couliSse operate. Instantaneous1y
all business stopped as the brokers
srapturously kissed the backs OF their
hands to the lady. who fed in dismay.
Ignorant of this ungallant exclusion
known American sculptor, got as far
as the door of the Bourse, when very
polite young Frenchman with an ex-
aggerated bow said. Pardon me, not
a step farther" When asked why he
replied, With madam inside prices will
so up so high that we on the outside
will be ruined"
One Of the best stories of Wall street
is related by Edmund Clarence Sted-
man. One day a number of Indians
found their way to the gallery 'front.'
viewing the floor with incomparable
stolidity- As soon as this was noticed
all business stopped for the pleasure.
or making those Indians smile.
a wild war whoop went up from the
crowd which from the expression OF
their eyes the Indians gave evidence
or understanding. but not muscle OF
their faces moved. Next a war dance
was improvised in which every man
on the floor circled, bended, nodded and
hummed. 1ourishing their pads and entry .
books this also was without effect
Finally a baldheaded member was
dragged into the ring and his hands tied
behind him, while another man brah-
dished knife about his shining pate
in futile effort to scalp him This
worked. The sQuaws broke into a loud
laugh, the young buck grinned in spfte
OF himself and then the old chief
opened his mouth and showed his.
tOOtntcSS gums IN appreciation.
Here in San Francisco our mining
exchange is experiencing a boom unlike
anything since the early days OF gold. /"
While the amount or money involved
may not be as large as that which
marked the big Comstock deals tina
volume of business. I have been in
formed, Is really greater. According to
conservative estimate the transae-
tions for some days have amounted 20
x2,0OO,o0O So intense is the mining
fever that the sessions are now con-
tinuous from $3.50 a. m. to D. m.
In the last few months the member
ship has been Increased by ten new
brokers'. who paid an average Of $4,000
for their seats
In addition to this we have our
stock and Bond Exchange. which. 5udr-
ing oy very potent signs, is destined
20 become leader in the great world
markets. One need not dip very Far
into the future to see San Francisco,s
wall street playing strong part In tho
nnancial destinies of the world.