The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1908-03-27

|fice of Tracy & Middleton, bankers
nd brokers. His name was Willis N.
Hayward. and he was a proud boy In
eed when he was selected out Of
wenty applicants to be telephone clerk
Tor the Arm.
From 10 n. m. until 8 p. m. he stood
~ Tracy & Middieton's private teie-
phone on the noor OF the stock ex-
khange - the board room - receiving
essages from the Office. chiefly orders
Sbuy or sell stocks for customers, and
Transmitting the same messages to the
board member OF the firm. Mr.. Mid
ileton: also telephoning Mr. Middle
hons reports to the Office. He spoke
with soft, refined voice. md his blue
Eyes bcamed SO ingenuo0sly upon the
pther telephone boys In the same row
pf booths that they said they had a
Sally In their alley. and they immedi.
ately nicknamcd him Sally.
Il was all very wonderful 10 young
Hayward. who had been out Of board.
&ing school but few months-the ex.
ciied rushing hlther and thither OF wor.
kied looking men. the frantic waving
of hands. the maniacal yeillng OF the
brokers executing their orders about
the various posts and their sudden
relapse into semi-sanity rs they jotted
down the price a. which they had sold
or bought stocks. II was not surpris.
Ing that he should fan 10 understand
lust how they did business. But what
most Impressed him was the fact.
vouched for By his colleagues. that
these same ciamoring. gesticuiating
brokers were actuaIfy supposed 20
make a great deal o. money. He
heard OF Sam Shapes 100000 win.
nings In Suburban Trolley and Of Tar.
son Blacks famous million dollar coup
In Western Dclawnre-the little gray
man even being pointed out to him 10
corroboratiOn- But then he had also
heard OF ''Aladdln and the Wonderful
Lamp and Jack the Giant Killer"
He learned Che business. as nearly
an boys must dc In Wall street. By
absorption. III he asked questions hs
received replies. but no one volunteer.
ed any Information for his guidance.
and In SELF defense be was forced to
observe closely 70 sec how Others did
and 70 remark what came Of IL Hs
heard nothing but speculate. speculate.
In one guise Or another. many words
for the same meaning. 10 was all bny.
Ing or selling OF stocks-s concentrate
Cd and almost visible hope OF making
much money In the twinkllng Of an
eye. Nobody talked Of anything elss
on the exchange. Bosom friends met
81 the opening % business and did no.
say Good morning" but plunged with.
cut preamble into the only subject on
earth-speculatlon. And n one OF then
arrived late he Inevitably inquIref
forthwith. flows the market Y'-asked
II cageriy. anxiousiy. as " fearful tina
the market had taken advantage OF his
absence 70 misconduct Itself. The air
was almost unbreathable for the In.
Vulnerable tips 70 buy or sell sccur..
ties and insecuritles Of all kinds. The
broicrs the customers. the clerks. the
exchange doorkecpers. all Wall street
read the morning papers not to ascer.
tain The nrws. but TO pick such items
NJ would. should or might have some
eject on stock values. There was no
col but the ticker, and the brokers
were It's prophets.
All about Sally were hundreds OF
men on whose faces he scarcely ever
saw a smile between the hours OF 10
and 3: mon who looked rs II they
took their thoughts homo with them
and dined with them and slept with
them nGi dreamed OF thcm-the loot
had become settled, irnmutablc. AMI
Il was rat 4 pleasant look. abo1t re
eyes md iips. lie saw everywhere tae
fever'shrcss ~ '';,ir game" Insens!,
big the atmosphere OF me place affect
cd him. co,3-ei liia thoughts. Induced
certain hncics. IS he became E,s'c
familiar witt i.ic technique u the hugi
ness DO lew - believe. iks thousand
OF gJ.iasal o. g-rrracial observer
that ssDss fnar.ct movements wee
compaFabia onig - tIe CREATIONS Of
the Il;t!c iToFy bsil about the roulette
wheel.
tt ilnumcvarle tfiCl.s Of tic trasC
che gea ~ Intif, %, Information. IL
rationale OF stuel. market manipula
ton, zee q rcsiei book 90 hlgi. Tie
heard UtiS that h.s cightrcn-ycar.o.s
neigibor made SEQ buying twenty
shares Of Tive Dclt line on THURSDAY
and selling them on Saturday 81
points higher or That sIIcky WEIGH.
Stuart & Stcrn's telephone boy. had o
'tip" from one OF llIe big room traders
which he brayely ''playcd"--as sou
play n horre or "play'' the red of
Che b!atk--and cleared s125 In lesF
than week or that Watson. q 'twc
dbllar" broker, made a nice turn"
selling Southern Shore. or eise be
heard, punctuatei with poignant
oat!ls. how Charlie Miller. one or the
New street doorkecpcrs. lost 500 buy.
Ing Pennsylvania Central after he acct.
dentally overheard Archie Chase. who
was Sam Sharpe's principal broker.
tell friend that the "old man. said
PA. Cent" was due for 4 ten point
rise. instead OF which there had been
a seven point decline. Always the boy
henrd about the apparently lrrcsponpl.
bic 'bnlges" and drops" or the win
ninEB Of the men Who happened TO