The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-17
Queer Motions of Hand
and Fingers Used by
Chicago Grain Pit
Traders Between the
Hours of $50 A. M.
and l P. M. Each Day

NE of the aueerest sign lam
1 guages employed anywhere in
the world Is to he found In Chi
cago. 1t is different from other
s.u languages in that 1t is called into
..,. only bctween the hours of $3.50
4 NJ and T.. NJ. each week day. Ex-
cont in that period its users depend
moon ordinary methods Of speech for
,ummunication.
Hut perhaps the most remarkable
feature of this sign language lies In
On, fact that its characters, while only
nine in number, are Of such far reach
Ing Importance that thousands of dol
lars Is involved practically every time
one If them Is made.
This system of communication Is the
means by which brokers on the CHI
ra.p Board of Trade conduct their
business of buying and selling on the
open market. 1t is peculiar to this in
s,rution. being unlike the method used
ON IN, floor of any other exchange in
tho world.
To the casual visitor watching the
crowds congregated about the different
pits during a furry in prices the signs
used bv the traders have no meaning,
hut with the experienced trader simple
movement of the hand attracts atten-
tom and at the same time conveys all
the information necessary to consum-
mat. a deal.
This sign language has developed
with the growth Of the board and its
use has long been IA necessity. The tur-
mun and hurry burly resulting from a
thousand traders seeking tn attract at
t,nt.un at once, added to the clicking of
hundreds of high keyed telegraph In
struiucnts and the noise of small army
Of messenger and errand boys scurr.
ing about. makes artiCulate speech
practically impossible. Then, too, the
we is quicker than the ear. and the sig
ulIs given with the hand or by move
mcnt Of the head mean as much as n
telegram To the person addressed and
frequently permit the closing Of a
trade when, If time had been lost in an
attempt 10 reach the side Of the man
making an offer, some change nigh,
have taken place In the market and Il
opportunity would have been lost.
The sign manual of the pit trader
Is simplicity itself, and with a very
little practice any one can becom,
adept at ii. although. of course, this
does not mean that 1t will make hin
a master OF the strategy and general
ship demanded ~ a good broker. Fol
instance. wheat having sold at 90 cents
a trader catches the eye of some one
opposite in the pit who has $4,000
bushels to sell. and partly by telepathS
and partly by a motion of the clencheC
fist ne signals that he will take th'
go wheat at 80.
The seller. in reply, holds up hi:
right hand with the index finger ex
tended horizontally. indicating that III
wants u cent more than the price
quoted, or COS cents. The buyer mo-
tons acceptance and signals back ~
The seller and buyer then note on theii
cards sold 80 at u Jones" and bot
so at - Smith" respectively, the mum
Der Of bushels bought and sold always
meaning So many thousands. After
leaving the pit the two traders meet
and check the operations.
All prices are indicated by the hant
and fingers when held in a horizontal
position. The clenched fist means tn,
price in even cents. Each outstretcheC
finger. the fingers being spread apart
represents an added eighth of a cen
up TO fve-eighths; the extended hant
with all the fingers pressed together