Year: 1873

forenoon. The regular STOCK Exchange was closed
the Gold Room, though open, was comparatively
leless, the Sub-Treasury was as grave and silent
as the interior OF Gothic cathedral when all the
worshippers are ned, the run on the Fourth Ma
tional had dwindled down to nothing. the CROWDS
OF last week were nowhere visible, the yush OF
messenger boys and brokers' clerks had sobered
down to an easy, unconcerned pace, and tho
normal state of things was almost entirely re-
produced. The Independent Order OF Brokers'
who don't care fig for the rules OF the STOCK
Exchange, and whose proud vantage ground Is the
curbstone, with the azure dome OF heaven Tor
roof, mOn0pOlized the breadth OF Broad street. In
this dense crowd, just about two or three were
doing any actual buying. Plenty OF men were
there with stocks to sell and plenty more without
stocks or stamps in. the world, but there just to
listen and look on in the absence, pernaps OF any
other more profitable or industrious occupation
Some sly fellows members OF the Stock Exchange
poked in and out occasionally and decoyed verdant
operators to their offices, with an n.hand
nung a. over the neaa OF tse
Lake Shore, Panama, Quicksilver. and other
stocks. Il was q very amusing study to see these
people, with the penalty Of expulsion hanging
threateningly over them and with the
in their minds that they were closely watched
dodge about among the countrymen who were
only too anxious to jump in and make purchase
OF the tumbled stocks in hopes OF winning ior-
tune. COuntrymen were shot at BY these sly boys
and they followed the bait to the brokers' office,
where they paid their several per cent more
than the market price for one stock or the other,
and lOrked over the cash In Iull payment for the
paper. Sales oil course were on small scale but
in tight money market any little drIbbe OF green
backs Is welcome. On the outskirts OF the open
air Exchange old habatueS OF the street cOntented
themselves by looking on and interchanging such
views on the Crisis as by this time nave been worn
threadbare. Young boys kept pushing In and out
calling aloud for this broker and that with an
a1eCtatlOn OF feVerlSh earneStneSS.


The offce OF this independent exchange a. No.
AZ Broad street, was but q lame imitation OF the
regular concern. The admission lee Oh $40 was re-
duced to $5, and 1t Is seriously contemplated to
make O further reduction to 81 so on account OF
the stringency OF the money market and the reluc-
to an exchange that has no power to enforce con.
tracts. at Is an Ill wind tnat blows nobody good"
and II some persons are not enriched by the late


visitation OF panic and misery 1t will be very III
wind indeed that has swept through wall street
and the nelghborhOOd.


In the afternoon, however, the scene changed.


The crowd increased from one thousand TO ten,


and Broad street became impossible. Several gem


tlemen OF the put their heads together about


this time and, as they had no stock operations TO


disturb their peace, they resolved to devote lew
spare moments to the interests OF the municipality


and the amusement OF themselves. Accordingly


several wagons and heavy drays were diverted


from their course up and down broadway
and induced to make passage through r., the
crowded thoroughlars OF Broad street: These These
In all directions. They separated buyers from SELL
ers and broke up the mob into little fragments.


Urgent messages were sent to the New street
police station to forward force OF officers to keep
the throng from reunting The police split the
mob into still smaller pieces, and to prevent the
possibility of their coming together again line or
cabs, by police order, was drawn up, extending
This was the coup de grace which knocked the In
dependent exchange higher tnan kite.