Popular Science Monthly 



81 



The Finger Talk of Chicago's 

 Wheat-Pit 



THE Chicagu LJoard of Trade is by 

 far the most important grain ex- 

 change, not only of this country, imt of 

 the world, and few peoi)le are familiar 

 with its method of operation. 



People who visit the Board of Trade 

 are perhaps most impressed by the sign 

 language used in buying and selling 



information necessary to consummate a 

 deal, involving perhaps thousands of dol- 

 lars, is conveyed by a few motions of 

 the hand. 



Each finger extended represents one- 

 eighth of a cent. Thus when all four 

 fingers and the thumb are extended, all 

 being spread out from one another, it 

 means five-eighths. When the four fin- 

 gers and thumb are extended, but are 



Where voices are smothered in the din, and where seconds may mean fortunes made or 

 lost, traders resort to an effective sign language to buy and sell grain 



grain for future delivery. Unlike any- 

 thing else seen in any other line of busi- 

 ness this wonderful system, while simple 

 in its execution, nevertheless puzzles the 

 uninitiated. It is a system that has 

 grown up with the Board, and traders 

 would be hel])less without it. In that 

 awful din where hundreds of men and 

 boys are rushing about and shouting and 

 countless telegraph instruments are click- 

 ing, individual voices are smothered and 

 the trader must talk w^ith his hands. 



He has no time to waste — a lost sec- 

 ond may mean hundreds of dollars to 

 him. By a simple movement of his 

 fingers the trader makes it known wheth- 

 er he would buy or sell, what price 

 he is willing to pay or take and what 

 quantity he wishes to trade in. All the 



pressed close together, it represents three- 

 c|uarters. The clenched hand with the 

 thumb alone extended is seven-eighths, 

 while for an even cent the closed fist 

 is used. The thumb jirotruding l)etween 

 the index and big finger is tlie signal 

 for a split quotation. Nothing less than 

 10,000 bushels can be traded in on a split 

 quotation, which if 90% — %, means that 

 half is taken at 90% cents and half at 

 90'*4 cents. These characters refer to 

 the price, and the hands and fingers are 

 held in a horizontal position. When 

 displayed vertically the quantity is indi- 

 cated, each extended finger representing 

 5.000 bushels. When the desire is to sell, 

 the palm of the hand is held outward, 

 and when the trader wishes to buy he 

 signals with the palm facing him. 



