CHINESE ON THE SOTCK EXCHANGE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 3247, 3 July 1872, Page 5

CHINESE ON THE SOTCK EXCHANGE.

The Melbourne correspondent of the liam ilton Spectator writes :— 1 had no idea until a night or two ago tha the celestial gentlemen who make their resi deuce in the delightful thoroughfare knowi as Little Botirke street, are operators, to ; considerable figure, at times, on the Stocl Exchange. Their peculiar notions of life anc its duties and obligations lead them ap paruntly at all hours of the day and nigh mto calculations of chances; but a strange to their real life might suppose that it wai chiefly confined to the buying or scllinj of lottery tickets. I liave a friend ii tho share-broking line, however, and a -I saw him making towards the un wholesome quartern of tho opism banker a few nigate ago, my irrepressible curiosit; soon made me acquainted with bis secret It was here, in theso unsavoury shops, am amongst the pigtailed race, almost hmocen of English, th&fc my friend found some of hi best customers. These, however, were j^o

recklesji bn3*ers of any chance stock that i dealer desired to put upon the market. I must have a good name and a fair prospect If a dividend were about to, become dne i' was only necessary that rtiy friaid shoolt jMjnetrato into one of these opium dens and get two or three of the raoro respect able people around him. It was astonish ing how smartly tSicy calculated, the va lue of the stock, and, if tliey saw a jjojk prospc<:t of a Hsu, how readily they nmd< up taoir minds for n venture. " Yon buy r me to-morrow nmrning—one, two, three, e>ghfc huudrcl pounds worth." The com mission fulfilled, .Jolm is invarial»ly readj with the money. Jn those purchases thej frcf|aeiatly run a joint risk of more or ie© extent, those who are known to the hrokci guaranitecing the cherjues of those of ■ theii eoantrymeii who are stj-angers to my friend. Yes, these absentees have been very fortu natc, and some of them hold scrip verj extensively. .Some of thc«Q speculatoK can barely read and write even their owr laitiga&go, without a word of English. Thcii che<|U«3B oftentimes* are rather curious affaire, and the uninitiated sometimes would care littlt for tho poss«a»io» of one of their cheques; for the apparent barbarity of the caligraphy and signature, my friend, however, inaku no complaiut. He has not yet found one ol these documents rejected by the bank oi merchant on whom it ia drawn. He hat rather a liking, indeed, for a quiet stroll into those unfashionable parts at times wher sharebrokerd are taking their ease in their inns, and he tells me that a very smiy in come can be made amongst the Ah Fooki and Ah Tooks of Little Bourke street aftei " Verandah" hours. I hope that no on* will take tho hint, and step into my friend's • Chinese preserve.