=12.= The commodities that are handled upon the board and by brokers in general—food stuffs—are wheat, corn, oats, pork, lard, and short ribs. The various listed stocks are also bought and sold, a considerable business is done in bonds, and in some exchanges mining properties are listed, bought, and sold; although the latter is not common in the larger and more important exchanges. Cotton is a very important factor in some exchanges, and tobacco in others.
=13.= To _corner the market_ is to offer to buy and be prepared to carry out your offer, for an amount more than is offered for sale, thus causing the price to advance. Sometimes this is done by large operators to their advantage and sometimes, in spite of their large purchases, which encourage a rising market, the prices fall before their deals are consummated, and they are left high and dry with a considerable loss instead of a large profit. The _bull_ who tries to run a corner has a strong foretaste of what it means to advance sensationally, a staple article of consumption. Stocks and bonds may be hoisted ever so high; real estate may be boomed to far beyond its intrinsic or even potential worth—the public has no objection; the process is, in fact, rather pleasing to it. A lift in cereals or cotton above the normal lines encounters many protests and the higher the lift, the more savage the protest. This of course does not include the farmer or planter, unless he has disposed of his output; then he willingly enough joins the chorus of protestation.
=14.= The telegraph is a very important factor to the grain and stock broker, as a large majority of their business is done by wire. Many of their clients are distributed through the country and keep close watch of the fluctuations of the market, sending their orders by wire, at what they consider an opportune time.
Most brokerage firms have a number of customers outside of the city, and these customers as well as those in the city who are large buyers, keep a considerable deposit on hand with the broker at all times. This deposit is frequently augmented by advantageous sales or decreased by losses, commissions, and interest charges. Reports of the condition of customers' accounts are made with frequency and any customer who finds that he has more money in the hands of the broker than is considered necessary, can secure part of the same by asking, or if he desires to close all transactions, the total amount due him is paid over at once. All amounts thus deposited are credited to customers' accounts and properly taken care of through the bookkeeping department.