WHITE HAT DAY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 278, 23 November 1877, Page 4

WHITE HAT DAY.

Wednesday was " white bat day " on the New York Stock Exchange. Formal notice had beau given early in the week that at noon all summer "tiles" woald 09 "called in," but many of the members either forgot or disregarded the warning, and suffered io consequence. William Heath was the first victim. About 1 p.m. he entered the Exchange iu a brown study, with his thumb thrust in the arm-hole of his waistcoat. In a moment his tall white hat was whirling in the air and as it touched the floor ag;ain twenty brokers jum pad upon it. This sort of diversion was kept up all the afternoon. Whenever a person entered wearing the proscribed headgear a shout went up, and generally before the alarmed broker could run the gaqatlet, his hat was crushed out of abape. Late in tha afternoon at least one-third of the brokers doing business on the floor were bareheaded, and 'dozens of crushed white hats were whirling in the air or ornamenting the gas brackets. Straw bats were treated even in a worse manner. They were torn apart, in mauy instances, and the floor was strewu with the fragments. A favourite trick was to approach an unconscious, bareheaded broker from behind and pull u dilapidated wuite tile down over his iace and ears. His frantic efforts to dislodge it. were ' huudered by hundreds of willing hands.. Cue old fellow, whose head bad been (Ornrojented with the liuiug of a dismembered hut by another joker, started a " walk around." The other members formed a ring and applauded him vociferously, until the chairman rapped them to order. The neighbouring hatters drove a brisk trade in the evening*