It was against the rules of the exchange to sham a partnership in this way in order to put a man on the floor, but brokers did it.

These men who were known to be minor partners and floor assistants were derisively called "eighth chasers" and "two-dollar brokers," because they were always seeking small orders and were willing to buy or sell for anybody on their commission, accounting, of course, to their firms for their work.

Cowperwood, regardless of his intrinsic merits, was originally counted one of their number, and he was put under the direction of Mr.Arthur Rivers, the regular floor man of Tighe & Company.
Rivers was an exceedingly forceful man of thirty-five, well-dressed, well-formed, with a hard, smooth, evenly chiseled face, which was ornamented by a short, black mustache and fine, black, clearly penciled eyebrows.

His hair came to an odd point at the middle of his forehead, where he divided it, and his chin was faintly and attractively cleft.

He had a soft voice, a quiet, conservative manner, and both in and out of this brokerage and trading world was controlled by good form.