Here's a small interesting history:
In the late 19th century, stock trading took place through an archaic system of handwritten ledger entries and paper shares that had to be physically transported between offices. This cumbersome process led to frequent errors and delays. In 1887, a group of Wall Street clerks devised a more efficient method by setting up networks of pneumatic tubes to rapidly shuttle documents between brokerage houses and the exchange floor. This "mail tube" system, patented in 1892, could propel cylindrical cartridges containing stock certificates and instructions through a maze of underground pipes at speeds of up to 35 mph - a revolutionary breakthrough for finance at the time. The pneumatic tube network grew to span 27 miles of subterranean tubing and remained an integral part of Wall Street trading until the 1960s when it was replaced by digital tickertapes and information networks.
In the late 19th century, stock trading took place through an archaic system of handwritten ledger entries and paper shares that had to be physically transported between offices. This cumbersome process led to frequent errors and delays. In 1887, a group of Wall Street clerks devised a more efficient method by setting up networks of pneumatic tubes to rapidly shuttle documents between brokerage houses and the exchange floor. This "mail tube" system, patented in 1892, could propel cylindrical cartridges containing stock certificates and instructions through a maze of underground pipes at speeds of up to 35 mph - a revolutionary breakthrough for finance at the time. The pneumatic tube network grew to span 27 miles of subterranean tubing and remained an integral part of Wall Street trading until the 1960s when it was replaced by digital tickertapes and information networks.