Do you know what a "Couple of sticks.", are in the construction industry?

Used to hang around with a friend who is dead now quite a bit who owned his own home building company and we would be out somewhere together. Race track, restaurant, carnival or anywhere when some stranger to me would walk up to him and hand him two one-hundred dollar bills and say, "Here are those two sticks I owe you." They would both nod their heads and that was the end of the conversation.

Finally one day curiosity got the best of me and I asked him whats up with this "stick", stuff?

He told me he might have thrown the other construction company owner some work or just given his company a good recommendation that helped get him some work. And the "sticks", was the way the other owner would show his appreciation for doing that.

The word "money" was never used. It was always "sticks" when stuff like this kind of thing was discussed.

Not sure if many people ever heard of this? I had never heard of this before then but it sure seemed to be a common practice over 35 years ago when I witnessed it. And it was like everyone knew how this worked without actually ever discussing it.

Anyone else ever heard of this "stick, stuff before?

Don