The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1875-05-20
The Woman That Always Gets .
Good Bargain.


She rides to town on the ragged edge
of an old quilt, and holds her basket OF
eggs elapsed to her bosom, and with her
pipe in her mouth, and her snnff-box IN
her pocket, she attacks the merchant.
First, she walks all over town, and car
rles her basket, to find the highest mar
ket. Alter she has found it. she goes
back to the first store and tells the mer-
chont how much she can sell for, and
wants him to give her little more, be.
cause she always trades there. some
times he does raise the price quarter
Of a cent, and sends her on her way re-
ioicing. Oftener he is very contented
man. Has about all the eggs he can sell;
prices are variable; and ''then comes the
tug of war; She hates to leave without
selling the eggs. So she asks him the
price Of carpet chain, and how he sells
his muslin by the bolt, and wonders how
much he would take to chain forty yards;
and suddenly asks if he can't give her
sixteen and two-thirds,. He says
"what1' For he don't know whether It's
muslin or carpet chain, she is talking
about. 81 mean for the eggs" says she
81 always sell the biggest, and eat the
little ones at home, and l think they
are worth sixteen and two
third cents. The merchant scratches his
bump Of caution, and says he will giv'
her that, hut she must not tell any one
as he can't afford to pay that price to-
eggs. (Of course she never tells.) Thel
she proceeds to 'trade it out. FRS
and always she wants a pound OF soda
r i1, %-n Inc
, is, how much would he charge for tw
needles. He don't know; never sold les
than paper only ten cents. She know
, all that, but ten cents will buy q yard c
, calico, or two spools of thread, and b
t sides. she never buys but two needles at
t time. If the girls have many, they los
: many; so she buys only two. He give
!. her two needles. then she buys two Q
e three remnants to make a dress-ren
nants always come cheaper.
e Next she buys pair of garters. Their
! is plenty of good rubber in the box, bt
4 she hunts till she finds some that hs
i been kept over and has lost its stretch
!, this she gets for five cents. She wants
: know if they have any odd cups and sal
: cersi The merchant says ne don
Il know; would have to count the whole L
), to find out. She says she wishes he woul'
IS as she wants two or three he guesses
is is his dinner time, and Gals James he
b nv to wait on her. James Henry boy
a and asks what more she will have. 81
le SAYS she don't know; maybe she h
a. traded the eggs all out. He counts 1t I
l. and saws there are fifty-six cents comil
is to her. .Well,'' (she studies awhile
ID you don't pay money Tor egg
K do you!'' James Henry So
t, ..No." Then suppose I'll have to ira
st it out, but things are SO high ! dor
IS know what to get. Have you tobacco
er "Yes'm,'' says he, .'come this way
D, Soc goes over, shifts the fragrant wee
r. and SAYS: 1--WE are poor and have
It's work hard, and have to do without
re- great ma y things, and I'll take half
VS. plug" hen she prices the gingha1
re and duckIngs and beavers; she feels
'er the silverware, and tastes the sugar .
lot SAYS, 1--WE are poor and We work b,
his and try to get along, and we must b.
1t something to keep us up, so guess
h. take little more Of that tobacco" II
his she prices looking glass, tries her !.
ut in it, and says it 1.-THE glass; IS III
,b- crooked. She calls for ribbon. and c.
,od see why . yard Of ribbon should cost
much Is ) yard Of calico, wh.n i =
to good deal narrower. Next she views
Be- dishes She wants some dishes,
lsy does. but she don't knew whether to Z
&C. two small ones or one large one, 70
we don't take any.