Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-07-30
PARTISAN
How Rich Americans are Duped by
b Polite Ext0rtf0nists OF the
French Capital.


How Rich Americans M Dipped by
fhe Polite Ext0rtf0nfsts Of the
FFeneh Capital.
J. w. Foruey in the Philadelphia Press
PARIS, July s.-A Paris shopkeeper is
a product of generations. As Tepsv
says Of herself in Uncle Toms Cabin,
the Paris shopkeeper is not born, he
"growed;" and ne is the same. whether a
ta~vernkeeper or a shopkeeper. The hrst
thing be doesis to convince you that you
are The best fellow alive, that be knows
exactly what you need in the way OF
dress, or that he can let you have the
best Irving at the lowest pi.ce. his
strongest argument is, after all, Pens.
His orator, indorser, champion, is Paris.
OF course the first m is sure be
caught; but it is eventually the Inc
with the old customers. The toreig0 prln-
ces and the American m%illienalres are
his dead sure game. They re beth shod-
DIV. If may use that word to indlca-s
people who spend money that they have
never earned, or who, having IN | 1t
themselves do not know how to spend It.
Between the Two l think | prefer the fool
that knows how to spend what he has
never earned. Aud the Paris shoI
keeper is a sort Of manifold parsonage
He assumes many characters. But l
think the picture dealer is the most dan
gerous. The first thing for q sudden
rich man is to find how 10 LAY out his
a He runs quickly into paintil IS.
That is the thing that stays; but God
help him if he sets up for a c~onnolsssur.
There is nothing can a v him. Tor he Is
sure 10 find no market for his expensive
stock, aud as he is not one of the old
families, he caunot hold his old masters
beyond bis own life. Such a character
is a fortune to q picture faRcier.
sometimes 90 into a Paris shop with
a keen American, who knows values
aud has paid for his experience. met
with such a one the other day. u will
buy a watch from this man. he said,
"for one.fourth he asks at first, and that
will be Just its value; but it will take a
little time" And be did so. But it was
easy to see that the average buyer would
have paid al least three times as much,
simply because he had not had the same
experience.
Who buys the expensive iewelry in the
gold department of the Paris section at
the Exhibition, or who buys the jewely
in the cosy little a%lcoves in the Palais
ROYAL? Beautiful as these collections
arc. you seldom see anybody purchas-
ing. There are plenty of spectators, but
few patrons. / have oit0n marveled at
this. And yet that much is sold is
proved by the amount that verv much is
made. Your jewele7 is mostly a pros
nervous man. In this he is like the chem.
ist or ~spothecary. The reason is in the
Immense profits they both secure. You
never, or rarely, helr of q bankrupt
drug or medicine merchant. AS for the
diamond dealer, generally a Hebrew
riches seem to be his inheritance. You
who look into the brilliant show windows
of the American traficker in trinkets
aud stare at the new conceits in parl0I
or diniug.room decorations, and try Il
, count over the endless novelties for per
sonal sdornments should see the neV
things displayed in the matter Of luxa
ries Of this sort, and offered for sale b.
the shop keepers of Paris. And as yol
trace these articles to the factories wher
. they are produced you soon discove
! how little is paid at FIRST hand by the fol
eign trader, and how very much his Gus
o toners are charged for the same thing
d when he gets them home. There is ia
n more skill aud time given to the object
that tickle the fancy or please the tast
Of fashion than TO the preparation
v books, whether the lives of good men c
narratives Of the progress of sciences
and for the simple reason that that whie
attracts the admiration OF the wealth
ie or grati6es the appetite Of the mass
much better paid.
Your Paris shop keeper is alwal
something Of 90 artist. The namels
le grace which you can find nowhere els
ly is native or indigenous here. Italian a
" is Of the past; German art is heaN
= English art is solid; but the Frent
. paint, print, move, write and talk With
sy iightness and skill, proved by. the ia
a that they are initiated by all others. Al
so the Paris shop keeper ia the model
J. others. He can tell whether your hat
coat is English or American; and
ne course be can divine your county
be once. There is no trouble too much
on him. He ia the most dangerous OF c,
"A hdence men, and be has only to Il
your opinions to concur with you heai
a ". Toe ease Of his manners is not ]
PEI interesting than the harmony of the {
in. ors in which be or she dress themselV
their shelves or their windows. And
crown all, they never speak too loud
nd move with vulgar haste. 1t was b
,es Brummel, / think, who said he
bought many more pairs Of gloves
Paris than be needed, simply that
ly. might watch the shop-girls tr, ing tt
on his hands.
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