The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-03-22
QUEER CHINESE CUSTOMS.

The Odd Bargains Made for Transportation
and for Hotel Accommodation.
Youths Companion.
The price of Chinese carts in Pekin is very
generally fixed at 10 cents an hour. Yet one
can never be engaged, if the price is discussed
in advance, without at least half an hours argu-
ment
If one is taken without previous agreement
as to price, and at the conclusion OF the serv-
ice the proper fare be offered the driver. he
will invariably demand more If this 10 re-
fused the driver will generally go quietly
away. But if through ignorance or mistaken
generosity a larger sum be offered, the driver
ground demands three times much, and
threat to appeal to the police hours ar
gument Is necessary before quiet is restored.
A wealthy American gentleman being in Pc
kin in his journey around the world, complained
TO me of the high prices charged by the Chinese
inn-keepers for rooms. He had. so he said of
fered So in payment for small room without
bedding or furniture in a wretched inn. The
landlord demanded So for single night. A
long wranee resulted, and finally the gentle
man offered 3d. which the landlord. after more
words, had consented to accept.
The customary price for such room. food not
included, is 20 cents. and if the gentleman had
offered this sum it would have been accepted
without much discussion
The lack of laws their enforcement. for
standard weights and measures, goes far to
facilitate tricks of trade in China. Cloths of
all sorts, whether Of silk, linen, wool or cotton,
sold by the foot But the merchant invari-
able uses one foot when he buys shorter
one Wnen ne Sells. Inc Ioot Tor cotton goods Is
longer than that for wooden, which in turn s
longer than that used for silk.
Steelyards regularly made and sold in
the markets having two sets of pounds meas
ured them, for buying and for
selling / have seen respectable Chinese
gentleman and fisherman quarreiing over
the price. or rather the weight, of a live carp,
each having his steelyards, which made
difference of pound and aquaFter IN the weight
of the fish. which ut the utmost could not have
weighed over four pounds. unless. indeed, as Is
sometimes the case. the honest fisherman had
forced pound or two of coarse gravel into ite
stomach.
In buying various gradss of cotton wool one
gets varying number of ounces to the pound
For the coarse grades one gets sixteen. q full
pound; for medium qualities but twslve, while
for the very finest twenty-five ounces are called
pound.
OF course, such variations. regularly estab-
lished by custom, practically counterbalance
themselves, the price varying in accordance
impossible to find either sense in such
practice. If explanation - asked OF the
most Intelligent Chinese he has none TO give be-
yond the remark that il is an old custom.
have often been trapped into the purchase OF
articles which did not want in the following
called, old porcelain. cash, bronzes. etc. would
come IN and offer some object for sale, making
q little speech about it's rarity beautiful form
and color. and close by saying that the price was
only s.. Not wishing the article at any price,
would say: ''Tll give You 10 cents
"Oh. lnox at il; see how fine IL is.A says the
merchant.
Cant, I'm busy. don't want it, say
well. says the dealer, II want &c sell it to
you very much; give me 81 30.
mo; 60 away
s.All right, it 10 yours for 10 cents.