Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-06-19
BROKER AND cHINAMAN.


Francisco-A Sbrewd Trick.
The Chinese have a well established
reputation in California for shrewdness.
To observe the Monaghan in the act Of
counting a goodly pile of American
shekels after a hard driven bargain is to
see the pig tailed stranger in his mos in
spired moments OF commercial keenness.
Any day on Montgomery street in
brokers offices, or where gold dust is
bought, can see the fine financial
acuteness OF the Asiatic colonist displayed
TO advantage. An agreement on the
price of the gold dust OF the rate Of ex-
change is not easily reached. The Mon
golian is cautious TO a degree, and it is
when he thinks that he has secured all
that is coming TO him that he closes ne
gotiations. Then commences the i'm
portant task OF examining the lucre.
A white trader generally takes up his
handfuls Of twenty dollar pieces or silver
dollars and carelessly losses them into his
pockets or a convenient sachcl with the
most cursory examination. Not so the
suspicious colonist from Catha Every
piece is closely scrutinized a. passed
from n hand to another. The edges are
scanned and the color Of the gold noted,
until the whole pile has been observed
closely. This is only the preliminary in
specliun. The gold is fair to the eye, but
the doubts of n well conceived scheme to
defraud him have not yet been quoted in
the Asiatic traders breast. His ear has
TO be satisfied, and he begins TO jingle the
pieces one after the other on the counter
till every coin has announced its true
character. TIE result in II probability
is that some pieces have be- found that
shows signs Of wear or fail TO ring with
the clear metallic sound so characteristic
Of the Incompatible twenty dollar pieces
fresh from the mint. 4 wrangle with
the broker ensues, and the less perfect
coins have TO he exchanged for more
faultless ones. These substitutes have
also TO be counted and jingled, and when
the cautious Monaghan carries his shadow
outside the threshold of the brokers' shop
he is morally certain that he has avoided
deception by the exercise of what he re-
CARDS as ordinary business sagacity.
The broker on his side, if in the habit
Of dealing much with Chinese. is unusu-
ally cautious and alert. If the money be
passing from the ChinanIan TO him, the
broker goes through the same formula.
He takes no coins on trust as il were, but
scores them all, for experience has shown
him that the proverb Of all being fair liz
love and war has been extended by the
disciples Of Confucius TO money matters.
The scrutiny which the careful broker
bestows on the coin is only excelled by
the attention he gives his Monaghan Gus
TONERS, whose lightness of finger he has
learned to regard with apprehension.
Shoplifting is a fine art in Chinatown,
and sleigfit Of hand performers are album
dant. Almost anything, from a diamond
rlng 10 an anchor, that they lay their
hands on, disappears with magic promp-
titude. 1t is a fine study TO watch q
cautious liebraic broker, who has been
bitten a few times, as he doles out the
shekel5 tOa suspicious looking Monaghan
finnncier. Every movement of the Celes.
tails long and deft fingers is watched,
and a restraining hand put upon his
claws every time they wander too close
to his ample blouse with a load Of half
dollars. II is only when the final stage
Of the barter has been reached, and the
"wherewirh' has been showed across the
counter and all is safe, that the brokers'
c"OuntenQDcg assumes its normal quietude.
IL is considered so much the correct
thing in China 10 overreach another in q
monetary transaction that no sensible
man will accept money by lamplight, and
will only take his coin in the broad day.
light after an exhaustive inspection by
eye, ear and teeth. The best Chinese
~nnanciers rely ON their teeth 20 deter
mine the ge~nuinpncss of a gold or silver
piece Of money. After banging a sus.
pected coin on the counter or the side
| walk, If he he unable 10 decide whether
II is good or bad, the Chinese Gnancier
| places the metal between his teeth and
leaves the verdict 10 molars and palate.
Brokers who do an extensive business
with Chinese tell some curious stories Of
the cunning Of their Asiatic customers.
A down town broker exchanged some
money for two Chinese n day not long
since and in the transaction saw that he
had lost two ten dollar pieces. The Mon.
golians protested violently that they had
not taken the money, and when searched
readily turned their pockets inside out.
Their hats, shoes, and every corner OF
their several coats were examined, but
the money could not be found and the
broker finally let them go, though NOR.
ally certain they had robbed him. Dur.
ing the afternoon he was bordering ovel
the affair when an American friend whc
had had considerable experience with the
Chinese in Shanghai dropped in. The
broker described his loss and recounted
how he had cunuingly examined the
shoes and hats of the suspected Mongoli
ans. The friend from Shanghai laughed
"The chances are" said he, "th'
money Is stuck under your counter
That's an old trick In China"
On looking under the oyerhangini
edge OF the heavy counter the missing
coins were found stuck 10 the wood viii
some strong Monaghan glue. One o
the rnscals had rubbed on the soft gluI
while parleying with the broker, and tn
other fellow, selling n favorable oEpor
tunity, had stuck tho money under th'
ledge knowing that the instant il wa