Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-17
AN HOUR In MARKET.
People Who Pay Good Prices for What
They Think Good PrOvender.
OTHERS WHO TRY TO BUY CHEAPLY
The Chinese Inveterate Cheapeners, but
They Always Want the Best.
A LIBERAL BOARDING HOUSEKEEPER

| An hour spent in the Diamond market
during the busy time in the morning on
Saturday, will be found pregnant with more
opportunity for studying the characteristics
of the Heterogeneous population OF Pitts
burg than q month spent in any other way.
| There is certain class OF wealthy people
that wants the best in the market but are
not connoisseurs and will buy poor steak if
the butcher charge 80 cents pound for it,
but were he to abate his price 30 per cent,
this class of custom would not be attracted.
These Diamond market dealers are OBJ
servant, and soon size-up q patron. This
particular wealthy class is not very large
one. The majority of wealthy people are
careful buyers, and the women of this class
enjoy food shopping with as as must zest as
their poorer sisters.
There are the wives of some mechanics
who make large wages-persOns whose in
come in prosperous times is greater than
that of many who are moderately rich.
| These believe in "a feast of fat things, Of
wine on the lees" when at work, and they
spurn everything but the best, but as their
income ceases with their exertions when a
strike takes place, their wives drop roast
and steak and buy liver, soup bones and
rough boiling beef. At present they buy
the best and in consequence boiling beef Is
| a troublesome commodity in butchers
hands and they defend the war prices on
good meat on the ground that they cannot
sell the cheaper parts for enough to come
out whole unless they get big price for the
best.
|. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PURCHASERS.
A reporter was standing at vegetable
stand yesterday morning. watching the
throng of surging women, from kitchen
maid to mistress, making Sunday pur-
cha ses. A lady of means, widow, whose
nervous energy will not allow her faculties
to rust in inaction, and who, in conse-
quence, runs an elegant boarding house,
came up and asked the price of basket Of
corn She was told it was a dollar. She
told the dealer to set it aside for her. She
then bought cucumbers, onions, squashes,
tomatoes, potatoes, beans, etc., until she
had accumulated half wagon load and
handed the dealer S20-bill. She didn't
| get much change back, and pocketing it,
told the dealer to send the stuff to her num-
Der and have the expressman stop at
butcher stall and take along some meat she
had purchased. This woman had scarce
departed when another equally well-dressed
came along and asked the price OF
basket of corn. She was told that it was
81 %. She began higgllng, opened the
husk on a number of ears and turned the
stuff topsy-turvy and ended by offering
| dollar. The proprietor of the stand re-
peated his price, 81 25, and as the woman
kept up her remonstrance, he turned his
back on her and attended to other custom
ers. She was persistent, however, and after
two or three other people had been supplied
she repeated the attack and finally ended by
taking the corn at an advance of 25 per cent
on what the first woman had paid. She
made considerable purchases of other things
also, and it was noticed that In most in
stances after considerable chaffering, she
paid an advance on most articles over what
the first woman noted had paid. After the
woman had gone the reporter inquired of
the dealer why he charged her more than he
did his first customer and he replied: 20, I
knew bv her makeup that I would
be obliged to waste lot of time on her and
she might at least go away without buying,
so made her pay for my time she wasted.
You perhaps noticed two ladies stop with in-
tent to purchase, and her wrangling made
them leave without investing. Some of these
cheapeners think they save money by hag-
Cling, but they do not"
A well-dressed woman next stepped up
and asked the price of some squashes. She
was told that they ranged from 10 to 25
cents. She clawed over the whole pile, oc-
casionally selecting one and making the
dealer an offer. She finally took one at the
price demanded and left. If her time were
worth anything she wasted more of it than
the purchase was worth. The dealer ex-
planned that she amused her leisure hours
thus, as many ladies do who spend half a
day shopping and end by buying spool of
thread or piece of ribbon.
1NvETERATE cHEAPENERs.