The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1894-04-21
CIVIL, BUT TRICKSTERS,
Partisan Shopkeepers and the Deceptionl
They Practice Upon FOREIGNERS,

After looking at the windows some
thing within proving captivating you
decide on going in and purchasing,
says a writer in the New York
lines On the door is usually
painted "English spoken" but ir
you go, determined on sinking your
nationality in bad French, so as not
to have prices raised, but, by heav-
ems, your lingo betrays you. You
are answered in English. and the
prices in French money, that by long
division you can turn into dollars
and cents, are transferred into Eng
lish shillings and pence and
tarthings; your nationality has
been wrongly fixed. Bewil-
dered and helpless you have
to explain that you are an
American, and beg to be told the
price in French money. When this
IS done, however, you are so un-
settled that you can neither multiply
nor divide. Possibly the price is
given in confines, and you exchange
them into cents and then wonder il
the tales of French cheapness are
not imaginary. A cotelette de
volatile truffee, for instance, you are
told is so confines. Fifty cents
for outlet! Only enough for one
person! That is eating money for a
truth; we cannot afford that, can
we?" you ask, turning to your com.
patriot on French SOIL You give
the cotelette a second look, and it
is so good. "How much did YOU
say?" to the shop girl.
FIFTY confines, 10 SOUS"
Ten sous! Why, a. sou is only
cent; why that is only ten cents!
What a stupid I am! Of course we
can afford that. We couldn't buy
anything like it at home as cheap"
Because it is cheap you take six
when you only need two; it seems
like saving money to buy more than
is necessary because of the chance.
Prix fxe-fxed price-is promi-
nent in every shop, but the buyer is
to look upon the sign as all ornament
and not as rule to be adhered to-
1t is the custom Of the country to
'merchander"-in English to bar
gain, or in other words to beat down
prices. If you do not it takes the
sellers breath away. About some
articles you have no hesitation, but
about others, a Christ or Virgin,
for instance, even in plaster, it goes
against the grain to cheaper. Be-
cause of this bargaining shopping
takes time, and the way to do 1t is to
start early with superabundance
of patience and "cheek." Ask
French person about a shop and ten
20 one the answer will be: ''Oui, je
lie COMMAS bien, il est, coleur.'
Eyes, know him well; he is a thief"
This term might be a compliment
the way it is INDUCED in unblush-
ingly and no offense taken. One
| shopkeeper does not hesitate to call
| his neighbor robber and trickster.
All this gratis information is not
| pleasant to the purchaser. do not
| think the most liberal minded likes
| to feel he has been cheated; it is
such reflection on his common
sense. But there is one thing that
can be said for shopkeepers, if they
| do still steal your cash, they are so
| civil about it, so very civil, that you
| buy when you do not want thing,
and very often the thing you do not
| want
The Bankers Son.
| When Mr.. Goschen was chancellor
of the exchequer and all alive with
his scheme for the Introduction OF
one pound notes, he met Mr.. ''Hughie"
| Drummond at dinner one evening.
"Hughie". was introduced as, bank
| er's son and a. member of the stock
exchange, and Mr.. Goschen at once
began to question him as to what
that institution thought of his idea
of the paper money. "Oh, we don't
think much of it," replied Mr..
"Hughie." "Indeed, and why not,
prayP" asked Mr.. Goschen, somewhat
taken aback. well, you see, you
can toss with a sovereign, but
flimsy is no good to anyhody."-
Argonaut. " - Il