The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1895-05-09
DUTCH CIGAR SHARPERS.
A Queer Sort of Roping-In That Is Prao-
ticed In Rotterdam.

ticed In Rotterdam.
Americans are apt to think that
they belong to the only enterprising
nation in the world said New York
er lately returned from Europe, but l
mad a little experience in Holland re-
Gently, which showed me that business
is business all the world over. l was
walking through one of the principal
squares of Rotterdam smoking cigar
when | was approached by a we'll
dressed. middle-aged man who had an
unlighted cigar IN his hand. He
stopped me, and in good English asked
me for light | gave him a light and
was about passing on when he said: I
see that you are smoking a Dutch ci-
gar. Would you mind telling me where
you bought 1t, and what you paid for
it" Though somewhat surprised at
the request, told him had bought it
in a large shop in Hoog STRAIT, and
that | had paid ten cents about three
cents American money for it. The
reason | asked. he said, is that they
do not deal honestly with foreigners
here. You should have got a better
cigar for that money. If you wish 1
can show you the place where l get my
cigars, and where you can get twice as
good cigar for the same price as the
one you are smoking As l had in
tended to lay in a supply of cigars for
few days at least, and as l had moth
ing else to do, agreed to go with him.
He led the way through quaint and
/ prnnlFaH anI 1S 10 n
tiny tobacco shop in a narrow out-of-
the-way street. We entered the shop,
and my new-found friend had brief
conversation in Dutch with the woman
behind the counter, which resulted in
the production of box of cigars from
shelf near by. Taking my cigar
gently out of my hand my mentor
shifted at it, and then with a sudden
gesture of disgust threw it out of
doors. He then took cigar from the
box and offered it to me to try, saying
that it would not cost me anything.
While | was smoking this in tenta-
tive way he had another conversation
in Dutch with the shopkeeper, and
then having apparently arrived at
some compromise he told me with a
glad light in his eyes that she had
fifty for four guilders about SLIGO and
seemed very much panied when l told
him | did not care for so many, as I
had to pass the English custom house
in a day or two. finally bought half
the box and departed.
That afternoon | was standing in
front of the statue of Erasmus, srnok-
ing one of my newly acquired cigars,
when l was approached by respecta-
ble-looking man who had an unlighted
cigar in his hand, and who politely
asked me for light. When he got his
light, he asked me where had bought
my cigar and what had paid for it.
1t dawned upon me then that in this
country of the slow Dutch | had run
up against form of enterprise that
would do credit to Baxter street in our
own good town of New York, and the
humor of the situation so overcame me
that l laughed then and there. To
the man with the cigar l explained, to
his evident disgust, how 1 had been
already taken in, and he went
away after remarking that l should
have got better cigar for the money
paid. During my stay in Rotterdam
was tackled several times by these
ropers-in, and hugely enjoyed telling
them of the manner in which bought
my cigars; but l always made point
of letting them light their cigars first.
They all seemed to nave poor opinion
of the cigars had bought, N. Y.
Sun.