The herald., 1895-08-22
SCENE AT THE EARLY FORMING VEGETABLE EXCHANGE

Of Jefferson and Main streets. where ev-
cry mt rnink. from s 80 until O'Clock,
the thirty or forty representatives from
the fifteen different Chinese gardens stu
ated in the surrounding neghboIhood
meet and trade their wares among one an
other until each has an assortment that
Will please his Particular set OF customers.
These celestial bulls and bears have in
teresting methods OF transacting their
business affairs. They are all clever trad
ers. They have to be to hold up their
end when they como to deal with their
feminine patrons for 1t is a well-known
fact that a woman can capture a bigger
basket of vegetables for nickel than a
man could for three times the amount.
No wise housekeeper would allow her
husband to buy the vegetables any more
than he would permit her to buy lis
cigars.
A primitive method of barter prevails
almost exclusively at the vegetable ex-
change. For instance. Wong Lee raises
the most luscious tomatoes that are to be
had; so he brings an extra supply OF
them, and exchanges with Lucy Ling.
who has such fine turnips. THAT is the
way the thing is done--no money being
used in the transactions unless barter, as
is sometimes the case, is impossib Bile.
And they are businesslike enough not to
give credit-not even to their customers.
To The stadent of political economy the
scene presented every morning by these
busy. chattering Cinnamon is an inter-
esting one. The survival of the most
ancient forms of trading, namely barter,
is perhaps found among no other class OF
trading people who live in and have be-
come part of the western civilization.
The survival is largely accounted tor in
the fact that in 70 other line OF business.
and un'ier no other circumstances. does
the ,douDle coincidence of one person
having exactly what the other wants ex-
ist.
There is humorous side to the picture
also. When The Herald man came upon
this strange mart he was puzzled to know
what it all meant. 1nstincti.ely he ap-
preached the neal est fellow who happened
at the time to be fishing about in the
bottom OF his wagon. with his wares
piled high on either side.
what you do, John?' WAS the modest
and well intended query.
What fur--wnat's lie malta you?' came
the response from the fragrant depths of
the pile of onions and other savory edi-
bles. And that was al! he had to say.
number OF others were then ap-
preached, but it was as difticult to get nm
interview with one of them as il is usu-
ally with tie most importan. railroad
Inagnate. Soon another intruder made
his appearance, in tho shape OF police
officer. He is regular attendant at the
exchange and, according TO his story.
does more speculating Than any other
person there. When asked whether he
was bull or bear, ho replied: ~ am
neither. but am beginning to believe l
am 'burro' for 5aving accepted the po-
sition OF trying to collect the city ped
dlers license from these heathens, and
he must be correct in his opinion, for it
Is ike pulling teeth to get cent from
one OF the delinquents. They claim to
know nothing OF the requirements of the
law, and 1t is impossible to teach them
except ny driving their wagons to pol C,
their own names. The reporter had the
satisfaction OF clearing up the great mys-
terry OF Chinese relationship. however,
ana " came about tn ough the officer of
paid licenses the name of John Doe
John for short-was seen to appear al
most unanimously. and it is now made
clear why every Chinaman has so many
cousins. They all belong to the family of
Doe.