The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-07
SHARPERS OF ROTTERDAM
How the Bunko Man of the
Land of bikes and
bitches Works.
A Percentage on Cigars Instead of
the Gold Brick Is His
Craft.

Americans are apt to think that they
belong to the only enterprising nation in
the world" said New Yorker lately re-
turned from Europe, 'but had little ex-
perience in Holland recently which showed
me that business is business all the world
over. was walking through one of the
principal squares of Rotterdam smoking a
cigar when 1 was approached by we'll
dressed, middle-aged man, who had an I'M
lighted cigar in his hand. He stopped me
and, in good English, asked me for light
1 gave him light and was about passing
on, when he said:
"I see that you are smoking a Dutch
cigar. Would you mind telling me where
you bought it and what you paid for it2'
Though somewhat surprised at the request
/ told him | had bought it in large shop
on Hoog STRAIT, and that | had paid 10
cents (about 3 cents American money!
for 1t.
"'The reason I asked he said, lis that
they do not deal honestly with foreigners
here. You should have got better cigar
for that money. If you wish 1 can show
you the place where 1 get my cigars, and
where you can get twice as good cigar for
the same price as the one you are smok-
ing AS had intended to lay in supply
of cigars for few days at least, and as [
had nothing else to de, l agreed to go with
him.
HE led the way through quaint and
crooked streets and over many canals to a
tiny tobacco-shop in a narrow out-of-the-
way street. We entered the shop, and my
found friend had brief conversation
in Dutch with the woman behind the coun-
ter, which resulted in the production of a
box of cigars from shelf near by. Taking
my cigar gently out of my hand my men,
tor 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 l was smoking
this in tentative way he had another con-
versation in Dutch with the shopkeeper
and then having apparently arrived at
light in his eyes that she had agreed to let
me have the whole box of fifty for four
guilders (about 81 60) and seemed very
much panied when l told him / did not
care for so many, as 1 had to pass the Eng
fish custom-house in a day or two /
finally bought half the box and departed.
THAT afternoon was seated in the front
of the statue of Erasmus, smoking one of
my newly acquired cigars, when | was APP
preached by a respectable 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
l 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
good town of New York, and the humor of
the situation so overcame me that |
laughed then and there. To the man with
the cigar 1 explained. to his evident dis
gust, how had been already taken in, and
have got better cigar for the money
paid. During my stay in Rotterdam 1
was tackled several times by these ropers-
in, and hugely enjoyed telling them of the
manner in which l bought my cigars; but
always made point of letting them light
their cigars first. They all seemed to have
poor opinion of the cigars had bought"
New York Sun.