The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-04-13
Duteh Ciear.sharper..

Americans are apt 10 think that they
belong 10 the only enterprising nation IN
me world said a New Yorker lately re-
turned from Europe, 10 the New York Sun.
but ] had a little experience in HOLLAND
recently, which showed me that business
Is business all the world over. ] was walk
ing through one OF the principal squares
OF Rotterdam smoking a cigar, when i was
approached by a well dressed middle aged
man who had an unhghted cigar IN his
mana be stopped me. and in good Eng
lsn asked me for a light. / gave him
hght and was about passing on when he
sald. see that you are smoking Dutch
clsar- would you mind telling me where
you bought il, and what you paid for it?'
IhOush somewhat surprised at the re-
quest, l told him had bought il in a large
shop IN Hoog STRAIT. and that / had paid
10 cents about three cents American
money! for it, The reason 1 asked lac
said, is that they do not deal honestly
with foreigners here You should have
got a better cigar for that money. If you
wish j can show you the place where get
my cigars, and where you can get twice as
good a cigar for the same price as the one
you are smoking As / had intended to
lay in a supply of cigars for a few days
at least and as l had nothing else TO do,
i agreed to go with him.
He led the way through quaint and
crooked streets and over many canals
70 a tiny tobacco shop in narrow out
Of-the-Way street. We entered the shop
and my new-found friend had A brief con-
versatiOn in Dutch with the woman behind
the counter, which resulted in the pro-
uuNAApA OF a DOA OF cigars from a smell
near by. Taking my cigar gently out of
my hand my mentor shifted at It, and
then with a sudden gesture of disgust
threw II out of doors. He then took a CT
gar from the box and offered It TO me TO
try, saying that it would not cost me
kLthing. While I twas smoking this
IN a tentative way he had another con-
NersatiOn in Dutch with. the shoplIeeper,
ana then having apparently arrived at
some compromise, he told me with
glad light in his eyes that she had agreed
10 let me have the whole box of fifty for
4 guilders about S1.60) and seemed very
much PANIED when / told him / did not
care FOR so many, as l had to pass the
English custom house in a day or two ago.
l finally bought half the box and departed
Ihat afternoon / was standing in front
OF the statue Of Erasmus, smoking one
or my newly acquired cigars, when / was
approached by a. respectable-looking man
who had an unlighted cigar in his hand.
and who politely asked me for a light
When he got his light, he asked me where
nad bought my cigar and what / had
paid for it. 1t dawned upon me then that
In this country of the slow Dutch | had
run mp against a 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 / explained 10 his
evident disgust, how I had been already
taken in, and he went away after remark
ing that ] should have got a better cigar
for the money ! paid. During my stay in
Rotterdam | was tackled several times by
these ropers-in and hugely enjoyed tell
ing them of the manner in which | bought
my cigars; but | always made point of
letting them light their cigars first. They
all seemed to have a poor opinion of the
cigars l had bought"