The Jewish South. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1893-1899, 1899-01-13
d sbrewo Ronmantan.

rs told to-day by Englishman who had lived IN
stern Europe for twenty years, and It was sug-
tied by the rather tine-worn remark that he must
shrewd man who could outwit Jew in a com
.efcial transaction.
The Russian Government preparing to make
new railway extension and had need of large
1ber of railroad tinbers to be delivered at Odessa.
b advertised for bids the contract for supplying
leo carloads of the timbers and it specified that
|he government would haul the material to Odessa
rom the timber country, which is far inland, pro-
Ling for that purpose trains of forty nine trucks
84h.
Some twenty speculative men in and around
.6essa put in bids On the day set for the letting of
lie contract the bids were opened. They ranged
om 90 to 1O5 kopecks all except one bid, put in by
Hoses Ravinszk for 55 kopecks timber, or if that
not the correct figure, about onehalf OF the next
owest bid The other bidders were Disguised and
The government representative was perplexed. He
said to Ravnszk, You the lowest bidder and
ou are entitled to the contract but it is to
bid So kopecks You cannot get the wood and put
Il on the cars for any such price
IF do not" said Ravnszk, :" then / will be the
|oser. l have deposited my money as guarantee
and can give you good security. AS am the low
EST bidder have right to the contract"
1t was awarded to him The other bidders scoffed
sf him and told him he fool but he made
HAT his business his
He sent his son-in-law up into the timber country,
and in the of few weeks he notified the rail
way officials that the 400 carloads of material were
ready for shipment. The government dispatched the
ten trains of forty mine cars each, and the tnbers
were brought to Odessa, where the government in
sptctor went to look at them.
He found some of them short and of them
long None of them had the stipulated width, and
nstt ad of being trimmed thevwere practically
in the rough The Inspector refused to accept of
them
In vain the contractor begged and pleaded. He
was a ruined man. 1t would bankrupt him to go
and get another 400 carloads.
"You have taken the contract, and YOU must
carry out the terms of the agreement" the gov
ernments reply.
"Then will send my to the timber country"
Said Ravnszk. He is careful young man, and will
Nee to it that the tibers of the right length and
the right width and trimmed neatly
So the went up into the country and shipped
down in good time 400 carloads of the scrubbiest
logs he could find, all short. The ten tranloads
were condemned instanter by the Inspector and
dumped out at Odessa
Then was the contractor broken hearted He
wanted to be released from the contract He offered
I to compromise, the government to keep the money
which he had put up forfeit His appeals were
unheeded. He must either deliver 400 carloads of
tmbers of the kind described in the contract else
his sureties would be brought into court.
81 will lose all my money, but will do as prom
ised " said the Jew. This time will go myself and
measure every timber The government shall be
satisfied"
He kept his word Carefully directing all the
work, he had 400 carloads of timber sawed and
trimmed and shipped to Odessa, where the inspector
promptly inspected the lot In due time the Jew re-
ceved the contract money. but of course it did not
Il represent his outlay.
III He lost money the contract. On the contract,
II yes But how about the $50 carloads of excellent