The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-12-09
zUary Baroalners Of China
For Ways That Are Dark and For Tricks That Are Vain
the Heather Chinee Is Peculiar" Particularly
In His Own Country.

The Chinese are what may be termed
natural traders. An English or Amer
lean merchant studies the cost of his
merchandise, its quality, the conditions
Of the market, whether the supply is
IN excess of the demand, or the reverse,
and from this fixes his price accord
ingly. The Chinese trader studies all
these points with equal care; but he
also studies each customer individually.
He looks him over from head to foot,
makes a hasty but generally accurate
estimate as to his guillibility, his close
ness or generous hand in making a bar
gain, his knowledge or ignorance OF the
market; and only when he has COM
pleted his studies on these points does
he name his price. Thus it is that the
price of an article in China always de-
ponds more or less upon the person
who goes to make the purchase
An illustration of the fact that the
Chinese merchant studies his customers
would be given by an examination of
the prices paid by foreigners in Pekin
for such common articles as beef and
mutton. It would be found that every
foreigner pays more for a, pound Of
meat than any of his Chinese neigh
bOTs. and that no two pay exactly the
same price, or, If any two did pay the
same. that they did not get the same
hullDEL OF OuDteS " ltlt Btultt 4 AAE
solitary barber in Pekin who under
stands dressing the hair in the Euro
pean style, charges an ambassador two
shillings, and an ordinary foreigner six
pence. Water carriers grade their
monthly bills in the same way;
Battle OF Brains Over Prices.
A bargain in China, no matter how
trivial the subject may be, is really
an intellectual duel. What eloquence,
what vigor OF expression and freedom
of gesture the writer has seen eXpend-
ed over the price of two pounds of cab
bage, or a couple of cold boiled pOta-
tOest Quotations from the classics, ar
guments based on justice and reason,
and iTTeveTent illusions to the ances-
tors of the other man, all these come
in play over the payment of cents or
less Each party to the transaction is
seeking to cheat the other, and fire.
quently each is successful, the buyer
paying less than he ought, and the
reier cheating him in the weight or
measure.
Ny first experience in this sort of
eloquence was in purchasing, for $6-25,
a pair OF porcelain vases for which,
at the outset of the two hours of very
amusing struggle. the dealer demanded
SIS, which was net cost 1 have often
been trapped into the purchase Of
articles which 1 did not want in the
following manner: A dealer in
"curios.' as they are called, old porce-
lains, coins, bronzes, etc, would come
and offer some object for sale. making
a little speech about its rarity. beauti-
full form and color, and close by say
ing that the price was only IS. Not
wishing the article at any price, I
would saw.
.I'H give you quarter of a dollar
ooh look at it, See how fine it isl"
SAYS the merchant
Cant; I'm busy; I don't want it, ~
l say.
Well" says the dealer, I want to
sell it to you very much. Give me
three dollars"
NO. Go away"
sAH right; it is yours for quarter "
The price of cabs Chinese carts) in
Pekin is very generally fixed at u cents
an hour Yet one can never be en-
gagged. if the price is discussed in ad-
vance, without at least half an hour S
argument. If one is taken without pre-
viOus arrangement as to price, and at
the conclusion of the service the proper
fare be offered the driver. he viii in
var;ably demand more. If this IS re
fused the driver will generally go
quietly away. But if through ignorance
or mistaken generosity a larger sum
ne offered the driver flies into a rage,
because ii isn't still bigger, throws the
money on the ground, and threat to
appeal to the police. or an hours ar
gument Is necessary before quiet is
restored.
A friend of mine. on a journey around
the world, stayed a few days at Pekin
and complained bitterly TO me of the
high prices charged by Chinese inn
keepers for rooms. He had, so he said,
offered 81 in payment for small room
without bedding or furniture, in a
Wretched inn. The landlord demanded
IS for a single night. A long wrangle
ensued, and finally the gentleman Of
fered $3.50. which the landlord after
more words. consented to accept. The
customary price for such a room, food
not included, is % cents a night, and
if my friend had offered this sum IT
would have been accepted without
much discussion.
Johns Genius For Trickery.
book might be written upon the
more oalpable frauds and tricks OIL