Evening star., 1901-04-30
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SHOPPING IN CHINA.
Loud Talking and Wild GestfculatiOns
Season the bargaining.

From Pcarsons Weekly.
Although the peculiar civilization of the
Chlnese has failed TO provide the shops of
the country with plate-glass windows, ma
nogany counters, huge mirrors and the Sc
ductive shop walker. yet the tradespeople
| nave methods of their own for engaging
me attention OF the public worthy of no.
tlce II not of imitation. To begin with the
competition which forces down the prices of
goods in this country is unknown in China
The manufacturers. who own most of the
shops, to protect the interests of them
selves and their workpeopIe, insist on fix
ing all prices, and when attacked with fits
of greed combine to raise the price lists
which to prevent the shopkeeper overcharg-
ing are posted up in the shop. All such
shops belong 10 what we should call a
union.
In the free houses the price given for an
article Is the result of prolonged haggie
The Chinese are such experts at bargain
ing that shops of good repute declare pub
licly that they sell only at the advertised
price
Why Chinaman when haggling should
shout at the top of his voice is not clear
but he does; consequently the vocifera tfons
of several hundred purchasers and the
equally Stentorian rejonders of the trades
people render Chinese shopping quarter
When the public Is abroad Veritable pan
demonium.
The amounts in dispute are seldom more
than half penny or SO, but the parties
scream and gesticulate as if their entire for
tunes were at stake-the din appearing to be
much louder than it really is, owing TO the
narrowness of the streets, which are seldom
more than few feet across.
Shops which decline all abatement have
a signboard inscribed Fixed price"
Business in China being conducted on
principles mostly unknown to the outer
world, it is not strange to find that shops
and warehouses are never known by the
family name of the proprietor They are
distinguished by some sign, generally the
invention of the owner, who will hold a
long and anxious consultation with his fam
| lily and friends in order to obtain ''hao''
which shall embody some felcitious idea
When a new shop is opened or a new
! conner comes into possession the public are
long crimson streamers hanging from the
signboards The friendliness which exists
between the shopkeeping class and their
patrons results in developments of which
We know nothing in this country We
should smile at the tradesman who affixed
a notice in his window saying that 'his
wife was not very Well that day or that
his father was dead" In China, in add
ton to such written announcements in
creased publicity is afforded by white or
ash-colored streamers being suspended from
the Signboards
The signboards are also used to record
the death of an emperor. This is done by
putting the board, with its letters in gaudy
red and gold, into mourning. The paper
with which the sides of the board are coy
cred Is not black, as 1t would be with US,
but green, and in order that business shall
not be interfered with the green paper is
dotted all over with the houses name. But
the loyalty and grief of the shepkeeper are
testified by two streamers on which is in
scrtbed THE kingdom mourns."
On the occasion OF a new ruler the mourn