The Savannah morning news., 1903-11-01
By GUY T. VISKNISKKL
Copyright. 1908, b> Guy 4. Vistniskl8i.

1T is truly strenuous" said a we'll
known rabbi of New York, as he beheld
a bargain rush in the store of a friend,
"but when it come to clarifying the
humble cent with wit, the bitter herb
sellers of my people have you Cen
tiles, to use a vulgar expression beat
en- to a standstill But them he add
ed they should, they've been dealing
in bargains and with bargain hunters
since the institution of the Passover.
And they shall eat the flesh in that
night, roast with fire, and unleavened
bread, and with bitter herbs they shall
eat it Long experience has made the
vendors of horse radish, as you would
call it, perfect in the art of bargaining
and the wit that is born of it.
The bitter herb dealers can be found
any day in any Jewish quarter seated
before their little machines, grinding
up the roots of the herb. But it is on
Friday. when the housewife buys her
supply of the herb for consumption on
Saturday that the real bargaining be-
gins.
herbs" says a woman, marching up
to the machine and grabbing out of
the basket beside it the biggest root
In sight to be ground up.
The man jumps up and seizes the
root do you want all Jerusalem
for z cents?" he asks, as he replaces
the herb in the basket and feeds piece
much smaller in size into the machine.
1t is ground in a moment. Then he
opens a small wooden drawer, scoops
up its contents with little tin scoop
and rolls it up, cornucOpia-like, in
bit of paper. He holds it out to the
customer.
Mister" she pleads, won't you take
cents for it?
"This costs 7 cents" he replied.
"Please-5 cents, mister"
What" cries the dealer. Il won't
give it even for 6. Do you think have
my own garden of herbs-steal them?
This costs money.
The customer crushed by the sar-
casm, takes her purchase and makes
way for another.
GIVE me cents worth of bitter
herbs" she asks.
The peddler opens the drawer and
shakes from its corners into his scoop
what should have gone into the pack
ages of former purchasers.
rs that all for cents?" the woman
demands.
DO you want me to give you enough
to supply you for Year," is the re-
joinder, and he turns to young girl.
-Four cents worth" she says.
The old man starts to grind.
mo! MOI" screams the customer, and
she grabs the old mans hand that is
turning the wheel.
We'll" queries the latter, has
plague possessed you?"
ba
You're cheating" she accuses. TITS
too small"
Hush your noise, you woman. The
police will come here in a minute"
You're cheating me-" the girl reit-
crates.
LAS 1 am an honest man, am not
But here-pick out a piece-one not too
big-and I'll grind it."
The squabble that ensued lasted fully
five minutes. Finally root that salts
fed both parties was selected; mo-
ment later it was through the ma
chine.
Then the man started to gather it
UP. He carefully avoided running the
scoop into the corners of the slide,
and the girl noticed it and grew in
dignant once more.
May you not die in bed" she
shouted. you have given me only
half"
The vendor was impatient; other
customers We're waiting. He jerked
the box out of the machine and held
it before the girls face.
do you want TO lick the box?" he
cried in turn "gnaw up the wood to
get your penny's worth?"
1t was this herb dealers rival, who,
when woman had flung at him,
You are son of the separation" re-
piled meekly:
Solomon told us to look out for
womankind. Woe is me that l have
given no heed to his wisdom"
This same man engaged in a discus
sion with another customer that at
tracted a score of amused listeners.
Il should live SOFT costs me more"
he said.
II don't care" she replied.
He: "Oh, what a woman you are.
ask you only 20 cents-only 20 cents.
You don't ask me whether or not
can let you have this for II cents-you
simply say u cents"
She: We'll, what was wrong If l
did bid IL cents? 1t isn't worth more
than that Wei, will you take it or
not? Poor people can't afford to eat
bitterness at such a high price"
He: BE healthy (gooO, my dear
woman, and leave me at rest. You
can take the stomach out of a person
WIN NuuI IdS SlAAEs w udbs 10 you
think that l find this in my fathers
Vineyard?'
She: Il can make only one bottle
of shredded herbs from that piece, and
/ can't pay 20 cents-only u. If you
want it, all right; if you don't, all
right"
He: "If don't want it, all right; il
do all right. If you can't pay 20
cents for it, you ought to have bitter
ness without buying it. Go along"
She: "A plague take you. Because
I won't give him 20 cents he must
abuse me. Oh-oh l wouldn't give the
toe nail of a good Gentle for you, nor
the bad nail of a Jew--so there! I'll
give you is cents. What! not eigh-
teen? Well, keep your bitterness"