The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1913-08-06
J0TTINGS FROM
WORLD JOURNEY
"6argai ming" for Chair Conveyance
Consumes Many Days and In
cludes Many TechnicaIities.
WANT HOLY HAPPINESS MONEY
Chinese Loses Respect for One Who
Accepts His First Offer, but Is
EIated if One Bargains.

We are to leave Nanchang for a
trip inland. There are no railroads,
not even wagon roads so we must
walk, go by wheelbarrow or chair We
prefer the latter. We are told it will
our chairs which seems to us incred-
ible.
The program was started this
morning when our good friend, DR.. j.
G. Vaughn, told his cook to find a
chair lao-pan. The ''lao-pan" is the
boss or proprietor of the chair livery.
He has just arrived. You should
see him. The gentleman of the turf
who appears at VI back door for a
"hand out" would scorn to travel with
this fellow, but be it known he under
stands his business.
When he learns that our route lays
over three ranges of mountains, will
take fifteen days for the trip, with
four men TO carry the chair and two
coolies for the luggage, he promptly
tells US the jorney cannot possibly
be done for less than $4,000 cash. At
the present rate of exchange, this
sum would amount to about twenty
dollars American money. 1t is said
the Chinaman loses all respect for
the one who accepts his first prOpo-
sition He delights to use many words
in buying and selling. So we turn
away as though greatly disguised at
such a price and our first interview is
at an end.
1t is the second day and our lao
pan is standing out in the yard wait
ing for US to finish breakfast so he
can talk business again. He is feel
ing pretty good, looks us all over,
says we are not very heavy, perhaps
the trip can be made in fourteen days
and has come to the conclusion that
for such fine looking foreigners he can
do the job for 45,600 cash. We tell
the Interpreter we are willing to pay
10000, which we consider a big price.
1t is now the lao-pan's turn to appear
disguised. He leaves as though never
to return. This forenoon OF the third
day the cook, who has been sent
down town on an errand, is just ar
rived, but late. He seems very much
disappointed and is telling Mrs.
Vaughn that the reason why he is so
late, he has been talking with the
chair man, that the lao-pan is angry
and refuses to go at any price. You
see that the cook is anxious for this
bargain to go through because he
will get his Squeeze" What the pur-
pose of this story just told is for we
do not know, for there is our lao-pan
standing in the yard and another fell
low with him. We know that If he
really does not intend to take the job,
he will not bother to come and tell us
so. We believe he is still on the bar
gain counter and we go out to dis
cover what is in his mind. He has
come to tell us that 4O,S00 cash is the
least possible amount for which the
trip can be done and that it is very
cheap. We consume about two hours
of time while he tells us no one could
be secured to go for less than the
price he has named and We insist that
any bunch of coolies would be glad
to go at our price.
Two days have passed since our
last interview and the cook comes in
highly elated, to tell us he has the
chair boss down to $4,000 cash. Very
naturally we grow suspicious over
this price for it is less than we prom
ised. However, the cook brings the
contract all made out for us to sign,
which is proof that he has done the
lob and done it well. Whatever may
be said of the Chinamar, one thing
is universally dShuO"lSuSCu W e@A'
who do business with him-when once
he has signed contract with you
he will stick to the contract even at
a loss to himself.
The contract looked good to US, but
disappointment came when the inter
prefer told us it read to KEN kang.
which was only about two-thirds OF
the way. Whether this willy fellow
felt that he had lost face" and did
not care to meet us again, or whether
he gave us up as hopeless cases we
have not been able to find out True
it is, another has appeared in his
stead. With many words, reinforced
by artistic gesticulations, for which
the Chinaman is noted, he tries to
crowd in on our hazy intellects that
the way is hard, the load heavy and
more rather than less. days will be
necessary for the journey.
A week and two days have passed
since we began our bargaining" and
W. fool