The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1913-09-19
BARGAINING AS A FINE ART.
Polite and Loquaeious, the Oriental
shepkesper viii Hassle Over the
Price Of an Article From Dawn Until
Dark--A Sample Transaction.


shepkesper viii Hassie Over the
Price Of an Article From Dawn Until
Dark---A Sample Transaction.
He is the selfsame fellow still, the
Cairene merchant. az In the days of
Haroun-al- Raschid. He squats In cross
legged eontentment as Of yore, amen
able only to the loquacious system of
bargaining dear to the heart of the
oriental. The western tourist, foolish
ly regarding time as OF value. will lose
all eQuanimity long before he has COM
pleted the smallest transaction. II his
knowledge OF the east and his patience
sufi1ce and he begins negotiations early
enough In the day not to be driven
forth as the merchant sets up his shut
ters at nightfall he may obtain the ar
ticle he seeks at just and equitable
price. II he gains possession Of 1t in
certainly have paid more than its mar
ket value.
vagamundo, the western traveller ex-
perienced in the ways OF the east,
catches sight during a stroll through
the bazaars OF an Arabic blade that
top OF the open booth, on the raised
door Of which serenely squats the pro-
prtetor, with folded legs. Vagamundo,
as from the merest curiosity, pauses
to run his eye over the countless ar
ticles, suggests with half stified
yawn that the scimitar looks like what
might be convincing weapon in the
hands Of an enemy, ventures TO hope
that the merchant is enjoying fine
weather and strolls leisurely on. The
shopkeeper continues to pun drowsily
nc his water bottle until the western
pears suddenly to awake and drones
out languid invitation to return.
Fagamundo pays no heed to the sum-
mons for some moments. gazes alb
stractedly upon the wares displayed
In another booth, then wanders slowly
back. The merchant hopes that the
traveller is enjoying the best of health.
invites him to squat In the bit Of
space not already occupied by himself
or his wares, offers a cigarette and
falls TO discussing the state Of the cot
ton crop in the delta. By the time the
second cigarette is lighted he turns the
conversation deftly to the scimitar and
remarks that though 1t Is hung among
his wares rather for ornament than
for sale it Is possible he may some
day tire OF beholding 1t and part with
II for-perhaps 1000 piasters. vaga-
mundo. putting reminiscently for a
time. recalls having heard q friend ex-
press desire to obtain such weap-
on for. say. rs piasters or so and
wonders, after ALL why that friend
should care for SO useless an article.
The shopkeeper regrets that the two
prices na amed do not more nearly coin
eide, trusts that the foundations will
not be so late this year as last and
reaches again for the tube OF his mar
CHILE. Vagamundo expresses his de-
light that the kbedlve has recovered
from his recent attack. thanks the
merchant for his disinterested hospital
ity and saunters away.
The shortest instant before he is
finally lost from view In the surging
stream of bazaar Ioungers he is called
back to learn that the merchant is of
the opinion that the new land tax will
work more effectively than the old,
that the scimitar is probably worth only
$40 n6 Shak - h..
eucalyptus trees In the Esbekieh gar
dens are to be removed. With all
due respect to Cromer Pasha Vaga-
mundo doubts the practicability Of his
latest scheme OF taxation and hopes
that his friend may somewhere run
across such scimitar at 100 piasters.
Thus the transaction continues; a
third. a fourth. even fifth time Vaga-
mundo returns. BY the sixth visit be
has dropped the fiction of friend and
openly offers 225 piasters for the blade.
and the shopkeeper arouses himself
sufficiently to take the weapon down
for inspection and expresses a willing.
ness to part with 1t for 275.
Over newly rolled cigarettes the ne
gotiation proceeds. now touching upon
the prevalence Of ophthalmia. anon
skirting the matter Of scimitars, their
manufacture and price. Speaking OF
scimitars, the merchant suspects that
for the one In hand he would be salts
fed perhaps at 900 piasters. vaga-
mundo lays that sum-which both
recognized from the beginning as the
Just price-on the mat between them,
sraspr his newly acquired property
and. amid protestations Of lifelong
friendship from the merchant, takes
bis departure.
Manchester business men and Chi
cago captains Of industry. scornins
such childish methods, have dived into
the maelstrom Of the bazaars Of Cairo
with the avowed intention OF doing
business" after the manner of today
and the west; but all In vain. The
Cairene shopkeeper will hurry In his
transactions for no mortal man. Let
the pulsating westerner press his mer.
csnary suit too forcibly and he dis
covers to his surprise, and perhaps
wen to his dismay, that the merchan,
Of the east displays his wares and
squats by day among them merely a.
. rexsAtisz eaA a,sussmant and thai