Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-09-19
BAzAARS OF CAIRO
Where Time Is Without Value
and Sales Wait on Patience.
BARGAINING AS A FINE ART.

Price Of an Article From Dawn Until
Dark--A Sample Transaction.
He Is the selfsame fellow still, the
Calrene merchant, as in the days of
Haroun-al- -RaschId. He squats In cross
legged contentment 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. If his
knowledge of the east and his patience
suffice 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
less than the accustomed time he will
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
takes his fancy. 1t hangs high at the
top of the open booth, on the raised
door of which serenely squats the pro-
prletor, with folded legs. Vagamundo,
as from the merest curiosity, pauses
to run his eye over the countless ar
ticles, suggests with half stifed
yawn that the scimitar looks like what
might be a 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 puff drowsily
at his water bottle until the western
er is all but out Of earshot. Then he ap-
pears suddenly to awake and drones
out languid invitation to return,
VagamundU 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 hin, 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 he delta. BY the time the
second cigarette is lighted he turns the
conversation deftly to the scimltar and
remarks that though 1t is hung among
his wares rather for ornament than
for sale 1t is possible he may some
day tire of beholding 1t and part with
It for--perhaps 1000 piasters. yaga.
mundo, putting reminiscently for a
time, recalls having heard friend eX.
press a desire to obtain such weap-
on for say, 75 piasters or so and
wonders, after all, why that friend
should care for so useless an article.
The shopkeeper regrets that the two
prices named do not more nearly coin
eide, trusts that the inundatlons 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 khedive has recovered
from his recent attack, thanks the
merchant for his dlslnterested hospital.
ity and saunters away.
The shortest instant before he is
finally lost from view In the surging
stream Of bazaar loungers 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 onlr
7S0 piasters and that some Of the
eucalyptus trees In the Bsbekieh gar
dens are to be removed. with all
due respect to Cromer Pasha Vaga-
mundo doubts the practicability Of his
lntest scheme OF taxation and hopes
that his friend may somewhere run
ncross such sclmitar at 100 plasters
Thus the transaction continues; a
third, fourth. even a fifth time vaga.
mndO returns. BY the sixth visit he
has dropped the fiction OF friend and
openly offers 225 plasters for the blade,
and the shopkeeper arouses himself
sufficiently to take the weapon down
for inspection and expresses willing.
ness to part with 1t for 2I5.
Over newly rolled cigarettes the ne.
gotlatlon proceeds, now touching upon
the prevalence OF ophthalmia. anon
sklrting the matter OF sclmitnrs. their
manufacture and price Speaking OF
scimltars. the merchant suspects that
for the one In hand he would be salts
hed perhaps at $50 piasters, vaga.
mundo lays that sum-whlch both
recognized from the beginning as the
just price-on the mat between theh.,
grasps his newly acquired properly '
and, amid protestatlons OF lifelong
friendship from the merchant, takes
his departure.
Manchester business men and Chi.
cago captains Of industry, scornlng
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 shcpkeeper win hurry in hls
transactions for no mortal man. Let
the pulsating westerner press his mer.
cenary suit too forcibly and he dis
covers to his surprise, aud perhaps
even to his dismay, that the merchan;
Of the east displays his wares aud
sQuats by day among them merely As
a recreation and amusement and that
the notion OF selling anything is frr
Z fhovf fran, ht. th,,,y.ht, H..