El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-10-13
PEP WILL NOT
LAND CHINAMAN
The Celestial Merchants Not
Fond of Straight from the
Shoulder Methods.
BY wmLINM GRIFFIN.

In the light of seven years expert
! euce selling goods for large German
! firm TO the rich mandarins of China, the
! modern schools of sslesmanship in
America. with their socaIled eft
ficiency- methods. 1ook-bim-in-the
! eve ''sisn-him- up-quick" rules have
oroved amusing to ". witte Thatcher.
now in Fl Paso
Mr. Thatcher has learned the three
rain dialects of the Chinese language.
and until the war started. was the
successful representative of German
manufacturers in China He is con-
nected with the federal service at
Angel Island. san Francisco.
Punch Won't Co.
The hurry-up. -'pOwer-Of-will." mas
ferful-personality" style wouldn't go at
all with the rich merchants of China
who after ali, are keen business men,
AR Thatcher SAYS 4 salesman who at
tempted to sell big importer in Pe1in
or Shanghai or any of the interior
cities a bill OF goods on the 'unquail-
ing eve" basis would probably find
the prOspectsinE buyer not at home"
and himself barred as an impossibi
foreign devil"
They combine business with pleas
IRE i'm China. Nj Thatcher said the
ether day. There are certain formalities
and rules OF good form that must be
complied with befOr any attmpt can be
made 10 close a deal Dinners must be
gwen. inequalities exchanged and
friendship esta blished before the agents
OF the main contracting parties get
down to business. Mr. Thatchers chief
line was soaps and perfumes. which
found a lucrative market in China thus
upsettinE another tradition concerning
inc oriental that has been handed down
Cor many years
Travelled on HOusebOat.
When I started on a selling trip I
always had three Chinese statesmen and
p shroff. or cashier" Mr. Thatcher said
My mode of transportation through the
middle provinces was by two house
boats. one used as an office and living
quarters combined, and the other to
% TRY the stock Of goods
-On my arrival at Chinese city one
OF the Chinese statesmen would be sent
out TO make inquiries as TO the largest
merchants in the city and the number
handling soaps and perfumes Upon his
return with this information. arrange
ments are made with the best Chinese
restaurant for a big dinner party. Then
invitations are sent TO the merchants
10 attend feast to celebrate the arrival
OF new man with an old line OF goods
that will interest them
All According TO HOyle.
Invitations once sent are always
considered as accepted. do the stores are
alW avs represented If not by the own
e. By the manager or culeI uQohkeeptf-
AZ each Chinaman appears, he Is intro
duced TO me by one OF my statesmen as
the host. and as the seller of soaps and
perfumes
After the introduction it is bad
form to mention anything about bust
ness or the goods TO be sold The US
Ual Chinese dinner is from 16 to "a
courses and as the Chinese are in no
hurry to eat, each dinner lasts three
&c four hours. The guests smoke after
each course and continually drink
wine in small cups. pledging the
health and prosperity of the host each
time Shark fins. birds nest soup
and heart OF the sea- a strange kind
OF fish, are among the usual dainties
Business Talk TabOOed.
There is always especial care taken
TO avoid any talk concerning business.
Chinese sing song girls are sent for
during the dinner, to entertain the
guests Each Chinaman generally has
his own favOrite sing song girls and I
sends for them. These girls STAY only
long enough TO sing one or two songs. I
sitting meanwhile at the right hand 4
Of the merchant who has sent for her
The sing song girls come and 90 I