Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1916-11-24
<T>HE HIGH cost of living is ter

- rible expensive nowadays"
Louis Birsky the real estater
remarked, as he seated himself oppo-
site Barnet Zapp in Wasserbaure's
Restaurant. This observation had
been provoked by a notice in the bill Of
fare that on and after a certain date
the 40 cent regular dinner would be
increased to so cents, and Zapp looked
up from plate of lokshen soup to in
dorse Birsky's sentiment with a nod so
emphatic that drops of the greasy fluid
were scattered all around.
ST bet yer" Zapp said, cleansing his
mustache with his lower lip. "Only
this morning I see it costs Marcus Fast
two thousand dollars for an automo-
bile already
''You don't tell met" Louis ex-
claimed.
sand Harris Shapolnik must also got
to pay for some diamonds fifteen hum
dred dollars" Zapp continued, while
Birsky wagged his head from side to
side and made incoherent noises
through his nose Indicative of shocked
surprise.
II always thought them two fellers
was pretty saving with their money"
he commented.
"a couple of tighter propositions
don't exist at all" Zapp agreed.
"Then what do they go to work and
buy all them things for?" Birsky asked.
"Who says they bought 'em?" Zapp
asked. "All says is that Marcus Fast
pays two thousand dollars for an auto
mobile and Harris Shapolnik pays lf-
teen hundred dollars for some dia-
mOnds, understand me, but it was Ja-
cob J. Rebfield who bought the auto
mobile and Sam PITT bought the dia-
monds. Also could prove it to you,
black on white"
Here he produced a clipping which
read as follows:
BUSINESS TROUBLES
Rebfield & Pitz.-Schedules in the
bankruptcy of Rebf1eld & PitZ,- cloak
and suit manufacturers, were filed in
the Office of the clerk of the United
States District Court yesterday. The
principal creditors are as follows:
Franco-American Woollen Co.$21, 1926
Kosciusko Bank (secured)...... 10,642.80
M. FaSC GE co se..ss.s.sssssssssss Z,U0U.40
II. Shapolnik & Son.............. 1,525.00
"What did them Franco-American
people pay for?" Birsky asked. "a
steam yatch?"
Il couldn't tell you exactly" Zapp
replied ''but you could reckon twenty
five hundred dollars that Mrs. Reb-
field must got to go to Palm Beach
year ago, understand me, and another
couple thousand that Bertha PITT is
the Belle of the Boardwalk in Arverne
last summer, Birsky, and that's the
way it goes"
Them two boys certainly lived be-
yond their means" Zapp said.
"And it amt their fault that they
didn't live beyond Marcus Fast's
means and Harris Shapolnik's means
also, because when a business man
starts in to live beyond his means,
Birsky, he's got downtown con-
science and an uptown conscience.
That's why when Rebfeld buys his au-
tomobile on Broadway and .Fifty-sev-
enth Street for net cash, he didn't
worry himself how much he owes to
couple of Canal Street woollen houses
like Marcus Fast and Harris Shapol-
Mix"
saint it funny how most of them ex-
travagant fellers is got such an elegant
reputation for good pay?" Birsky said.
ION the West Side above Forty-sec-
ond Street." Zapp amended. "And
that's what I'm telling you, Birsky.
Marcus Fast pays for Rebfeld's auto
mobile, just so sure as if he would Of