Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 March 1891 — Bargaining in Algiers. [ARTICLE]

Bargaining in Algiers.

You select your goods with slow deliberation, pile them together casually in a little heap, eye them askance with an inquiring glance, and take a contemplative pull or two at the inspiring weed in solemn silence, says a writer in the Gentleman's Magazine. Mohammed Ali responds with a puff from his cigarette iu grave concert. Then you walk once or twice up and down the piazza slowly, and, jerking your head with careless ease in the direction of your selected pile, you inquire, as if for abstract reasons merely, in an offhand tone, your Moslem friend’s lowest cash quotation for the lot as it stands.— Two hundred francs is the smallest price. Mohammed Ali paid far more than that himself for them. He sells simply for occupation it would seem. Look at the- work, monsieur. All graven brass, not mere repousse metal, or real old chain-stitch, alike ou both sides—none of your wretched, com-mon-place, modern, machine-made embroidery. You smile incredulously, and remark with a wise nod that your Moslem friend must surely be in error. A mistake of the press. For 200 francs read 50 francs. Mohammed Ali assumes an expressive attitude of virtuous indignation and resumes his tobacco. Fifty franca fqr all that lot! Monsieur jests. Ha shows himself a very poor judge, indeed, of values. Half an hour’s debate and ten successive abatements reduce the lot at last to a fair average price of 70 francs. Mohammed Ali declares you have robbed him of, his profit, and pockets his cash with inarticulate grumblings in the Arab tongue. Next day you see in the Rue Bab-Azzoun that you have paid him at least 30 francs too much for your supposed bargain.