Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/360

 of prices.

One day  George  Eggleston  stood  behind  a  box  of fine  fresh  eggs  talking  with  Bob  Parker  from  whom he rented  his  stand  when  a  customer  came  up. "How much  are  eggs?" "Six dollars." "What, a box  ? "  "  No,  a  dozen." " Give  me  a  dozen." Some- thing in the  little  trade  struck  Parker,  who  delighted in waggery,  as  a  little  ludicrous ;  probably  it  was  the indifference with  which  the  customer  bought  eggs, paying as  cheerfully  six  dollars  a  dozen  as  six  dollars a box. And the  plot  of  a  little  joke  instantly  arose in his  mind. "George," said  he,  when  the  customer had gone,  "  you  will  never  make  anything  in  this business  if  you  don't  keep  better  posted  in  prices." " How  so  ?" demanded Eggleston. " Why,  here  you are  selling  eggs  at  six  dollars  a  dozen,  when  the  regu- lar price  everywhere  is  eighteen  dollars,"  responded Parker, "  But  I  know  where  I  can  get  all  I  want  at three  dollars,"  said  Eggleston. " That's  it,"  replied Parker. " You  haven't  the  business  sense  that  tells a  man  how  to  make  avail  of  his  opportunities." Parker then  turned  to  speak  to  a  friend ;  but  one  ear wag open  to  Eggleston's  doings  as  a  dapper  little  man of family  stepped  briskly  up  and  began  negotiations "Hello, George,  those  are  nice  eggs;  how  do  ye sell  'em." "Well," replied  Eggleston,  somewhat slowly and  demurely,  "eggs  are  a  little  up  this  morn- ing; those  are  eighteen  dollars  a  dozen." "All right," said the  little  man,  "  I'll  take  two  dozen." And he laid  down  the  thirty-six  dollars  far  less  grudgingly than the  average  Boston  man  would  have  given tliirty-six cents  for  an  equal  quantity  of  the  same commodity.

Potatoes were  scarce  and  high  at  San  Francisco during the  winter  of  1848-9,  and  as  there  had  been scurvy in  the  mines  they  were  specially  desired. The Hawaiian  Islands  crop  had  been  bought  and eaten, and  the  ground  had  been  hoed  over  a  second time for  what  had  been  left  the  first ;  for  prior  to  this last operation  there  was  not  a  potato  for  s