The Brothers Ashkenazi by I.J. Singer

Author:I.J. Singer [Singer, I. J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-59051-402-3
Publisher: Other Press
Published: 2010-10-19T04:00:00+00:00

MAX ASHKENAZI TOOK THE SETBACK with the governor much harder than the Huntzes themselves. “Gentile louts!” he growled, thinking of his employers, who neglected business for women, hunting, duels, and other such passions of the blood.

True, the governor had paid a subsequent visit to the barons and had admired their collection of stuffed animals and weapons, but his visit had brought no financial gain, while Flederbaum had exploited his priority with an enormous windfall from the new railroad. Although this was supposed to be a secret, everyone knew of Flederbaum’s preknowledge of the railroad’s course—in Lodz there were no secrets.

Flederbaum had bought up all the adjoining parcels of land for a song, then sold them back to the government for tenfold the price. All Lodz spoke of Flederbaum’s brilliant coup. The people who had sold him the land for next to nothing cursed their luck, and in the cafés and restaurants the merchants and brokers estimated the profits Flederbaum had made on the deal.

“His hospital was paid for in spades,” was the general consensus.

“A millionaire has both this world and the world to come,” others sighed with envy.

Max calculated his brother’s share of the profits, and he plucked at his beard from frustration. “Those drunken bums,” he muttered against his bosses, the barons, “those dunderheads.…”

Even though he was only their sales representative, he took a proprietary interest in everything that had to do with the factory. He was determined to become involved in its day-today operation.

He began, as usual, by making himself useful and available. In the very first year after taking over from his father, he increased the sales volume several times over. He sent his salesmen to all parts of Russia; he wrote letters; he met with merchants and buyers; he ran around promoting the Huntze line, urging, whetting appetites. He even went to Russia himself in order to get a feel for the market.

With scant knowledge of Russian, by nature a man of sober habits, he managed to worm his way into the graces of the hard-drinking, gregarious, expansive Russian merchants. He learned how to allow a companion to get sodden drunk while he himself remained cold sober. He arranged things so that his companions indulged their every folly while he avoided every temptation offered him.

And although he was rewarded handsomely for his efforts and even given a substantial bonus, he wouldn’t be satisfied until he supervised every step of the factory’s operation.

From the very first day he set foot inside the plant, his darting eyes told him that its director, the ponderous Albrecht, was lazy and totally inept. Albrecht’s policy was to leave the factory entirely on its own so that like a fine watch, it ran by itself.

Max made his initial inroads into the factory. He gave suggestions directly to the barons on how to achieve savings, when to operate and when to shut down, what goods to prepare for the coming season. His advice was inevitably correct, and the Huntzes began to rely more

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