The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-06-26 00:00:00

Itlisccllancous
HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

;From Wedne.lay's Daily

Members of both Housea some looking grave and sad,
others, whose air seemed to say "I told you sporting
nice who seemed excessively bored at the whole proceedings,
and fashionable' of both sexes whose great care was to edge
away from the brokers who tried to fasten on them,
were welded together in a strange medley in the
dining-room of IS, Carlton-home-terl,ce, yesterday
(Tuesday. The policemen who kept guard at the
Mat of the great staircase and at the entrances to cellars
and rooms had no sinecure, for the applications to
wander freely through the mansion were both numerous and
persistent ; the man who stood lii tile hall with catalogues
had disposed of his stock at a shilling each soon after 3 p ni,
and even such things as japanned water cans, housemaids'
boxes arid basket.i, hand-brooms and dust-mots, gave rise to
. animated bidding. This increased when more interesting
articles came to be offered, arid between 4 pm. and 5
p.m., when hand-work and gilded chairs and tables were
put up, what any he termed fancy I rices "were obtained.
The House in which this ficeile is taking nlace is one of the
largest in Carlton house-terrace, arid stands at the Spring-
gardens end, with offices which cross the road, forming a
eta de sae, and communicating apparently with a house on
the other side. The auctioneers' bills tell their story directly
the corner by the Duke of York's Column is passed, making
the duke's ruin manifest on hdli sides of the road. The
words " Heirloom—Climber" on a large case of stuffed
lords meet the visitor's eye directly he is in the
hell, anal they are repeated 01041 marble busts and
other articles which stand between him and the
dining-room door. The vast place seems to be in
many respeAs as its unfortunate holders left it.
The line oil paintings are hanging in the accustomed
places, some with " heirlm,m " on the label attached, others,
and those the most numerous, numbered all lots. The dining
tabb is just where it would be if a party were to be given.
It needs no great stretch of fancy to people the noble room
with host, hostess, arid guests, where Mr Lumley now does
the spiriting at Ow head of the table, round which keen-faced
men are ticking off the prices in their catalogues.
It is seldom that anything so disastrous as a sale by auction
takes place in Oulton-house-tert ace, arid the idlers assembled
there on Tuesday might tie suspected of deriving a glmiory
relish from the knowledge of this fact. That a duke should
be sold " just as you or me might be to-muster, my dear,"
was an unfailing source of trite moralising on the part of one
stow, lady, who bought nothing, but prosed much ; and that
the sale was taking place within half a dozen door. of the
residence of the Premier of England, the Duke's father's
friend, was given out quite frequently as an item of news by
an old gentleman who took possession of a snug corner early
hi the day, and never once looked at the auctioneer.
Sow and then anecdotes would fly round of real or
imaginary accidents which had taken place, when
it was thought the crash eould be staved ,'lf ; and
minute details of personal history were freely given, just as
if those inventing and retailing them had had the duke in
their possession hke a tame animal. It is, of course, hot to
he , xpected that sympathy for reverses—even when due to
nnavoitle6le nusforturre, should be found in an auction
noun; bat 11. litter alisence wae never more marked than
on Tuesday. llad those present been stern Pharisees, whose
CaIItIeIOUSMIIII of virtue impelled them to be hard upon the
weak and falling, their tone could not have been
more didactically severs. However, everybody present
' who touched on the subject at all seemed to con-
sider themselves entitled to have a fling at the absent
prodigal ; and men and women who, if physiog-
. nomy Is to lie Ira-ted, were not exemplars of all the
Christian virtues, might be heard Inveighing against the
. .

shortcomings which had led to ruin with ; biae;;ess which
could haruly have been 4:wised by pecuniary In. The
sorrowful indignation of a client and solitary. old man In

drab, who t;taa'said to have been a servant tlf the present
Duchess since infancy, culminated when certain artiMes of
e were offered up ; but his pained In k did not stop
the gossip or the covert sneering, and for the next two days
the honsehold gods of the Duke of Newcastle will continue to
be dhtributed to just such a running fire or cynical criticism
as generous intents shrink from and loathe.