The Mississippi Creole. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1841-1851, 1848-04-01
From Tie Crescent
sketches of the sidewalks and Levees.

sketches Of the sidewalks and Levees.
UiM Ghmpes into he.New Orlean, Bar (rooms)
PETER FUNK ESQ.
You're gentleman of leisure about Orl-
cans may be, stranger, and ounging -
street. You hear the musical sound OF the
human voice divine" crying out " five-n-a-f
only going at twenty-five dollars and-n-a-h
for this elegant gold watch and chain, in prime
running order ust sent in to be sold by gen
tieman tearing torn, and only fve-n-a-f, and
must be sold; five-n-a-fi! Did I.hcar you say
six sir!" Perhaps you drop in, and if you are
not careful how you look at the musical auc-
toneer he will accept Of your look for a wink
and, according to the philosophy of the auc-
ton room, wink passes for bid, and you
find yourself in nominal possession OF tan ele-
giant gold watch and chain, in prime running
order, just sent in to be sold by gentleman
leaving town." before you are well aware of
what you are about. So take care how you
look when you are in the patent auction shops.
There stands the auctoneer in all the serious
earnestness of a man begging for his life, and
with voice and looks and gestures, seems like
one speaking sober truth, and smoothing else"
Only half dozen individuals comprise his au-
dience, and these half dozen are Peter Funk
and his corps de reserre. Peter looks some
what stouter to-day than he was yesterday,
and has ex4sngedsti. goth cloak aud cap
for blanket coat and ehipedu blanc, and his
whiskers have shared the fate of "the
last rose Of summer''-ihat is to say, they have
vnporated-droPpcd oil':they are non et inren-
tus-gonc!
Yes, that's Funk and his five interesting as
sociates in business" companions Of his tolls,
his feelings and his famc"-Peier the LIST, Pc
ter the %, Peter the 81, Peter the 4th and Pc
ter the 5th-ho himself being no other than
Peter the great, or the great Peter" Peter
Funk, Esq.
Now, stranger, take care what you're about
you're the only bona fde customcr-if Gus
toner you choose to call yourself-that has en-
tered the portals Of the auction shop as vet
aud Peter Funk Primus and Peter Funk sccur-
dus have done all this bidding that make the
crycr keep up such hubbaboo. Well. YOU
don't know OF this fact, and you think ga
mans a man for a. that" and you don't I'M
dcrs'and the secret If Peter Funk and his as
sociatcs, or the service they're engaged in,
and you only see fnclooiing watch, " Just
sent in to be sold by gentleman leaving
town." and going dog cheap. You nod your
head, and straightway the countenancc of the
crycr brightens up. and his voice grows even
more yociferous than before. He's cot bid
"a real bd--and the first and only one. lie
lacks on five dollars more and now he's heard
goin it in fine siylr; "Thiuy, thirty, thirty,
thirty, thirty-Only going at thirty dollars for
a splendid elegant gold lever, with seventeen
pairs OF extra jewels, lately Imported, and
now must be sold!"
lie cries at this rate perhaps ten minutes,
occasionally casting glance at the passers-by
to sec II any more greeneyi can be tolled in
Peter Funk takes the watch in his hand and
examines it atteniively, and with a very sig
ninicant look, as though his judgment was per-
fcctly satisfied, he says deliberately, Thirty
fve!"
A gainst you. SIR" cries Mr.. Auctioneer,
and forthwith seisoG with unusual vOlubility,
CRYING out one ptundo, thirty-fve, thirty
fvo-Only going Al 'hrty-fve!'
Thirty-ive dOlhrs for such an elegant gold
watch is certainly az cheap as dirt-ihey ask
eiphty-fve or ninety at the storcs;-and as
these thoughts revOlye in your mind, think you
might make FIVE and twenty dollars as well as
not, as there are plenty Of boys up in your
country who would jump at the bargain-and
YOU nod again, the aueiioneer having IN the
meanwhile directed the whole force Of his
vOcable artillery al you, and launched forth IN
such rigmarole Of praise Of said iime-Pieeo
that YOU couldn't well resist his very passion
ate appeal.
"Forty dOllars!" is quickly caught up
q ouly going At forty dOllars.-fOrty! iOr'y
FORTY, lorty!" and now the cper turns to Pe-
ter. the interesting Peter, whose turn for seri-
one deIiIcratioa has again come. lie again e.
amines the watch turns il over and over again
and, as he hands II to the eryer, ssys, in very
Iow but decided tone Of voice, "fOrty-hvsr'
By this time one or two other lOungers like
yourself have dropped in, and monsieur eryer
applies himself with exceeding ebrnestnsss IN
laudinr the watch. as never, sue, watch vas