Semi-weekly Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1851-1852, 1851-08-04

Some sixteen or seventeen years ago, when
speculation was at its height in Pottsville, three
sharpers from Philadelphia visited our borough,
with lot of ready made clothing, which they
intended to exhibit for sale. They called up-
on Captain Mills, who was then in his prime as
an auctoneer, and was noted for his ability in
that line of business, and employed him to sell
their goods at public sale. This duty he per.
formed with his customary skill and ability,
and although the clothing brought remarkably
good prices, they chartered considerably with
the Captain concerning his auctioneers fees,
and finally paid him about one.half Of the
amount OF compensation to which he was just
ly entitled. The Captain said but little upon
the subject, but postponed his settlement of the
account until future day
The dealers in clothing returned to Phila-
delpha, and few days afterwards returned to
Pottsville, with canal boat load Of frame tim
Der, which they asserted composed the frames
of eigh dwelling houses, ready prepared for
immediate erection, with shingle roofs, dsc.--
The frames were unloaded at Mount Carbon,
and Captain Mills was again employed by the
quondam clothes.men to sell them at aaictiou.
The minimum price for which the frames were
to be struck of, was fixed at seven hundred
dollars, and it was agreed that the compensa-
ton of the auctoneer should be twenty .fgeIdol-
lars. The day Of sale arrived, the Captain In
vited his friends to attend, and such was the
demand for houses, that when the hour of sale
arrived, an anxious crowd of bidders were in
attendance. The auctioneer was the last one
to reach the ground-he mounted the stand,
commenced the sale in his usual spirited man
ner, and in very few minutes the biddiDgs had
reached the stipulated minimum ofseven, hun.
dred dollars for tho lot. -" @
At this point the ayarice of one of the own
ers was excited, and his meanness prevailed
over his small share of manliness. He reflect.
ed that the bidders were already 10 attendance,
that at least the seven hundred dollars were
certainly secured, anG that f he could sncceed
in depriving the auctioneer of his commission,
twenty. five dollars would be saved He inter
rupted the sale, and addressed the Captain:
"Sir, your services as an alctioneer at this
sale are not required. You were not npon the
ground at the appointed hour, sir. We are
from Philadelphia, sir, where puuctuality is re.
quired Of business men, and we shall not pay
you cent, sir, because you were not punctual
to the hour. You may stop your crying, sir,
anu we VIII couCluuo tniS Sdle Ourselves
every we'll, sir" replied the Captain, and
turning to the crowd of his acquaintances and
friends, who made up the bidders, he quietly
remarked: .-....a -,
Gentlemen, you are released from your
bids. As an auctioneer employed aud paid, I
feel bound to do the best can for my employ
ers, but in this case am glad to find myself
relieved from that responsibility, and in situa-
ton that enables me to tell the truth. This
frame timber is not what you may have sup
posed---a good lot of new stuff, properlytpre-
pared-but it is made up of frames of old sta
bes, sheds, &C., dressed over and you will
find by actual measurement that there are no
two pieces that can be properly fitted together"
The auctioneer then mounted his horse and
rode off, followed by the bidders, and the tim
ber lay where it was for some months, and was
finally sold for less than twenty dollars, when
the auctioneer's statement proved true. No
use could be made of the lumber by the pur-
chasers.-PottsuiHe paper. Z .-