The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1863-04-09
Correspondence of the Field and riresilc
blockade Auction Salcs.

lctict FROM Charleston gives an interest
ing description Of the mode Of the conducting
the blockade auctions in that city, which the
public see advertised in all the newspapers of
| the Coniederacy After describing the Quiet
aud altered appearance of the city, the writer
says: On King and East Bay streets at lea st
four-fihs OF the stores are closed, and on
Meeting street the only oasis one sees in the
great desert of suspension is at the houses
where the piles Of goods which so constantly
ru., The blockade, are suctioneered off Here
when an auction ia TO take place merchants
professional characters. and men Of leisure ell
eager for The accumulation OF dollars: congre-
"a 10 vast numbers, and the 2orc rooms pfe
sent scene of busy life. which contrasts
strongly wirh the remaining portions of the
city. have, by dint of extraordinary perse.
verancc. worked my way into one of these
densciy packed auction rooms. and found the
the scene presented ono Of sufficient interest
10 describe. \ buriy man of about 240 pounds
avolrdupois, mounts n chair and announces
that theysale is abont to commence continuing
with the remarks that the conditions are cash
and that no issue of the Hoyer & Ludwig Con.
federaie plate will be taken. The crier. who
possesSess strength oflungs of which Slentor
himself would have been proud. and rapid
ity OF articulation that has never been surpass
ed by human tongue, is accompanied by lit
tie gray haired man. who wears n wooden can
OF richly variegaied hues. the crown Of which
displays the Confederate flag. This E,le
mtn chef occupation is 10 cxal, the merits
of the glSds on sale, throw in occasional yi,ti
cisms. and catch the winks and blinks'
bidders which the crier overlooks A wink is
as good rs nod with the little man. and he
baws il out as Justify as if he were giving an
alarm Of fire, or crying stop thief The great
majority OF the crowd who attend these cargo
saies are Germans and Jews and oLe is as
much surprised at their number as at their
unpronounceable aud strangely sounding c,r-
nomens, which, at the knock down of every
article, CRATES harshly upon The ear of siran-
ger. For the amusemert of your uuinitiated
readers give n few, which il was my privi
lege 10 hear, viz; Litchtonstein, Miitledorfer.
Stcinlein. DoOrliinger. Rosenbaum. Grerlgraw,
Zte5lauf. Rerscrari"g. Slim Ilow. Ungrauphit.
etc h-"y oil the merchants here complain
thst although these immense cargoes are sold
al their very doors, yet by means of combina-
lions made among buyers from abroad. they
are unable I purchase articles sufficient TO
justify them in keeping open their store For
example, three, four, five, or six buyers may
combine and purchase a lot of articles amount
ing in the aggregate to one hundred thousand
or more dollars and then divide the lot. THIS
is frequently done, and as the auctioueets,
who have most extensive catalogue to dispose
OF. go upon the principle of con iensing all
they can. the buyer of more limited purses has
no means Of replenishing his exhaust ed stock.
Tho mngaitude Of those sales is really surpris
ing, and tho last ono made by II. A, Prinele &
Co.. und rstand, footed up over TWO millions
and half of dollars. The parties for whose
benefit they are chiefly made viz: labn Pra.
ser Co., have already rsnlifed $40. .000, 900
Or THIS amount $4,000. 900 have been invested
in Confederate bonds.
soc
H. Cotl O.