The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1863-04-09
Correspondence of the Ficl', Gni l'iresilc
lfiOckade Auction Sales.

! letter 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 Contederacy After describing The ouie,
aud altered appearance Of the city, the writer
says: On King and East Bay streets At least
four hiths OF the stores are closed and on
Meeting street the only oasis one sees in the
great desert OF suspension is at the houses
hero the piles OF goods which so constantly
rua 'hr blockade. are suctiorecred off Here.
when an auction is 10 take place. merchants
professional characters and men &C leisure oil
eager Tor The accumulation OF dutla-s: congre-
ga . 10 vast numbers, aud the sinre ROOMS ore
sen, scene of busy life. which contrasts
strongly win the remaining portions of the
city. | have by din, of extraordinary persc.
ver"ncc, worked my way into one of these
denscly packed auction rooms and found ia .
the scene prescntcd one OF sufficient interest
70 describe hurly man of about 2iO pounds
avc!rdupois, mounts n chair and announces
that the sale Is abont 10 commence continuing
with the remarks that the conditions are cash.
and that an issue of the Hoyer Ludwig Con
federate plate will he taken Th,. crier who
poSses9es- strength lungs of which SIentor
himself would have been proud and n r,pid
iiy OF articulation that has never b .en Surpass
Ell ny hnman tongue, Is accompa1 1ie by a lit .
tie gray haired man. who wears a wooden can
displays the Confederate flag. This lille
man = chef occupation is 10 exalt the merits
of the z }Sds on sale, throw in occasional si,ti
clsms, and catch the winks aud b!inks' O
bidders which the crier overlooks. A wink il
as good rs q nod with the little man. and he
bawis II out a Justify if he were giving an
alarm OF fire, or crying stop thief The great
majority Ut the crowd who attend these cargo
sales are Germans and Jews. and ore is a.
much surprised at their number az at their
unpronounceable aud strangely sounding c,g-
nomens, which, Al ihe knock down OF every
article CRATES harshly upon he ear of strar
ger. For the amusement of your uninitiated
readers l give few. which il was nv priyi-
lege 10 hear. viz Litchtonstein. Mitledorfer
Steincn. Doorllinger. Rosen baum Gretzgraw.
Iieglauf. Reiscrati"g, Slim .lnw. Ungrauphit
etc N@ny OF the merchants here complain
thst anhOngh these immense cargoes are sold
al 'heir very doors, yet hy means of cOmbina-
lions made among buyers from abroad they
are unable purchase articles sufficient to
justify them in Keeping open their store. For
example, three, four five, or six buyers NAV
combine and purchase a let of articles amount
ing In the aggregate to one hundred thousand
or more dollars and then divide the lot. THIS
is frequently done. and rs the auctioneefs.
who have most extensive catalogue to dispose
oil, 80 upon the principle OF con iensing all
they can. the buyer of more limited purses has
no means Of replenishing his exhaust ed stock
The magaitnde Of these sales is really surpris
ing, and tho last one made by r. A. Pringle &
Co.. und rstand, footed up over TWO miiionS
and hall OF dollars. The parties for whose
bcnohi they are chiefly made viz: lohn Pra.
ser Co, have already renlired s O. 900 O1O
VI ms amount $4,000. 900 have been invested
in Confederate bonds