Litchfield enquirer., 1863-10-01

A WITTY AUCTIONEER.-Many years ago, there aourished in New York an auc!ioneer named Reese, who had quite reputation for wit and humor. A correspondent of the Pub Esher's Ciscular says of him:
 Reese is remembered in the trade with af- lection. He was bright, intelligent man, and an esiinabe member of society. Of an old New York family, he was brought up to the book trade. I think, by one of the Quaker fraternity-the Collinses-and it was only ia the middle of life, after various experiments m business, that he became an auctioneer. He began, if mistake not, somewhere about the year l845, with a sale to the trade in a large back building in Broadway, near Courtland street. He certainly opened proceedings with an excellent entertainment of oysters and champagne. He was the life of the company, and was called upon, of course, for speech probably for half dozen. One of his good things, towards the close, is worth remember ing. It particularly pleased the trade at the time. Gentlemen, said he, in allusion to the entertainment, we are scattering our bread upon the waters and we expect to find it after many days-buttered!'
 It was in retail sales, however, in the small change of the auction room, that his wit ap- peared to the greatest advantage. No cata- iogue could be to dull for his vivacity. He was always rapid, and an unwary customer would be decapited by his quick, electric jest before he felt the stroke The following, among oth- CT things of the kind attributed to him, will give some notion of his pleasantries
 Is that binding calf 7 asked suspicious purchaser. Come up, my good sir, put your nand on it, and see if there is any fellow feel ing wa; the ready reply. A person one eve hing had a copy of Watts Hymns knocked down to him for tride, and interrupted the business Of the clerk by calling for it's 'deliv- cry Reese, finding out the cause of the in- terference, exclaimed, Oh give the gentle man the book. He wants to learn and sing one of the hymns before he goes to bed to. night Apropos of this time-honored book, in selling copy on another occasion, when there was some rivalry in the profession, he turned off Q parody as he knocked it down
 Blest is the man who shuns the place
 Where other auctions be-;
 And has his money in his fist,
 And buys his books of me-
 His puns were usually happy, and slipped in adroitly. Offering one of the Rev. Dr. Hawks books, he added, in an explanatory way A bird of prev 'GoiBg-going-gen. tlemen-one shilling for Caroline Fry-0why, it isn't the price of stew Akin to this was his observation to a purchaser who had secur- cd copy of Bacon's Essays for twelve and a half cents That's too much pork for shillingv
 Selling book labelled History of the Ta- ters, he was asked Isn't that Tartars P 'No,' he replied, their wives were the Tartars r
 ..This,' said he, holding up @ volume of well known type to critics, is a book by a poor and pious girl, of poor and pious poems.
 No one could better introduce quotation. Some women one day found their way into the auction rooms, to a miscellaneous sale of fur nlture. They were excited to an emulous con- tention for a saucepan or something of the sort. Reese gave them fair chance with a nnai appeal: Going-going--the woman who deliberates is lost--gonep