Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1866-01-13


The animal auction sale of the pcws of
Plymouth church took place last evening at
the church, in Orange street, Brooklyn, Mr.
Pillsbury officiating as auctioncer. The
cdilice was crowded in every part by mem
bcrs Of the congregation, among whom was
fair sprnkling OF ladies'. Each person was
furnished on entering with card show
ing the interior VI The church, the location
and numbers Of Dews and their valuation
10 understand the manner in which the
sale was conducted, it should be borne in
mind that caeh pew has a fixed valuation,
and the chyic" ., MI in the house is offered
without reservation Tor previous ., cupaats
to the highest bidder. Each aisle seat has
fixed valuation. and is offered Ia the h. gh
est bidder Tor a premium above the vaua
ton. Payment f r the rent cf the pcws is
required in advance and ,or aisle seats the
whole year IN advance.
The sales were opened by the offer of
first choice. lnc contest for this was very
exciting, and good deal Of smart bddiag
took place, commencing from 800. II was
knocked down to II. u. Chahin, the well
known dry goods merchant dong business
in this city, for the snug little sum of $4Oc,
who choose pew No. 50, the annual rent OF
which is 1920, making in all 1920. Bids
for the second choice then commenced. and
after considerable Of a contest, it was won
by Mr.. Joseph P. Howard, for 5000. lie
selected pew No. 81, the annual rent for
which is $40. The following were the next
choices and their successful competitors
Third choice, Ii. Benedict, $50, pew Sc,
valuation 400 fourth choice, H. c. Bow
en-, 1915, pew 80, valuation $40; fifth
choice, a. Clailin, $500, pew So, valuation
800; sixth -choice, S. Il. Duryec, 1925.
pew So, valuation $llO seventh choice, NJ.
5. Beach, S205, pew b6, valuation 800
eighth choice, Jno. p. Howard, 1906. pew
80, valuation 800; ninth choice, Mr.. Camp.
$500, pew 1874, valuation $llO; tenth
choice. Mr.. Dennis, $27O, pew 1873, valua
ton 800.
Several other pews were knocked down to
the highest bidders, without choice, for
*245, $500, $2l3, and $l49.
On the whole the bidd ng was spirited,
from the highest to the lowest seat in the
house, II was a noticeable feature OF the
occasion that the spirit Of speculation 80
rampant in Wall street in the matter Of
stocks was carried into this so called house
OF worship with great zeal by several men,
bers OF the congregation. For instance, il
was perceived That several choice seats in
the house were knocked down to the same
persons. who evidently bought them up
with an eye to future profit by selling them
out at higher prices when the best seats
would have been sold. A stranger who
would have entered the house thinking to
see an audience Of christians, would have
had his ideas Of houses of worship consd-
erably shaken by the world like shift and
stock hoard manner of operation in the Sc
lecfien Of seats. It forcibly reminded one
Ola passage of scripture referring to the
temples of God turned into a den of-well
brokers. As yet. to what sum the gross
income from premiums will amount to, can
not be arrived at but as the total rents for
the psws amounted to some twenty
thousand odd dollars last year. the grand
total income Of the church, premiums and
rents together, will not, at the lowest COM
putat'on, fall short Of 94O,OoO for the yea,
ending January, 1867.