The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-04-25
SALE OF OLD BAGGAGE.

suits.
somewhat curious and suggestive, though by no
means novel, sale at auction took place yesterday
afternoon at the Howard HOTEL corner Of Broadway
and Maiden ane the sale being conducted by Messrs
Leeds Miner In conjunction with the general sale
Of the furniture Of the hotel large stock Of I'M
claimed baggage was knocked down to the highest
bidder. The accumulation included eighty-six lots
consisting Of trunks valises and bundles Of every
sort plethorc and otherwise, with few ancient UNI
brellas hat or two of the last century and consid-
cradle miscellaneous stuff, the cumulative contents Of
q hotel baggage room, tenanted for months with
nothing but darkness and dust, with some little
moulder and mildew, and the most motley collection
Of personal effects that was ever scraped together
added by way Of seasoning to the former ele.
ments. Yesterday morning these tenants, with
the mldew and dust and equalization still
clinging to them were liberated from the baggage
cell and marshalled In the main hall Of the second
yet glimpse or them through the open window,
while by the same means an effort was made To ven
tlate them OF the pestilence they had been for some
months engaged in their own quiet way In breeding
strangely suggestive assembage-sO suggestive Of
disease In their mildew and dustness that would
gestive OF poverty though some OF them were cor
pulent that they seemed to appeal to one in mercy to
fortune, OF impecunioslty, OF pawnbrokers' shops
sudden pungcs down by the dock, OF going out and
never coming in again. Of absconding for want Of pc
cunary base the last thing one should he caught In
New York wthout-sO suggestive OF all these things
and many more that nobody could help eking out OF
them some moralisms of the most lueubrious
iise, George #. Iaab' IND the yalise went
for twenty-five cents and George H. LAMPS effects
went to another, were looked over and assorted by
another, were laughed over by another, were, in
short to ,t the use Of I'M Geo
priator was possibly trie wiser as to the habits Of
Mr.. Lamp. They were as motley crew as were
ever gathered In Bedam in the days when people
went mad far more Enthusiastically than now. and they
shouted their bids for the effects OF Mr. Lamb with
"Two shiIiinas for Georpe:n Money I'm that bag
gentemen'-thus went OF the disposition Of the
effects OF one who was possibly dead or possibly not
possibly among the bidders or possibly had gone or
TO seek his fortune and had never found It; possibly
anything or possibly nothing; and 1t was the strange
variety of possibilities which nhered to that baggage
empty, that made the bidding an interesting and
citing exercise. They were motley assembage,
those bidders: In many respects quite as motley
and interesting as the square boxes OF soed
linen or odds and ends which they were bidding
for '.290--NO mark shouted the maddcst of them
all from an elevated table upon which it was neccs-
sary carefully to balance himself TO maintain the
equpoise of The thing under him; mo mark, gentle
men-belonged to the Wandering Jew-cOntains i'm
portant relics-what Is your bid gentlemenY, zone
shilling for No-mark,n as II the words had been the
name OF somebody. 1.-TWO shillings for No-mark, who
died and left no signs .'Three shillings for No
marks vase ~ The bidders we're In jocular
mood, and nobody could blame them for bidding
jOcuarly. 'No-markn was suggestive phrase,
though in This case it obviously suggested something
funny. Who "No-markr was what his business had
been, a daily journal of his doings and undoings-
these were possibly the contents Of Mr.. No-mark's
valise, for the vaise was corpulent with something,
and what should 1t be, unless valuable papers re-
latng to the gentleman's personal history mo.
$685. dngy 'par Of saddlebags." "No-markn again:
itlnerant doctor perhaps, for there was sort OF
| smell OF dried herbs and pills and panaceas as the
| Ter, possibly: but not even the panaceas
| OF the doctor proved any panacea for his
| impecuniosy, and he went of and left
no sign but his saddlebags which went
of years after him for three shiilings. SOMEBODY
else may set up with them now; the original doctor
l had. perhaps, very little use for them mo. 34O-
Bundle-No mark:- 'sNo. 344-Black case---lookcd
! like a miniature cofin--no mark again. Somebody
| had gone and left Il Theoretically sealed but 10 he
| opened by somebody else, who should perhaps find
bis name within. with sundry papers and ANTIQUE
articles Of toilet all OF which had been shut up for sc
4 long that they had waxed eprous.
Thus went tho sale or lot after lot, not TO b,
/ removed until Monday. and therefore, not to opened
4 for day or two yet. What was in them must fol
/ the day remain o mystery-though perhaps he VIII,
| kept the KEY OF the baggage room knew, but knew
enough not to dvuige aud a. the sale ended, it wa.
easy to conure I'm Imagination that motley crew will
motley baggage vending out OF that same hall OF
Monday, each with the effects Of another under hi
| arm. IL was easy moreover, TO imagine the open
ing: leprous coats long worn and odorous with stale
perspiration Ieprous articles Of toilet with mildey
| on them not TO be erased with washing; strange
CHASTITY, eprous things. which II might he danger
rs disapreeable ~ handle; effects, the owners
which had perhaps mouldercd first, leaving thei
| baggage 70 mOuder after them or tell the story o
theu personal history.