Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1872-05-30
An AuctiOneer's Fun.

MANY of our readers-those among the
elder-of Boston and vicinity, will re-
member Whitney's Auction Rooms, at
No. 80 Washington street. 1t is all gone
now. The old Office overhead, where |
first tried my hand at the 'quill editori.
al has passed away, and an imposing
front of granite and iron has superseded
the modest facade upon which I was so
proud, in those long-gone days, to see nv
name stuck up ip golden letters. Ard
those who remember Whitney will not
fail to remember "old Torrey," his auc-
tioneer. Once upon time Torrey was
taken sick, and Whitney sent up to the
fremont Theater for Fullerton to come
down and preside at the evening sale.
This Fullerton was wag of the first
water. He had, aforetime, been favor
ite salesman of the mart, but had of late
been making himself useful among the
knights of the buskin, and was one of
Gilbert's best men for sudden make-shifts.
At this time Fanny Kemble was at the
fremont, where she had been literally
electrifying the people by her impersona-
ton of Julia in 1.-THE Hunchback," and
there was hardly man or woman in the
city, with the price of a ticket to spare,
who had not seen her; and the ambitious
boys of the street, and boys of maturer
years, had repeated the celebrated lines
of Julia's cry:
"Cliford, why don't you speak to mes
o! Clifford, is it you:' etc,
until they had become as familiar as
household words.
Fullerton had called for bids upon an
old-fashioned eight-day clock, and had
run it up to ten dollars, when it hung.
"Going-going-ten dollars. Do /
hoo q
at ten dollars?-Shall l hear fifty?-Al
done atten?-Going-going-gooe! at What
name?''
There was pause. Again the auction
eer What name? 2" upon
which timid voice upon his left an
swered-" Clifford"
so! Clifford, asa you ?" cried Fullerton,
dropping his hammer, and clasping his
hands, a Ia Fanny Kemble.
The joke was irresistible. All present
and the large room was crowded-reoog-
niZed the imitation in moment; and the
audience, in token of their appreciation,
followed up the burst OF laughter by
round of vociferous applause.
"Cliffordr' exclaimed the auctioneer,
as soon as the merriment had somewhat
subsidized, "is it cash?-shall we call it
cash?-Ol Clifford drawing out his
handkerchief in grand burlesque OF the
divine Fanny IS its it-you?"
Clifford, the innocent purchaser, it
seems, was bashful, retiring old bache-
lOr, entirely unacquainted with theatrical
things, and having become really alarmed
at the unaccountable merriment of the
crowd, he was afraid to open his lips
again, lest he should excite another burst
of the strange humor.
''Is it cash, sir?" again asked the auc
tioneer.
All eyes were turned upon Clifford, who
looked very much as did Jerry Blossom
when he wanted to go home to his
mother.
Fullerton would rather lose his Gus
toner than his joke, and with last effort
of his initiative powers, throwing himself
into position, and literally reproducing
the flash and the tone of the impetuous,
fiery-eyed Fanny, he cried
''Cliffordl Why don't you speak to me?"
The assembly fairly screamed at this,
and amid the uproarious, deafening burst
poor Clifford made precipitate bolt for
the door, and escaped.-N. Y. Ledger.