The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-01-22

proper signature, so that the address OF
the writer OF The letter cannot even be
asccrtaihcj. All these letters hnd. in
due course ot time. their way to the
"dead letter office" at Washington, from
where such are returned to the scndcrs a.
can De- returned. while those IN which the
address OF the sender cannot bc ascer-
tanned are destroyed. Many of these let
tiers contain articles OF one Kind or
another. sent a. souvenirs or presents.
and these are carefully pre-
served and catalogucd. At the
end OF two years, when the miscellanc-
Gus collection has attained rather as
founding proportions. the entire collec-
ton j. divided up IN suitable lots. which
are sold ut auction 10 the highest bidder.
This year the collection embraces some
nine thousand lots; and it would be
difficult To lind an article that j. not
represented IN this collection all the
way from paper OF pins or set
of note.pap,r, to live alligator il box.
A., under the new system. packages
weighing as much ~ four pounds can be
sent through the mail. there are quite n
packages, being too bulky for letters.
suck a. sewing machines (uf which there
are several. minus the table,. silver spoons
and forks. babies outfits. pipes, cigar
holders. and any quantity OF embroidered
slippers there are booknarks enough.
one would thiuk. to supply halt of the
civilized world. aud iablc-linen. bed
| clothes. Undertaking of all kinds. and
| tableware enough 10 start dozen fami.
lies comfortably in housekeeping. And
| all these things. not few of which are
,icles from the dead letters. sent out in
the world without guide or address, by
somebody to som, body else but whom.
when, or where. will forever remain
mystery.
This curious auction commenced to-
day. and will be continued for at least a
month to come. until all the articles had
been disposed Of. As matter of curl
osity. Went there. and found the alIc-
tion-rooms crowded TO their utmost ca
pacity fully half an hour before the sale
was to commence. The audience
was mixed" one, composed of
all classes and both sexes, without |
regard 10 age. color and previous condi-
ton of serytude; there were people |
who, like your correspondent. were |
guided only by curiosity; people who
came 10 buy Oh "spec. :" Others who,
having little money to invest. thought
this would be good opportunity to get
4 birthday present. for some friend or
other, cheap; and large number who
came simply because Others came, and
who wanted merely to see ''what wa the
matter" Those who came to buy on |
speculation. to sell again mostly Jews
and keepers OF secondhand clothing
stores and pawn-.hopsl, were bnsily por
ing over their catalogues, marking the
lots ON which they intended to bid and
at precisely twelve o'clock the sale com
nenced with slot No. 1.-TWO npcktic.,"
which We're knocked down at 90 cents
Lot No. ,. lone pair OF braces went fci.
Is cents; and Lot No. 3, zone harmomi. /,
con-" brought the iabulOu, sum Of one
dollar. Twenty-Five machine needles
md one bodkin were offered in one lot
No. S3), and brought five cents. Eight
odd kid gloves were bought by one
armed soldier for twenty-five cent. for
the lot: but, then. he had no compcti.
ton. one lace collar was put up dot
No. 100, and VA. knocked down at
cents, when it was di.cov-
cred that 1t was real point lace. worth at
least thirty dollars. The lucky pur-
chaser, Ia colored woman with a baby in
her arms sold 1t OH the spot for fifteen
dollars, and, venture to say, will invest
every cent OF that fifteen dollar: at the
sale In the hope Of buying some more
real lace collars.
The sale created .j0'oye, and bids ran
somewhat higher and were more spir-
tied. The auctionecr held the articles to
be sold, one by one, up in hi. hand. in
full view of the audience but nobodycx-
cept the auctioneer and his assistants
were permitted to handle them until a.-
ter they were sold. Presently. lady's
pocket handkerchief was put up it looked
yellowish and dirty, and the auctionccr
suggested that it must be lace. The bid
was started at 20 cents, and through -
cents, jumped up to dollar, dollar and
a half, two dollars, two and half, three
dollars, three and half. four dol.
lars, up 1t went till it reached seven dol
lars, when il was knocked down and
found to be the commoncst kind of im-
tation. worth but thir,y or forty cents.
Visiting has been very general during
the past week but, 50 far. we have had
no balls or parties Of exceptional splen-
dor. February i, the month for them.
aud they will open with grand ball to
be given by the Russian minis.
ter to which invitations are
eagerly sought. Some Of our
richest senators (notably Jones and Sha-
rom have no, put in an appearance yet.
ana It Is limited that when they come.
they will entertain on a magnificent
scale, Not an evening passes withou, a
dozen balls and parties, aud "kettle-
drums" are rapidly rising into favor