Weekly Trinity journal., 1877-02-03
SOLD AGAIN.

splendid time keeper made in Geneva;
patent lever full jeweled in perfect or
der, and if it don't keep good time bring
it right back here an IN fix it for you
for nothing. It's got to be sold don't
care what it brings come, now, whstTl
you bid II Somebody start it. That's
right-S5. Gentlemen, that watch is
worth $50 il it's contain half, nat,
nat; gentlemen, here, just look at this
pass it around | want you to see what
you re buyin' that's the way We do bus
mess in this house; don't want to fool
nobody. Look at that chain-solid Eng
lish plato mind, | tell you it's plate
'taint gold-it's only plate tho watch is
gold. l don't tell you things gold
when 'taint that chain amt gold"
What crowd ! There no is, the auc-
tioneer, leaning over the counter, trying
to make that vilainous face of his take
He'd tell you his grandmother was just
turned sixteen in the same tone Of voice.
His quick, little eye follows the watch
around-Lot to SEQ 1t isn't stolen. Oh,
no No thief in this city is poor enough
to care for that watch. Ho is only read
ing faces to see how many gullibo ones
he has TO deal with. Sailors and coun-
trymen they are ; and tho greenest Of
those green species, or you may be sure
they wouldn't go there to buy. This is
ono of those night auction stores ON
Kearney street, not far from the City
Hall. On one side is II long, low coun-
ter, piled up with clothing and under
wear and perfectly unconscious of any
body else, two men behind it, whose
noses leave you in no doubt of their race,
assure one aud all that "now's your
chance" On tho other side, where tho
watch is selling, the counter is high, and
the shelves back of it aro covered with IA
great variety OF things rs tho fertile
fancy of n Yankee notion man can sug-
gest. Behind the counter are four men.
Two, one Mt either end, mako up tho
time by alternately believing snatches OF
variety show ballads and abusing the
crowd in tho frecst sort Of Barbary coast.
In the centcr arc the other two II darkey
gotten up in outrageous fashion, and
who makes fun for tho crowd by playing
the fool and helping tho others out in
attempt at n joke; and tho man who
would die sooner than deceive anybody
about tho watch makes the center piece.
He goes on, "Six who says six ?" and by
exhorting, lying, bullying, he finally
manages TO get 30 offered, and k just on
the point Of Knocking it down at that
when meek, hang dog looking fellow
slides up TO the counter and whispers
something to the auctioneer. Then in
sharp tones the latter says "What? I'm
sorry for you young man, but nobody
will bid more'n nine dollars, an l pro-
missed to let it go to tho highest. f you
want your watch back, pay me my dollar
commission an take the watch. | told
you thero wasn't good crowd to buy,
but you said to go ahead, you must have
tho money. Hain't got dollarP Well,
can't waste my time. Gentlemen, this
young mnn owes me dollar upon this
watch, and you see Pm going to sell it.
Look at it again, it's a good watch. -
And so he goes on. Perhaps he gets ten
dollars for it, and there is II show OF pay
ing nine to the poor young man. Per-
haps rs occurs frequently enough some
good hearted greenhorn offers to pay the
one dollar for the young fellow TO get his
watch again, and OF course the offer is
accepted with the most fervcnt express
sions OF gratitude and the promise to give
it back in the morning, by which time o
will have got some money, so ho says
Perhaps the auctioneer sees he has not u
sufficiently sympathetic crowd, in which
Gaze he will kindly promise the untortu-
nate owner to keep the watch until
morning. The audacious manner in
which the same game will be played over
and over again in the same evening, is
astonishing. Unfortunately the class
of persons frequenting such places is just
the class that never sees newspaper, aud
SO can only learn to be more wary by ex-
perence.-S. H. Post.