Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-11-07
A CORNER IN GODS.
Bob Inges'soll Buysng up all TIE Dsities u.
the Market That Viii He Do With

"A CORNEk In GODSs
Bob Ingersoll Buysng up all the Dsities in
the Market That VIII He Do With
Them?
New York Sun, Nov. 2.
For more than week past the proprietors
of the Old Curiosity shop, in Broadway,
near Blocker street, have been selling out
by auction their heterogeneous stock of rub
bish and rarities from all parts of the globe.
One of the most constant attendants at the
sale is port]y, well-fayored old gentleman,
dressed in black, who comes early, chooses
seat near the auctioneer, and remains to the
end of the days proceedings, watching every
thing with nervous and slightly quizzical
expression.
The old gentleman is evidently not
habitual frequenter of auction rooms. For
the first two or three days his manners,
though hearty, were little shy and self
conscious, and he shrank from the general
attention which he drew upon himself by
the singularity of his actions. After he had
become better acquainted with the surround
lngs, he gained courage; spoke up louder
when be made bid, and on one or two occa-
sions even ventured to handy jokes with the
nlmble tongued-actlOneer.
The gentleman in black is COL Robert G..
lngersoll, of Peoria, Ill. His presence in
this city is due to lecture engagements in
this neighborhood, and has no connection
with the sessions of the millenial conference
Col. Bob IngersoD attends the auction at
the Old Curiosity shop with well-defned
purpose. He is not engaged in stocking a
private museum, nor is he particularly in
terested in bric-a-brac or pottery. So long
as the auctioneer vends Nankin china, or AZ
tee jugs, or Tunisian tobacco-pipes, or al
legged Satsuma ware, Col. Ingersoll either set
ties back in his seat with an air of indiffer-
ence, or patiently scans his catalogue. But
as soon as god is to be put up to be bid for
his whole manner changes. He is alert and
eager. He leans forward in his chair, his
face slightly flushed with excitement and
caps bid with bid in rapid succession. Every
thing in the shape of god that is offered
for sale Bob Ingersoll bids for, without re-
gard to cost.
AS there are several other regular attend
ants with a taste for deities, Col. Ingersoll' s
reckless bidding sometimes meets with lively
competition. Napoleon Sarpny, the pho
tographer, is also buying gods, but he Sc
lects them on aesthetic principles and for
artistic purposes. He bids for only SYM
metrical gods. Col. Ingersoll's appetite, on
the other hand, is omniverous. The rudest
Hindoo idol of baked red clay and tie most
hands omely carved japanese deit-, splendid
in paint and gold leaf, seem to have equal
value in his eyes. His theology is purely
democratic, comprehensive and impartial.
ga gods god for a that he whispered, as
dlngy, stupid-faced and thoroughly dis
n{at Hot+ tot ~ l.
to him for 81 cents.
Under the stimulus of Col. Ingersoll's
wholesale purchases, Sarony's competition,
street man who drops in on his way up
town, hoping to buy good short for the
adornment of his mantelpiece, the market
price of divinities has been greatly enhanced
since the beginning of the sale. Styles that
brought only seven shillings or a dollar on
the first day now easily run up to So. SO or
1915 at five cent jumps. The shrewd auc-
tloneer takes advantage of this unexpected
vogue and dwells eloquently upon the good
points of the gods he offers, while Col. In
gersoll mods acquiesence in all that is said in
their praise, and never rel1nquishes the bat
tie until the prize is his.
"Here, now,'' said the auctioneer on
Thursday afternoon as his assistant held up
to the light hideous, chocolate colored
Buddha from Thibet, about two feet high
and apparently 200 years old. CHOW here's
something worth having. How much am
offered for the god?''
'sForty CENTS" ventured bashful gentle.
man in the rear of the room.
'Forty cents!" repeated the auctioneer,
with whitening scorn. 'Forty cents for a
fine oriental deity like that That god has
been worshiped by hundreds of thousands
of ingenious and devout heather. Forty
cents Why, he's worth moro than that to
Put IN your hallway to frighten off burglars -
"Forty-five,'' said the abashed gentleman,
bidding against himself.
"Well, I'll take it for a starter,'' said the
auctioneer, "though it's shame to mention
45 cents in connection with such god. See
how he bushes himself! Forty-fve, tee five,
tee-fve, seven-half, sev-naf, sev-naf- go
"Fifty cents!'' said the original bidder.
The auctioneer's face wore an injured and
almost disguised look. "It's very plain,''
said he, in a confidential but perfectly
audible aside to Col. Ingersoll, CHAT these
gentlemen don't understand the value of a
really authentic god."
"I'll give Is cents for the god,'' said Col.
Ingersoll, firmly.
''Col. Ineersoll bids seventy-fvc,' said the
auctioneer. Now he knows what god is.
Seventy five, tee five, tee-fye. eighty by
half dozen gentlemen in the back of the
room. "Tee-eight, tee-eight, tee-eight-''
The chocolate colored Buddha ran up to
$1.35, and stopped there.
'Gone!' said the auctioneer, after a brief
pause; ''gone to Ingersoll for $780,
The next exciting episode was over very
large Japanese idol of carved wood, in a sit
ting posture, with hands raised in the atti
tude of benediction. The deity wore hand
some red cloak trimmed with gold. He was
carefully hoisted up into the glare of the
gaslight, and auctioneer and audience gazed
upon it in silent admiration for fully a min
ute.
''Look at him we'll, ladies and gentlemen. -
said the auctioneer, lowering his voice to the
tone of reverence. .Observe all his points
before you begin to bid. Now there's rare
treasure for some household. There's cod
that the most fastidious purchaser needn't
be ashamed of. In all my experience in this
line of business it has never been nv priv
llege to offer finer article. What dive say,
gentlemen? Speak up lively. Who's 90
ing to secure the god? How much for the
god?
After a resolute and protracted struggle
between Col. Ingersoil and the captain of the
Hudson river steamboat Drew, the Japanese
god in the red cloak trimmed with gold was
knocked down to Ingersoll for 1896.
A small copper idol, from Bombay, green
with rust, went to Col. Ingersoll for three
shillings. After examining it in every part
with a peaceful expression on his face, he
wrapped it up carefully in a newspaper and
put it into his pocket. The little copper god
evidently was bargain.
A crackleware Chinese god of uncouth
shape was sold to Col. Ingersall for So. It
was probably worth thrice that sum at private