Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-05-10
Mock AuctiOns.

my. Dor. Of the Cincinnati Gazette
This Is the carnival season OF the mock fur.
ness is carried in this city is amazing. and the
boldness with which the same Old frauds are
advertised every day in the year is equally as
tonishing: This is the carnival season OF the
business, because this is the time OF year when
the city Is getting ready for Its annual moving
People who never buy furniture at any other
time buy IL low. Imagine young married
months to buy lounge or bookcase. The
| idea strikes him that there must ce people who
nave lounge or a bookcase TO GET rid OF, and
tween thousands OF people who want things
and those other thousands who have got
the things which the anxious thousands
or They aake e column SaM Of
the very thing they wanted! Here is Col e.
X Bonner, just on the point OF sailing for Eu-
rope, who is compelled to sell Off his entire
nOuse1ul or furniture at auction regardless OF
sacrifices, and then follows dazzling enumera-
ton Of his possessions. He must have been a
man CT very artistic tastes, for he has no less
modern masters+exactly eighty -nine-and two
Steinway pianos, and fairly bewSldering as.
sortment OF furniture OF all sorts, In satin and
silk and all manner Of beautiful stuffS-furni.
ture enough apparently for steamboat And
here is another rare opportunity: "A private
family breaking up housekeeping. after only
again is prodigal variety OF household goods:
Three pianofortes, four round Steinway piano.
forteS"-I am quoting from an actual advertise.
meemagnle 1af Upright piano. also grand
pianos In one house! Oh, what musical FAINT
~ was there, my countrymen! But this is not
an; theTe are thirty carpets, ninety three
pieces Of bronze, iifty-one extra important oil
paintings, &C..
or course, readers who are shrewder than nv
innocent young married couple have guessed by
ms tme the secret OF all this vast variety.
colonel c. \. Bonner is myth and there is
no 'pT1vate family" in the case, nor is that fam
ny gong TO Europe. The auctioneers hire
an Underground connection with furniture
houses for all the old-fashioned, unstable,
i i;n PIECES and work them off upon the pub
lished one. There is one house in west Ss' asd
street, lear Sixth avenue, which has been adj
seIIiseo as "a private residence" In which an
auction OF 1.-THE household furniture Is to take
place, for eighteen years 10 my personal knowl-
edge. The announcement appears every day
or almost every day, in the Herald, and its form
18th street and another In west 14th which
has been in the business for many years. and
yet they find dupes every day who think they
are attending genuine auction.
A visit to one OF these auctions makes YOU re.
1terate that familiar wish that Dickens were
sui alive. A practiced eye can pick out at a
glance the hired bidders who have been sitting
about On chairs In matronly shawls and stand
Ing about with the air OF business men Just
cropped In to pick up bargain, for no one
Knows X e,'a how may years Think Of growing old
the week, for ten years, on marb.e-top wash
stands and fraudulent black walnut wardrobes,
The semblance of actual residence is carefully
preserved In these strange places. The brand
new carpets are laid on the unused floors the
brand new bed clothes are laid on the brand
new bedsteads, the brand new wardrobes and
bureaus are stationed in their appropriate
places, the rooms are half darkened and it is
only upon letting the light In, which is not done
unless you Insist upon Il, that you see the new
ness Of everything. There are many strange
trades In great City, but know OF few stran-
ger than this