National Republican., 1882-12-05
DEAD MAIL FOR SALE.
Curious Buyers Of Curious Merchandise In
an Auction shop.

an Auction shop.
The Dead.Lctter Oficesis doing lucrative
piece Of house cleaning now from duy to day
at the auCtiOn-rooms of Duncanson Bros,
southeast corner of Ninth and streets.
From instructions and the neglect of the
sender to put his name ON the outside of the
wrapper or envelope Uncle Sam finds himself
in possession this year of 1861 parcels of
goods of every conceivable description, each
weighing less than four pounds These he is
anxious to dispose of TO the best advantage,
and is doing so at the place named by auction.
The articles are carefully done up, SO that the
eye of the curious cannot penetrate them, but
each package Is Numbered, and buyers are
furnished with free catalogues giving the
number of each package and vague dcscrip-
tion of it contents. In bidding for them
there is the clement of gambling which is so
fascinating to weak human nature The
description given in tho catalogue merely
names the article, without limiting at its quail
ity Frequently package will contain more
articles than is stated in the catalogue, but
never less, unless an error is made. The
auctioneer takes each package up in the regu-
lar order of its number and startsit at twenty
five cents Uncle Samuel taking the position
that every package contains more than that
value in goods. No time is lost, for the swivel
hung, 3,000-rcvolutions-per minute tongued
auctioncer puts up, knocks, down, and de-
clhres sold half-doZen articles all in the
same breath A bidder to get Just the
particular package he wants must keep one
eye on his catalogue, the other on the
auctioneer, and his lungs constantly in
fated in order to get his bid out
quick enough. In last evenings sales it was
rarely q package sold above 81, and when
one of Senator Bayard's constituents bid SO
for package catalogued to contain pair of
lady's cotton hose, pair infants cotton hose,
pair misses cotton hose, handkerchief, and
dress shields" the laughter at and "guying"
of the purchaser suspended the auctioneers
volubility for full two minutes. The average
price paid per package is about go cents, and
the auctioneer averages three sales minute,
keeping half dozen clerks delivering pack
ages and making change-all sales being for
cash. Some of the packages contain queer
combinations, such as lady's soiled skirt
and pound of young hyson tea" 1t was
when package 752, schedule A, contain
ing "5 sets COW mixers" was put up
that the winning words of the auc-
tioneer failed to get a bidder. Not soul
seemed to have any use for cow-milkers.
Packages containing iewelry of any kind al
ways secured lively bids and good prices, but
it is safe to state that on the average they
were the least valuable of any. Ever and
anon the auttioneer, in seriocomic tone,
would caution buyers not to open their pack
ages in the room. Taking the jester's words
i'll earnest coy maidcns and bashful young
men would edge Off in corner and secretly
pick open their packages unable to Withstand
the temptation to learn at once whicher or no
they had struck it rich. The number of soiled
shirts, socks, and other garments in the pack
ages would lead one to believe that many
poor wretches got so hard up that they
had to send to washerwomen in distant
parts of the country where their credit
was good to get their duds purified
But there are sad stories connected
with some of these packages. One contained
Infants soiled lace cap, pair infants hose,
pair infants knit shoes. A middle-aged lady
bought these and, opening the package, found
them, though soiled, done up in tissue paper,
a curl of beautiful silken hair, tied with del
icate pink ribbon, rolled up in the cap Could
a more impressive sermon have been preached
Some mother, broken-hearted over the death
of her child, had done up portion of its tiny
apparel, incosed a curl cut from it's head after
death, and sent them by mail to a dear friend
who grieved with her over the death of the
loved one. In the poignancy Of her sorrow
she had misdirected the package, and, instead
of going into the hands of mourner, the
treasures had here fallen into possession of a
stranger. u.H