Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-12-05
THE DEAD LETTER OFFICE SALE.
AuctiOning Off the Accommodations Of
Three Years


THE ROMANCE AND PATHos OF THE SALE
HAIR SWITCHES AND BANGS-THE AVERAGE OF
CARELEsSNEss MAINTAINED.
The sale of articles that have accumulated In
the mails during the past three years was begun
yesterday morning at Duncanson's auction
rooms on 9th street. There was a good-sized
crowd attracted by the SALE and the tempting
prospect that they might strike something big
in this lottery of the auction had no doubt, its
due influence in bringing together good pro-
portion of the crowd. These sales are no
novelty in this city, but still they have always
exerted powerful fascination. and have
been invested with an interest which
the ordinary auction is powerless to
elicit. There is an air of mystery about the rows
OF brown paper packages which are piled upon
the shelves, behind the auctiOneer and favor
OF wild adventure and feverish speculation about
oiduing for them that is perfectly irresistible to
many minds. The government endeavOrs to
make the sale as matter of fact as possible by
issuing catalogue and specifying the contents
OF each package. 1t even goes as far as to ad-
init in burst of candOr that certain articles are
damaged or ''mutilated' or ''siIyer plated"
But in spite of this frankness and attempt to
tear aside the veil, which enshrouds everything
with peculiar mystery connected with the
dead letter office, nobody believes.
THE CATALOGUE.
Even the auctioneer casts doubt upon it's re-
liability by posting conspcuously in the auction
room the sign 1.-The catalogue is believed to be
correct, but no guarantee is given" That
settles it in the public mind. There is mine
of wealth concealed in some Of these packages
iS Tn hot eli
that chubby little bundle from containing dia-
mond earrings or rolls of greenbacks or a silk
dress? Suppose the catalogue does announce
that the package contains a steel file or the
bundle pair of red flannel drawers. What of
IL! Inc catalogue may be mistaken Some
thing tells the eager speculator that the cata-
lo@ue is sham and the government does not
know what it is talking about. They reason
that II everything was as represented the goods
would be displayed and not concealed in paper
Here is the Ell Dorado, the California mine. the
OIL well. the telephone stock and other means Of
realizing sudden wealth going for a mere song
AS the spectator looks and listens something
tells him that his dreams of affiuence are about
to be realized Here at last is the
LONG-LOOKED-FOR OPPORTUNITY.
He hears the auctioneer say. in a mechanical
tone: Number 317. Twenty-Five cents is bid
Do hear thirty? Twenty-Five. thirty-thlrty. y
twenty-five; and no one accepting, in a fit of
reeklessness he puts it up for ten cents The
speculator looks at that nice brown paper par
Gel and his pulse beats more rapidly as he thinks
OF the fortune that may lay concealed within
It, Perhaps the catalogue says that it is an cleo
trio liver pad. but to the excited mind of the
speculate it may be anything from piano to
diamond pin. So he mods his head and bids the
ten cents; but someone else has discovered its
value and bids fifteen. and with the greatest
mental agony OF doubt and uncertainty the
paFcel is hnaily knocked down to the
bidder for forty cents and he
breathes sigh OF relief as he pays over his
money and gets the prize. He no doubt signs
again when he finds the lver-pad. and cheap
one at that. But then he thinks that he will
have better luck next time So he goes on buy
No. like the purchaser of lottery tickets But
there are other spectators at the sale who are
evidently small shop-keepers. and when the cat
alO@ue commences zig gents linen collars
GOO" they bid for that package Elsie
gloves. three pairs of wooden half-hose" pair
OF black kid gloves attract this class and they
get good bargains. for the articles are often the
best OF the kind, and perhaps have been sent
through the mails as samples from some manu-
facturer.
THE ROMANCE OF THE SALE
The catalogue in its enumeration OF the thou
sands OF articles from hair pin and all the
varieties of things for personal adornment to a
work on Modern Theism," would afford fine
material for an imaginative mind. Sterne's
Sentimental Journey" would suffer by COM
parisOn- The progress of such writer through
this catalogue would be saturated with tears
and accompanied by mournfu sighs Here for
instance is package containing baby's Dress
which could be made much more effective
theme than the celebrated episode of the death
of the ass was to Sterne. 1t Is possible that
the dress was bestowed with the tears of a
mother. heart-brOken over the death OF her only
child and who had sent it to some mother who
was only rich in the possession of children. It
Is, however, more probable that it is only a
commonplace sort OF dress sent as pattern
from one mother to another. or from the manu-
factory. Then there is ring. Was not that
ring the visible sign of plghted troth between
fwo ioT pas,I hearts separated by adverse
surround every thing connected with
the Dead Letter Office with pathetic,
tratric interest and the public has become so
usea to it that tears start unbidden to the eve
when the name only of the office is mentioned
1t is very easy matter for one to weep his or
her way through this catalogue, and no doubt
there are many affecting circumstances connect
ed with it, hurried glance over the pages
VIII convince those not entirely lost to all SYM
pathy with human woe of this fact.
SWITCHES AND BANGS
For instance. the article that appears most
frequently in the enumeration is stated as fol-
lows: lone real hair SWITCH" .two hair
bangs" and so on, with switches and bangs
alternating with such frequency that the thought
naturally arises if the fair ones are still waiting
for the mail to give up its plumber, what terri
bic bald-headed condition must the females of
this country be reduced to!
But the articles are not confined to wearing
apparel and personal adOrnment A box Of
cigars was sold yesterday for $I.35
and the auctiOneer knocked it down
with timely caution to the pur-
chaser not to smoke the cigars in the room.
Four pairs Of red flannel drawers were sold for
., while hair switch only brought 20 cents.
The buyers seemed to be Influenced by common
sense as well as speculative mania; but the lat
ter usually proves stronger on such occasions
Literature, art and music is not wanting i'm this
collection, and the former especially contributes
largely to the bulk.
THE LIBRARY
thus collected Is distinguished for variety. II for
nothing else. Here may be found ''The Life OF
Christ" and 1.-The Life of b. F. Butler" ..Sonrs
for the Sanctuary" and How Gamblers Win