New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-08-24
A SALE WITHOUT PRECEDENT.

SEVENTEEN MILLION YARDS OF CLOTH.
BUYERS FROM ALL OVER THE coUNTRY-PRIcEs
FROM TO % PER CENT BELOW THE MARKET.
Seventeen thousand and five hundred packages OF
standard domestic cotton goods were sofa Dy auc-
ton yesterday by Wimerding. Hoguet " Co. NOS.
"a and 60 White-st by order OF George g. hicn-
srdson e. Co. manufacturers agents. The sale
of Ia 600 packages was advertised to occupy
two days instead oil which still larger quantity
was disposed o. in the one day. The sale began az
10 a m. and, with an intermisson for lunch. lasted
till 6 D. M In the aggregate over 1000, 600 yards
yard for every man, woman and child in the United
States The estimated total receipts footed up,
in round numbers, $2,000,O00, the prices realized
being yarlously estimated at from TO 20 per cent
below what. had been the ruling market prices
for the same class of goo1s previous 10 the SAFE.
Probably the smaller figure IS tribe below aud me
larger figure considerably above the actual rate:
There were present members or represen tatlyes OF
all the leading yQoods houses IN the country ana
an old merchant estimated that the actuai buyers
in the auction during the day represented an
Aggregation of not less than $2OO,0OO,OOo OF cap
ital invested in the dry-goods business;
On the fourth floor of Wiimcrdlng hoguet q COS rs
bouse GOO camp stools occupied promptly at 10
o'clock Ivy an unusually substantial lot OF men, ana
perhaps half as many more stood behind them.
lew more occupied stools on tables psnfo1 aons
"prlze beauty show" or curiosilies IN dime mu-
scum. II, -
raining the catalogue of the sale, with lots num-
hered from / to CO... At sharp 10 a gOod-look king
blonde gentleman. animated as 10 manners, cool as
10 dress aud quadruplcx 10 tongue stepped 10 he
Mace hv a high and narrow desk ianked by half
a dozen assistants and clerks. This was
John Christopher wiImerdlng, tho auc-
tioneer who briefly announced the character
am, terms of the sale and added that he hoped 20
90 through the entire catalogue before evening lie
had big contract on his hands, but went ABOUT !,
was easier for him TO talk ncessantly than 10 keep
anlet Lot No. was package oil Everett blue
denim" and with this announcement young man
stood up aud he'd up samples OF the goods and
hurled with remarkable precision 20 various paris
OF the room other smaller samples fastened To cards
From the first the bidding was brisk tho auction
GERS tongue ran faster aud faster, aud the
acknowledgement threw. tossed aud pitched MS
cards TO prospective purchasers WIN ASTONISHING
ceverness. Occasionally one oil these samples
wonId carom on the surprised he Id OF merchant
prince but score was kept Of these errors IL was
o curious sort OF jafgon they listened 10, pat
the audience seemed not only ~ underNahh' Dut
actually to enjoy such bursls OF eloquence as
"Watur-watur-watur -yat-yaf -yai-yate--ya
-yaie" which being interpreted really meant
"0uartar--quarter--qna haii--halt-,hat -
three cighthS-three-eight OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES"
Occasionally the auctioDecr would lapse into Eng.
lish: Get little nca1er-take on your nay anu
stay awhie-don't 81 mad because yoa didn't get
it-irc up therep But there was no need 10 bte
mn Every one was sEel:sring with the heat,
which was at times almost uncomfortable. rs wilted
plainly showed. To the aucuoneer' credit
L should be recorded that he perpe-
|
buyars nlne-tenths Of whom hc recognized on the
Instant After the price bad been fixed on lot OF
goods dozen buyers-someilmes score IL the
goods or the price were particularly satlsactory-
| would hold up their hands and by the number oil
| dgits indicate the number of packages they
wanted frequently there ero, wSnd ,n not ,S be
| attempt TO compel the auc!oneel's attention and
| get in ahead of some rival buyer was very IKE
bsrs pesticalate wildly and shout SIR. Speaker
over half the list had been disDosrd Of when an
ptermsson was taken Tor org 'un sbss rangers
| alo1R one end OF the room, from which
the BUYERS were invited to help themselves. Quick
| work was made of 200 sandwiches aud sixty gal
| IONS of iced coffee while something else" as the
| head waiter defined It, was served io the favored
| few who were invited into the private Office. Then
| the sale proceeded with increased momentum
| 400 palm-leaf fans vigorously utilized,
| and later more iced coffee was ladled out.
notice bile feature OF the sale was inc vice as
ribution of the goods parts of single lot gong 10
| Portland, Me- 10 San Francisco anu many interme-
dtate points At o. IN. lot Ma. G62 closed the sale
| and not less than 300 weary men VINO had
| sweltered at their posts for hours hurried
| away 10 dinner. A floor strewn with samolc cards
and confused piles OF camp chairs were all that was
largest auction sale OF cotton goods ever held in
America II. Il. Cla1in & Co. were the largest pur
cbasers. The two lines OF goods i9r whiSn there
the best demand were bedford US, 3o-lncn
brown shirtlngs. which sod at 4isU4hc, and
Bennington RS at about the same prices. Among
the leading houses represented IN person hy mem
Co. Co. Bates, Reed & Cooley, 7. s. Jaaray
& Co, Durham, Buckley Co., lem
N MsfF jordan @G ASrsG S" Co.. @srsh. Pierce
brother 81 Co., Hogg, Brown * Taylor
Boston: Riegcl scott e. Co., Sharplcss " Son. Hood,
| Bonbnght & Co.. Philadelphia; j.. ".
FarwelI & Co.. Marshall, .Fieid Go,
Burke Walter a. Co, Pierce, Scott d Co.,
| Chicago; ShIilt * Co., Aims d. Doepke. Clncin-
natl Kengood Brothers. Baltimore; Edison.
| moore 81 Co; Detroit; IA. Lyon g. Son. st, Louis;
Wild Brothers. San Francisco.
q " Prices have been well sustained" was all Auc-
| tioneer Wilmerding had to say. he steDped from
| his rostrun at the end of his test of endurance.