Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-08-04
CHICAGO AUCTION SNAPS.
How They Rope In the UnsOphistica-
ted-COnfederates and Their Uses.

From the Chicago Herald.
"Do we sell goods for less than they're WORTH
Well, hope you don't take Us for FOOLS, said
the auctioneer.
"But how do you work it7"
Dummies" -
"What's a dummy
"A man who bids forus You see. before We
begin sale we set our minimum price on every
thing in the stock. ii two or more men get to
bidding honestly, Of course We don't need the
dummy's bid. buff only one man seems to want
an article the dummy bids him up to the mimi
mum figure and then keeps still. The auction
eer takes care OF the rest. If he thinks the GUS
toner will stand another rise, he pretends to
recognize bid from the dummy. II the custo-
mer doesn't raise that the dummy declares he
didn't bid. so the article is knocked down at the
price last named by the customer. Sometimes
we do em up on the double-bid scheme"
whats that"
SWELL say the customer bids 80 for watch.
If we cant get better bid we declare it sold
tor $40. The dummy steps up and says that
was his bid, and the customer does the same.
The auctioneer settles the dispute by selling it
again. and nine times out Of ten customer
will pay dollar more just to keep the dummy
from beating him. man is always willing to
pay something for having revenge.
Homo Made Wills.
From Chambers Journal
No person should write his own will unless
there be urgent need for it. Perhaps more liti-
CATION has arisen from this cause than any
other The most experienced lawyers, not even
excepting learned judges. in making their own
Wills have been known to fail, not, however, in
making simple requests, for In that man of
| fair intelligence and education could scarcely
go wrong, but in trying too much in the way OF
complex and alternative and contingent desti-
| naton-in short, looking too deeply into the
| future A man of standin g and one who is con-
| stantly in the habit of drawing such documents
| should be employed Nothing is saved by being
| too parsimOnious in this recpect.
| Ii any man is determined to write his own
| will. let him do SO in plain English setting forth
as clearly as he can what he has clearly and de-
fnitely resolved to do. All legal terms and
| phrases. notwithstanding the learning they may
display, ought to be avoided. Children, If men
toned. ought to be called by their names; and
| such expressions as ''heirs, successors, issue,
heirsof the body" and SO forth, never used at
random. Most of these terms have certain
| legal Interpretation. which may differ from what
the testator intended. There is no use, either,
in inserting long string of words like give,
grant. devise, legate. bequeath, convey, dispose,
and make over" Although most of the legal
peculiarities attaching to these words are now
swept away. their repetition only leads to con-
fusion. All printed forms of wills should be re-
jected as dangerous, at least in SO far as their
meaning is not quite clear. If no legal aid is
at hand, let the party express his wishes paper
in plain simple Saxon. just as If he were telling
a friend a story, or writing letter expressing
| his wishes. And let him not forget to sign 1t,
as has been the case with many an amateur will
maker.
The same rules apply to codicils. They may
| be executed at the testatOr's pleasure; but il
| they make changes upon or partial revOcations
of the original will great care should be taken
that these are clearly expressed. The will and
each of the codicils should be dated, although
this is not essential, if their provisions do not
clash. When two testamentary provisions are
clearly inconsistent the later revokes the earlier.
and will disposng Of the whole estate. real
and personal, heritable and movable, by mplica-
ton of law revokes all prior wills. Litigation
often arises from defects in the written instru-
ment. but still more frequently from the author
of a will not having clearly thought out what he
intends to do; or having partly altered his mind;
| or having forgotten what he has done in some
earlier cOdici, which has fallen out of sight on
| loose fy-leaf. and beqneathed the same ring OF
| piece of plate, or other mementO, to two differ.
ent persons: or left the same money legacy twice
| over to the same person.: or misnamed some col
| lege or charitable institution; or tailed to dis
| tinguish two Of similar names; or, worst of all
| has delayed this duty of setting the house in
ORDER until disease has weakened or destroyed
the ''sOund dispOsing mind" and left the kindly
| wishes and benevolent hopes of a lifetime-lonG
| cherished, but expressed. perhaps, too late--tl
a battle of medical and legal theories about in
| sanity, or the accidents of a jury trial.