New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-07-13

ally filling ne the hour approached. Almost every
body was standing ladies included of whom not
few were conspicuous the three raised steps
which ran around the room. murmur was heard
a. the dish was produced and everybody stretched
forward to see once more at distance what most of
us had seen and handled and scrutinizcd before
now. If it were TO he judged merely 10y its decora-
tive effect al distance it would not excite enhusi-
asm Viewed as IL was meant TO he. near, II "a
masterpiece of design. of drawing. Of color. aud oi
technical perfection In enamel FROM atar IT APP
pears To bc covered with catorpillars or other wrg
Cling crcaturcs shade Of Leonard Llmou'in forgive
me D. and nothing whatever IF ita real beauty can
be dcaorrd across this room. That little fact doca
not diminish tic general excitement. an oAcltr
which. of all this multitude, the nuotioncor alone
seems not to share MIR Woods Is a. cool aa ever
tie makes speech, docs not raise his voice above
its usual level nor 40 much ~ declare the name OF
the beet which the man with an apron and with "A
fiat paper cap on his head IL promenadng up and
down the green baize lane.
lie gives the number aud waits for a BID, which
comes almost at once TO the tune of two thousand
guineas. Two thousand five hundred is heard from
half dozen directions. and SO by five hundred
guneas at "a time the bidding advances-adyances
as Nh Gladstone might say, by leaps and bounds
TILL it touches five thousand. Then most of the COM
pettors fall of. Their limit has been reached
Two or three survivors remain, but the magnitude
of the sum makes them cautious the pace siackens
and instead of five hundreds they content now
10 fling single hnDdreds at each Others heads. But
there is hardly any hesitation till Mr. Woods calls
t. 500 guneas. Then comes pause of half a min
ute then a voice says 1000 and burst OF APP
planse follows The auctoneer turns to the quarter
whence the voice heard. smiles. shakes his head
slightly, and says, " Ii yOnr bid at $500, Mr.
Werthemcr." The veteran dealer. who passes for
being one of the most knowing and wary Of the
fraternity had for far forgotten his GOODNESS
as to advance on his own offer. His last remaining
rival sezes the chance 10 g him 100 better, again
1000 is named, again there is pause. the little
ivory toy which does duty for hammer rises in the
air. once, twice. third time. seven thousand
mineas." A hush comes over the place. seven
thousand guineas.' You could have heard pin
drop. The little ivory toy fixes every eye, polses IN
the air ten seconds more and comes sharply down
on the desk. Seven thousand guncas. Vert
heimerr And the pcnt-up emotions of an audience
capable of being stirred by a scene dramatic in its
trivial intensity broke loose again in storm of APP
plause.
Before this dish was sold some of those over-wise
people who abound in the world had been "a wing ii
would fetch 1900 guineas and that TO their GER
tain knowledge $4,000 had been offered privately
and refused All this is eXagg'raton | asked one
of the syndicate what De thought Of the price OBJ
tanned "Simply monstrou.," was his answer and
much beyond what any of Us thought would be
paid" little later in the vestibule were to be seen
three members Of family famous alike in finance
and in the world of brc-a-brac talking the matter
over with Mr. Wertheimer. who was handing his
dish about from one to the other. Other con-
nui,seurs were of the group and but one opinion
was expressed The dish matchless. and a, to
the price-well, 1000 guineas is great deal of
money but is any sum too great for work of art
winch absolutely hath no fellow One of the COM
panv reminded Mr. WerthcImcr of the otter that en-
terprising dealer had made him some time ago when
ne proposed to buy the dish and sell it for 10000.
above mentioned that Just twice that SUN had been
offered and refused Ii appeared presently that the
1000 guincas had not been bid on commission but
as speculative enterprise the part of the dealer
himself And whether he makes profit on the
dish or not" added another of the audience. he
will have q good thing A hundred person, Will 90
into his shop tomorrow, thousand before the
week ls over. 10 see this purchase, and 10 most of
them he will sell not the dish but something else
do not myself often 20 INTO Nerthcimcrs 5. but my
general impression of the place i that nothing Is TO
be bought there much under 100 gulncls, while
many and many an object reaches up 10 Inc thou-
sands Bv and by Mr. Werth2Imer departed with
his dish tucked under his arm. made hrs way care
lesslv enough through the throng OF people eucun-
herring the nall and the pavement. ana 50 INTO
four heeed cab and trundled oil with ms treasure
10 Boud-st. And once more beg leave to asN,
where is Mr. Vanderbilt | cannot hear that "A
single niece ont of the 900 which composed the
Fountaiue collection has been bought for America.
q. W. 5.