The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-02-23
DEAD-LETTE9 SAlEe
The singular Articles Sent Throue', the
Mails and Never Called for.

Washington Cor. Cincinnati Tiines-gtarl
The packages whica are examined at ths
as'2l-.etter Office arr Faaie up again. some
unss the contents o. 1Eo or three put in one.
sometimes bundled together again as thew
were received, Wrapped in brown paper. md
gent to come auesioneer to be sold. Tn. sale
IS advertised AMI usually draws prsttv
/ large attendance. Nobody is permitted 10
Ok smia0 the contents OF the package being
>li The printed catalogue tells briefly the
contents Of each, but not with sufficient de-
tail 70 give lnu. ii2a OF what they really
! contain. And the catalogue is not consulted
| by all the bidders. 81 the buying of these
Packages, numbering thousands as they do
is much like lottery venture Indeed. il is
LARGELY because of this that the sale attracts
SO large number o. people The auction
roouts where it Is conducted IRE us1laII,
I crowded, and tho sale is very interesting and
sometimes amusing.
Tha class Of articles making up these mys
teriuu5 packages is 50 varied AMI so luli-
crousg combined Us to cause shouts OF
| laughter where they are opened. As rule,
| buyers dc not open the packages at the auc-
| ton rooms, for they know that thew run q
| risk Of making themselves laughing stock.
| There are usually enough who run this risk,
| however, to keep the crowd in a good-na-
! tgrod roar, and show the funny uses that are
| mat'e OF the mails. One purchaser at the
| sale just closed got III one Of the packages
| which he bought black wool hat, an old
| file, and Il pair Of old red drawers. His
| amusement and chagrin were no greater,
| however, than that of man who found the
! contents OF his package TO be a lot of dam
| aged and solled uIderclothing for the gentler
/ sex, fodr lady's linen collars, and small
| feather for la9y'o hat. Still another lot
| turned cut Oh examination to be a chill Is
| lib, pair of cheap fiager-rings, two spools
| ct thread and rubber diaper Another got
| as his prize seventeen papers Of tine-c to-
| bacco, button hook, and pair Of socks
| One package which excited roars Of Iau2 liter
! from everybody but the purchaser contained
| some cheap jewelry, a butter knife, sugar
I spoon, eleven old toothbrushes, and button
hook. Still another had two pairs of chill
dren's shoes, two hanlkerchiefs, a worn
| apron, and four old nightcaps
| One purchaser was made happy by finding
| in his very heavy package Gaskelrs Com
pendulum and an old jelly glass One indi-
! yidual presumably government clerk, s0t
in his package Il book entitled "Why We
Are Democratic another bought a hand
stInalY bound Bible, and another copy Of
"Hoyle's Games, There We're large numbers
Of corse5s,. large numbers Of "harmonicas,"
aHl hundreds OF packages containing both
mems and wonen's underwear and overwear
n all stages Of cleanliness ami otherwise
Hnl all conditions as to wear and wearing
p,ss. biiities. False teeth, worn Rubber Shoes
a circular saw, a pound Of tea, bottles Of
tooth wash, electric batteries, suits Of cloth
| ing several watches, sHd quantities OF Jew
elry were among the curious articles ill
tTu 5eI 10 the mails. The po4to1i,e depart
:l-It accompanies tae Catalogue o. articles
VIA a hrie- suggestion t. the public that il
those son ting PACKAGE would see that they
aT+ vel wrapped. carefully addressed, and
| bearing on the corner til. nnms aai address
Of the ssdieI, Ia ioses would not be one
tet.Ca what they are now, for if they were
oHo4l-al for &ul an3el!vered they would lie
returned TO the sanders