Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-05-12
OEAO-LETTER SALES.
The Singular Articles Sent Through the
Mails and Never Called for.

Washington Cor Cincinnati Times Starl
The packages which are examined at the
lead-le offiee are ma l. up again, some
.iInas the contents o. two or three put in one,
sometimes bundled t25staer again as they
We're received, wrapped in brown Paper, and
cent to soEls aucsione.r - b. sold Ths sale
Is advertised AMI usually draws pretty
large attendance. NObO iy is permitted to
eX anime the contents OF the pccka ge being
sold. The printed catalogue tells briefly tae
coutcu' Of each bat not with su!ii -ient de-
tail to give mu IA idea OF what they really
contain Aud the catalogue is not consulted
by all the bidders. ), the buying Of these
packages, numbering thousand aS they DO,
Is much like a lottery venture. Ia iced, II Is
largely because of this that ths sale sst-rl.,s
so large n number Of people. Tho auction
rooms where it is cDn1uctei are usually
crowde /, ami th5 sale il very interesting and
sOm'times amusing.
Thn class OF articles making up these mys
ferrous packages Is SO varied AMI 50 lui Ii
crou,ly combined as 70 cause shouts of
laughter where they are open 81. As rule,
buyers DO not open the packages AT the auc-
ton rooms, f,r they know that they run n
risk OK making them elves laughing stock.
There are usually en- ugl who run this risk,
however, to keep the crowd in a gooi-na-
tured roar, and show the funny uses that are
made of the mails. One purchaser az the
sale Just closed got III one Of the packages
watch he bon ,ht a black wool hat, an Old
fi.e AMI a pair cf old rel drawer. HIS
amusement and chagrin were no greater,
however, than that OF man VINO fOuni tIe
contents Of his package To To- lot OF dam
a-el All soilei uulcrclpthing for the CENTER
sex, four lady's linen collars, and small
feather for n lady, hat. StiU anotuer lot
turUel out on exam nation TO be a chill =
lab pair Of cheap flag r-ring-, two spo,ls
uf t.rcai AMI a rubUer ulaper. Another got
rs his prize seventeen paper Of tine-cut To-
bacco. button hooN ami pair Of socks.
Oae ackage which excite roars OF lau sht-r
lr IN cverybo IL bat the pur- ha er contained
some cheap jeweiry, a butter-k Iife, a su ,ar-
sroan. eleven cid toothhru lies. and n butt w
hook; Stii another Lai twJ pair, of clil-
drea'- sho.s, tv, han .ksrcIiefs, a wOrn
NJ rpu, and our old nI-htcapS.
One purc.'a or was ma te happy bv Tin linz
in hi, very heavy packlys GI,kel.'s Com
pendulum an an OH jelly gla>>. one midi
vldual, presumably 4 Soyernmcns Jerk got
IN ms pacSa-r a book emitted. WY We
Are Democrats" another bought a hand
"H,yle's Came Tner. were large numbers
of corset. large hunters o, "AaImoaicas.
AMI hundreds o. packages containing bo,h
mems AMI wpmen's IN .sryear and oveTHear
in all stages ~ ciesu.in',s AMI otherwise,
AMI ali coIi.t.pns a, 10 wear AID wearing
possibilities. False teeth. worn Rubber shoes.
circular saw, n plunl e ten, bottles Ok
toutn wash. electri. batteries, suits OF clo-h-
ing, several watches, ami quantities OF jew
eiry were am NJ the curious articles in
tru,tei 10 tbs mails Tls Post1l . depart
ment accomp anias tla catalogue az articles
with br;e, suggestion to the public that if
those ssniil-g pa-Sa - w1n.d Sc tlat they
ar well wrapped. carefully aiireSs,d AMI
bearing o. tne clrscr IN, Eams aal al Ire
~ the selisI. Ia 10 So; woali not be one
tenth what tGsy are now, for IL they were
uncsllel FOR ant unlc!ivsred they would b.
returncI 10 tn ~sa Ter