, 1885-02-24
-pEAp.LsrrsR I


Tho Singular Articles sent Through the
Malls and Meyer Called for.
washlngton Cor. Cincinnati Times-starl
The packages which are examined at tbs
dead-letter office are made up again, some
times tho contents OF two or throo put In one,
sometimes bundled together again as they
were received, wrapped in brown paper, and
sent to some a~ucdoneer TO be sold. Ths sale
Is advertised. AMI usually draws a pretty
large attendance. Nobody Ia permitted to
examine the contents OF the package being
sold Tho printed catalogue tells briefly the
contents OF each, but not with sufficient do
tail to give much idea OF what they really
contain. And tho catalogue is not consulted
by all the bidders. So the buying OF these
packages, numbering thousands as they do,
is much like a lottery venture. Indeed, IL Is
largely because OF this that ths sale attracts
so large a number Of people. The auction
rooms where 1t Is conducted are usually
crowded, and the sale Is very interesting and
sometimes amusing.
Tho ciass OF articles making up these mys
FERROUS packages IA so varied and 80 ludi-
crously combined as to cause shouts Of
laughter where they are opened. As a rule.
buyers do not open the packages at the auc-
ton rooms, for they know that they run a
risk OF making themselves laughing stock
There are usually enough who run this risk,
however, to keep tho crowi in n good-na-
tured roar, and show the funny uses that arr
male Of the mails. Ono purchaser at the
sale just closed got In one Of the packages
which he bought a black wool hat, an Old
hle. and Il pair Of old red drawer. His
amusement and chagrin were no greater,
however, than that OF man who found the
c~ontsnts Of his package 10 DO a lot OF dam
agcI and soiled underclothing for the gentlsr
sex, four lady's linen collars, and a smnll
feather for a lady's hat Stil another lot
turned out on examination TO be q chill's
lib, a pair Of cheap finger-rings, two spool
Of thread and a rubber diaper. Another got
"a his prize seventeen papers Of fine-cut to-
bAcco. a button hook. and a pair OF socks.
One package which excite roars OF laughter
from everybody but the p~urchaeer contained
some cheap jowelry, a butter-knife, a sugar
suoon, eleven old toothbrushes, and a button.
look. still another had two pairs OF chill
dren' shoes, two handkerchief, a worn
apron, and four old nightcaps.
One purchaser was made happy by finding
in his very heavy package Gaskell's Com
pendulum and an old jelly glass One indi-
vidual, presumably u government clerk, got
in his package II book entitled, why We
Are Democrats another bought a hand
somely bound Bible, and mother a 0 OF
"Hoylo's Games" There wore large numbers
OF c~orsets,. large numbers OF Harmonious"
and hundreds OF packages containing both
mems and women's underwear and overwear
in all stages OF cleanliness and otherwise,
and all conditions as to wear and wearing
possibilities. False tooth, worn rubber shoes.
a circular saw, a pound of tea, bottles OF
tooth wash, electric batteries, suits OF cloth
ing, several watches, and quantities OF jew
elry were among the curious articles in
trusted 10 the mails The postofli % depart
mani nrCon1panfaa thu rafa1ooua ~ arffrlaa
with a brief suggestion to the public that II
those sending packages would SEQ that they
are well wrapped, carefully addressed, and
bearing on the corner the name and address
OF tho soldeI. ths losei would not DO one
tonth what they arc now, for II they wore
uncnllod for and undelivered they would be
returned TO tho senders.