The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-07-16
TRYING THEIR LUCK
Fun that was Witnessed al an Express
Package Sale.
Some Drew Handsome Prizes. 9th
ers Drew Long Faoes-Mr.
Moses Good Fortune-it
was Funny.
Special Correspondence Of the standard.

Special Correspondence Of the Standard.
BUTTE. July i5.-There was more fun
than you could shake "a stick at in East
Granite street this afternoon. There was
n prize package auction sale, consisting
Of the goods which had been in storage in
d Pacific Express Office for a year or
more and had not been claimed. Several
hundred people gathered in the vicinity of
the sale and took their chances on the
various packages. They were unsight-
~and-unseen and the purchaser could only
eye be outside and from that
form his idea OF the contents.
usually the bids did not run up higher
than two or four bits, while others sold
for from 81 TO 81. Some made bargains
while others threw away their purchases
in disgust.
Everything under the sun was up for
sale. The auctionecr was brilliant, elo-
quent and witty and the crowd was good
humored while the purchasers were usu-
ally accommodating enough To open their
prize packages in the presence of the
crowd n let the curious see their luck.
One man struck IA dozen new shirts for
81, while another not quite SO fortunate, a
=S saaiix laot,n lawyer yrp,0;s;n noush, a.. an
for sl.15, and il only contained a second
hand corset which did not fiji the lawyer.
One paid four bits for "a magnificent
crayon picture. the frame of which was
worth 81, while another paid a like amount
for n package of opera house advertise
ments.. One man go a tremendous big
package for 15 cents, but it only contained
dodgers OF an antiquated date.
Here's "a grand bargain. A magnifl-
cent roll OF blankets. How much am |
offered" Dried the a~uctioneer. "A per-
feet title guaranteed or no sale. How
much can i get?"
The blankets brought p cents and
proved To be too raggedand moth-eaten 10
be valuable. A minute later a man had
risked S1.D ON al ii looking package
and found hat il contained n splendid
pair of antlers. Old trunks sold readily
at from 81 to $50, n often contained
single articles worth the price paid. Va
Uses sold at from 25 to rs cents; some of
them were good valises while others fell
To pieces before they could he carried
away. A colorcd man paid 75 cents for a
package in which was rolled p pair of
old shoes. A woman paid 30 cents for a
peck OF pop corn that at n time was not
musty. A young fellow paid two bits for
a package of sag brush and Indignantly
threw his purchase in the dust. Another
man paid $3.50 for a ~fine-looking package
which contained a small bottle Of cough
medicine. Another paid 80 cents for an
old pair of overalls.
After the sale curious articles could be
found strewn about the street everywhere,
articles which the purchasers did not
deem worth carrying home. Others were
carrying packages big and little, trunks,
v~alises, etc, and exulting over the less
fortunate purchasers. The Express com
pany realized a'pretty good thing out of
the sale altogether.
Among the luckiest buyers was Moses.
the furricr, who bought u large valise for
which he paid $3.50. Before opening b
satchcl he found, in addition To an as
sorted lot of underwear, four magnificent
seal skins, tanned and dyed, of a value of
not less than $50 each. He was among
those buyers who didn't find fault with
their luck.