Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-04-05
AUCTION FRAUDS.
EVEN THE GREAT COLLECTIONS"
NOT ABOVE SUSPICION.
Borms Sales. Reserve Prices, aud Danny
BIDS Bring the Auction'Rs into
Bad ReputS--A New York
er's Evening on.


succeeds in putting q stop TO even one OF
the bogus auctions" which deceive 'ne
unwary New Yorker s65 days in the year.
The bogus auction is Of many kinds
The most pslpable fraud is Of course the
family lust selling out the extraor.
dinariIy beautiful furnishings OF their
house ON - street.n IL man didn't
know that fresh carpets are lad on
fine floors every week and fresh Iurnl.
ture broroht in as fast as IL is sold IL might
nuzzle him 10 understand why the family
Is so long disposing of its wares. Ihere
are no bargains at these mock sales. Inere
is a reserve price on every article, anp -
genuine bid cannot be secured ~ the le
serve price, or even a higher inquire. tne
goods are knocked down TO dummy, 10
be put up again some other day. or course,
wornen are the fish for whom the nook IL
hated A woman's fondness for auctions
and her proneness to bid high when another
"mean old thing completes are proverplsl.
Art auctions are sometimes Just as de-
ceptIye. There are auetion-houses whose
word is reliable, and there are others wnicn
Ill cords of Corots and Troyons by the
dozen without too curious scrutiny OF
their authenticity. 1t is common enough
in one of those auction-rooms TO see
genuine work by an unknown American
painter sold for higher figure than the
imputed masterpiece of foreigner OF
HIGH repute. Art amateurs haunt tne
shady auction-rooms to pick kerneis ouS ol
the husks, and artists or merit Whep lney
Get hard up send their unsold pictures
here 10 trv their fortunes on the block.
II a man doesn't know good picture from
a bad one and can't stop bidding wneh ne
has gone high enough. no matter what the
dummy saws, he might as well stay away;
Sometimes man is quite wiling 20 p1
deceived. know one who has gaiiery Iuii
of Corots, Troyons, Viberts, DauDlgn,lys-
everything but hlillets;, whien ean 20
counterfeited because all the known ell-
amnles have pedigrees. He paid SlOO OF
5000 each for the lot. I'm pretty certain
he suspects that they are bogus; put nc
has catalogue with all the big names
printed upon it and brags about MS urea
sures.
living by painting these cheats at DAY
wages. One of them. when reproached oy
a renutsble artist for his part in the decep-
t;on replied: II have a wife and four
children. What can do2"
Even when famed collections come TO
the block there is q species OF deception
practiced not so very much less cnlpabie.
Artists say that at the Seney sale o num-
her of paintings were auctioned OF at high
prices which had not been IN Mr.; Seneys
collection ut all, but were rushed hot from
Transatlantic studios to get the advantage
of n sale in a well advertised company.
They were authentic enough, but poor
and hasty examples thrown of carelessly
for the American market" As Tor the
Ives sale have not yet seen 1t denied that
20. 900 worth of japanese metals was added
to the collection just before the sale, NO
wonder that there is universal complaint
of low prices at art sales.
"MARY ANpERsoN's MAsH."
DIR. LLOYD, the late assistant superinten-
dent of the Kings County Insane Asylum,
was undoubtedly killed by James Dough-
erty. the crazy admirer of Mrs. Navarro,
in part because either he or the subordi-
mates IN his charge commonly pointed out
Dougherty to yisitorsas y" Mary Andersons
NASH"
DIR. Lloyd's successor, DR.. Tracy, quiet
Young man, full bearded, with singularly
dark and heavy. eyebrows shading eyes OF
sunny blue, told me the other day that II
he had his way not one-tenth part OF the
people who now visit the asylums would
do so.
"They are mere curiosity seekers" be
said, land have no business there. Iheir
presence does a great deal of harm. Insane
neople. as a rule, know that they are in
sane, that they are in the asylum, and Just
WHY they are there They are Just as keeniy
sensitive to ill-treatment and TO sighting
remarks as eny one else, and suffer acutely
under ridicule. -,
"Dougherty? think he is responsible;
not more insane than dozens OF people VINO
60 about every day attending TO their ousi-
ness. He's Just thin-skinned crank. lie
said on his trial that he had marked me
also for vengeance, but | haven't the re-
hottest idea for what. One can't be too
careful in dealing with cranks."
HIS EVENING OUT.
An ACQUAINTANCE who is kept pretty busy
with matters social political, and literary.
ran down the stairs of the elevated station
at Park Place the other morning with such
blithe and CHEEKY expression on his face
that | could not help asking him II he had
heard good news.
mot exactly" he replied. but had
such a pleasant time last evening that the
memory has lasted. took lady, OF whom
/ am rather fond, to O reception. 1t was
quite a distance and we had a good long
talk on the way. When we got to the house
il was one of those brushes where you can
do about as you please. We knew but few
people and naturally saw . great deal OF
each other and had another long tete-d-tete
on the way home. IL was delightful gos-
slp and think made o distinct impress
sion, my boy.n
but isn't this most remarkable"
"Oh, it's all right. said tho busy
man, hastily. THE lady was my wife.
Only we're both so busy, and IN such ar
ferent ways, and see so little OF each other
as a rule that such an evening as enjoyed
seems almost like going counting, again;
/ wouldn't have missed 1T for good deal :"
And the Man in Love- With His Wife
trotted of towards the post office. making
a ridiculous attempt to whistle Annie
Laurie
New York's queer place.
ITEMS FOR THE Third SEX.
The rage for silver filigree gimcracks has
reached the third sex-the trouser-wear-
| ing exquisites. Tho latest things in pipes
are meerschaum. briarwood, and bog-oak
bowls ornamented in silver hligree in the
most delicate tracery, reaching along the
| stem to the mouth-piece. A cigarette
| holder for dude of wealth is an amber
mouth-piece joined to bowl OF roughen-
ed gold slightly tilted up. The gold is
| literally inerusted with gems, rubies, tur.
quoises, and moonstones. WITH oneaot
| these toys in his mouth the young marc
the period is happy as he stalks down
Broadway of sunny afternoon.
The newest thing in scarf-pins is des-
picable-looking black fly impaled upon q
pin. Ii is neither pretty nor pleasant, but
II is in the style and more need not be
said.
The newest thing In teapots for bache-
| lors's afternoon" IS an exact reproduc-
ton in porcelain. even to the color, of a
great peach, pear. apple. or ounce. The
| Russian samovar is utterly out OF date.
| Bachelor teas are becoming more common
in the big and luxurious apartment houses,
and under proper chaperonage are smiled
upon by ladies far.
The newest thing In suspenders is q web
| of soft white silk. Upon the silk are huge
| lilies embroidered either in gold floss or