The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-08-28
SOLD ALMOST FOR A SONG.
Emma Abbott's Stage Flnery That Cos
100000 Brings $4,000.

A@S DoO1 WAAbVou dOOub 81 Ab0Ih dh4 AA11O y
costumes Of which would be familiar to Sa-
vannah theater-goers nWere they to sec
them, was sold at auction in New York this
week. l9Ue'
Thatpart of the wardrobe offered for
sale is said to have cost $500. 900; with the
exception of half q dozen dresses or so,
It Brought about s2,0J9, and most Of it was
| bought by the old clothes dealers.
Theatrical deople were well represented
at the sale, but the pfous sentiment which
led than there did not induce them to bid
| fabulous prices on the dnery of the lamented
prima donna, which it might be said went
for next TO nothing. There we're nearly $50
numbers on the catalogue, running from
| M0nrfsh slippers to Felix and Worth gowns.
Mrs. Lizzie Clark, a sister of the prima
donna, to whom the dresses were left, was
present at the sale. 1t was evident from
the first that almost all Of those who had
come to the sale were actuated by curiosity.
They were mostly women. In the front
rows sat those who had come to buy. There
we're about thirty Of them, and all but five
or six were women. The men were specu-
lators on the lookout for good thing, the
women were dressmakers, spectators and
| actresses chiefly.
The first dress offered was the white en-
broidered costume for "Semiramide."
There was q chorus Of obs" from the wo-
men who had come TO see Those who had
come on business didn't say anything. and
the auctioneer let that dress go for S13 50.
Then followed in rapid succession twenty
five gowns and waists and skirts that were
sold for prices ranging from 50 to S24
These all went to the spectators without
much bidding.
Then came twenty-three pairs Of shoes
and such shoesl There were satin shoes and
leather shoes and "Mikado" slippers and
Norma" sandals, and "Carlo" slippers.
Pale blue, dark blue. pale green, scarlet,
ruby. gray. crimson, lavender, gold and
scarlet. They won't to three or four bidders.
The lowest price they brought was 70 cents.
the highest 81 so.
Thea came the tights and the hose. There
was little hutter in the room when the at
tendant brought out heap Of gay tights
aud stockings and held them up one by one.
On the catalogue they appeared thus:
Pair lavender silk tights, new.
Another pair, red, new.
Another pair, green. new.
Pair ruby silk embroidered hose. new.
Another pair, Queen Anne, pima and
green embroidered, new.
Another pair. Chtckasaw, pale blue, en-
broldered, new.
Another pair, purple, embroidered, for
grape dress, new.
Another pair, dark blue, embroidered, for
Lomax rife dress.
Another pair, yellow and green stripe,
embroidered.
Another pair, pink and red, embroidered.
The tights went to the spectators for 81,
$40 90 and IS. The stockings however
excited more interest Nearly everybody
bid for them, and they went for 81 80 a pair
to different bidders.
Then came the trained costumes, for
which all were waiting. By this time the
auction room had filed, and many were
standing near the door. The women were
gradually becoming acquainted with one
another, and occasionally there was a buzz
OF conversation. Mrs. Clark, who sat near
the auctioneer, had been growing very inn
patient, for the bids SO far had been pain
fully low.
The first costume was brought out on
dummy
"How muchF cried the auctioneer.
''Ten dollars" said faint voice.
Everybody laughed.
the dress was finally sold for 800,
Then came brocaded silk drese Of water
lily pattern. Everybody said "Oh,n but
nobody bid. The skirt of this dress was
| green. the waist white, and the train, which
was three yards long, white with pond lilies
woven in IT, There were no sleeves; only a
| gauzy mist that dropped from the shoulders.
| The dress was sold for $50.
A Rose of CASTLE" plum-colored and
white dress came next. IL had big, stiff
collar that stuck out at an angle of forty
| five degrees and looked awfully solemn.
Mrs. Coventry, an actress who was In Emma
| AbbOtts company, bought il for $50
Next came torn "Mignon" dress, which
sold for SO 90.
Next came, one by one, "the magnificent
historic costumes worn in the production of
Anne Bolyn.'" There was a hustle
| IF oNko
stood up to see. They had all read in the
catalogue:
RUBY dress, trimmed With Russian
sable, and made by Worth, cost 50, 500.n
On the platform was vision OF rich rcd
and sable fur, Tut the embroidery and the
trimmings and the gewgaws that made up
the vlsion-well. they were there, and that's
all there is about it. There was perfect
silence, and when somebody whispered
fifty dollars" it could be heard ali over the
room.
The auctioneer smiled in plying sort of
a way and SAID: "W ho'll say a thousandg'
| Perfect silence. "Seven hundred and fifty
thong urged the auctioneer Same silence.
Five hundreds" Not sound, When the
SILENCE grew uncomfortable one man said:
Hundred m fifty"
Then stout woman In the first row bid
SlT5, aud it went up until woman got it
for $500.
The Ernani bridal dress, trimmed with
point de Venice lace for which Miss Abbott
paid $500 to Worth, was sold for 500.
| The lace on the dress was valued at s. COO.
A raby dress, trimmed with Russian sable
and made by Worth, costing So 500. was
sold for 5000. A "Queen Annen pink and
green court dress. made by Worth at cost
of $4,000. brought $500. Tho prison-scene
dress worn in III Trovatore," said to have
been made by Worth and cost IS, 800
brought $50. Then the auctioueer became
disguised. One after another he put up the
the fine costumes of Miss Abbott, but as
he saw that there were no bidders he with
drew them.
There was Juliet" potion dress, crepe
de chine, trimmed with crocheted lace, and
made by Worth, the daintiest thing you
ever saw, and it went for $50
The Lomax Rifles dress, embroidered with
yellow jasmines, for which Worth charged
$500, was sold for $50. This dress hnd
been worn only once or twice, and wa:
named in honor of the Lomax Rifles OF
Mobile. Ala.
signed for the production of Carmen,
which were never worn. The costly one:
had to be withdrawn, aud the others were
sold for bet wsen SO and $50 each. Thai
wound up the sale.
Excessive eating causes headache. Bra
dycrotine cures it'd