Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-18
GRAB BAG SALE.
Aou Ray Your Money and Take Your
Chances at This Affair,

| Chances at This Affair,
Inc annual sale of articles from the dear
letter office began this morning at Radcliffe
| Darr q Co.'S auction rooms, and broueh,
together the usual crowd that attends snct
| sales, crowd that wants to get a prea,
deal for very little, to buy a package neatl,
tied up In. brown paper and run the chance
OF getting bolt Of point lace or a Mint n,
diamonds for a half dollar As a rule. the,
| did not get more than their moneys worth
Tor the post Office clerks who make up the
packages and the catalogue are very care
| ful to label things as they are, and they
90 not hesitate to refer to articles as sec.
| ond-hand and soiled
1t was the liveliest kind of a sale. fol-
there are upward of 5000 articles to be
disposed of, or rather parcels for each
piece or brown paper contains a collection
OF truck. Most of this no one would care
TO have under any circumstances, but when
II is put up at an auction the ever powerful
desire to buy a pig in a poke" is strong
ana bidding Is consequently lively Upwards
OF ZOO sales have to be made In the hour in
o S TO dispose of this great collection OF
ie1t over goods within a week. The sale
began at III o'clock, and at the end of three.
quarters of an hour the auctioneer was
seven minutes ahead of schedule time He
was assisted by corps of boys and men
poles, crude imitation of the old stvIs
collection boxes that used to be used I'm
churches. With these they would serve out
the articles and take in the cash.
A Motley Collection.
The prevailing price was 80 cents, and the
way the auctioneer ratified off goods at that
figure made 1t look as though there was no
lack or money In the crowd. A more mis-
cellaneous. heterogeneous and generally curl
nh .,fc
get together. Everything, from an Easter
card to pair OF corsets, Bible to a COPY
of lola, perpetual calendar, a crucifix.
playing cards, undershirts, a tobacco pine.
cornet mouthpieces, an Epworth League
pin, twenty odd Shoes fountain pen, calico
scraps, neckties, thermometers, a silk dress
soiled stockings, all these and thousands of
others, were In this motley collection.
Some Sample Lots.
The bidding was lively, and little time
was lost in running up prices. Lot ia con-
ssting of two cheap breastpins, cheap
whisk broom holders and damaged clothing,
went off at 90 cents. Lot III, infants WOOL
en- clothing, cheap silk handk erchief and a
cotton handkerchief. brought 30 cents.
while another package of cheap clothing
and damaged clothing brought 10 cents
more. A mans necktie and an Easter card.
worth about cents to anybody who wanted
them and cents less to anybody else went
of like hot cakes at 40 cents A nicely
dressed woman bought a silk handkerchief
a hairpin and some cotton trimming for "a
half dollar. If they had been displayed on
bargain counter in dry goods store and
marked reduced from % to 10 cents" she
would have turned away without thinking
OF purchasing. gentleman with a poll as
smooth as a billiard ball bought twelve
boxes of hair curriers' for 10 cents, while a
quiet. hopeful and willing looking young
lady gave As cents for a mans necktie and
necktie pin. head for a bass drum sold
for next to nothing, while lot 144, consist
ing of cheap jewelry and damaged clothing,
brought an even dollar. Forty cents was
the price paid for an illustrated book of
poems, author and artist unknown while
for some reason lot 15S, consisting of IL
Illustrated poems, with cheap silk handker-
chief thrown in for good measure only
brought a quarter. The same price was
paid for badly damaged letter case, book
mark, button bags, pressed flowers and
child's book, all of which went under the
head of lot 155. ---.-. H.
Few bargains.
There are bargains to be had of course.
and occasionally one can get a genuine gold
ring, with "sparkler'' in it, for a dollar,
or less, but this does not happen often,
The reason is simple. People who send val
liable articles through the mail are accus-
toned to addressing them carefully and as
rule 1t is only cheap and undesirable
matter that finds its way to the dead
letter office and finally to the annual clear
ing up sale. This sale will con tinue every
day at I'D in the morning and in the even
ing until the whole collection is disposed of.