Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1894-11-12

~&&3:S@S5ESJ S$7l gathered before
slS$Ss=5 hoHs Hs''VSaas Whasf ." !"
,'V4TNjI5//IV<N$SS San Francisco,
" " 'O'0 We ~ one afternoon in
the summer of }51. Although the oc-
casion was an auction, the bidders
chances more than usually hazardous,
and the season. and locality famous for
reckless speculation, there was scarce
ly any excitement among the bystan-
ders, and a. lazy, half-humorous curl
oslty seemed to have taken the place
o! any ZEAL for gain.
ltwas am auction of unclaimed trunks
and boxqs-the personal luggage of
early emYGrants- which had been left
on storage in bulk or warehouse IN
san francisco, while the owner was
seeking his fortune IN the mines. The
| diiiculty and expense OF transport.
often pbliging the gold seeker to make
part OF his journey on foot, restricted
nim to the smallest impediments, aud
that Of a kind not often found in the
luggage of ordinary civilization. As
consequence, during the emigration
Of '4D, he was apt on landing to avail
himself OF the invitation usually dis
played on some OF the doors of the
rude hostelries on the shore, Crest
! for the Weary and Storage for
Trunks. In a majority of cases he
newer returned to reclaim his stored
property. Enforced absence, pro-
trafted equally by good or evil for
tune, accumulated the high storage
charges until they usually far exceeded
| t4e actual value fthe goods sickness,
| tlnther emigration or death also re-
| 1uced the number of possible claim
| 4lnts, and that more wonderful human
| trailty-absolute forgetfnlness of de-
posted possessions-combined togeth-
er to leave the bulk of the property
in the custodian hands. Under an
understood agreement they were al
ways sold at public auction after n
given time. Although the contents of
some of the trunks were exposed, it
was found more in keeping with pub
ilc sentiment to sell trunks locked and
unopened. The element of curiosity
was Kept up from time to time by the
lncautious disclosures of the lucky or
unlucky purchaser, and general bid
| ding thus encouraged-ex when
the speculator, with the true gam
bling instinct, gave no indication in his
| lace of what was drawn in this lottery.
Generally, however, some suggestion
on the exterior OF the trunk, label
or initials; some conjectural knowl-
edge OF its former owner, or the idea
that he might be secretly present in
the nope OF getting his property back
| for less than the accumulated dues,
kept up the bidding and interest.
A modest-looklng, well worn port
manteau had been just put mp at small
opening bid, when Harry Flint Joined
the crowd. The young man had ar
| rived Il week before at San Francisco
friendless and penniless and had been
forced to part with his own effects to
procure necessary food and lodging
while lookin" for employm ent. In
the irony of fate that morning the
proprietors of Il dry goods store, struck
with his good looks and manners. had
offered him situation if he could
make himself more presentable to their
clients. Harry Flint was gazing half
| abstractedly, half hopelessly, at the
portmanteau without noticing the auc-
tioneer's persuasive challenge. In his
abstraction he was not aware that the
auctioneers assistant was also LOOKING
Mt him curiously, and that possibly his
detected and half-clad appearance had
| attracted the attention of one of the
| cynical bystauders, who was exchanp-
| ing few words with the assistant He
was, however, recalled to himself
moment later when the portmanteau
was knocked down for S15, and con
sderabiy startled when the assistant
placed ii ut his feet with smile.
''Fhat's your property, Fowler, and |
reckon you look as if You wanted it
back bad.
Bat there's some mistake" stam-
mered Flint. "I didn't bid"
''No, but Tom Flynn did for you.
You see, ! spotted you from the first,
and told Flynn | reckoned you were
one OF those chaps VINO came back from
| the mines dead broke. And he up and
bought your things for you-like a
square man. That's FIynn's style, if
he IS n gambler
"Bnt, - persisted Flint, "this never
was my property. Ny name isn't Fow-
Ter, and I never left anything here I"
The assistant looked at him with a
GRIM, half credulous, half scornful
smile, "Have it your own way" he
SAID, ''but | oughter tell ye, old man,
that I'm the warehouse clerk, and l
remember you. I'm here for that