Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-17
SOMETHING FOR NOTHING
Desire for Bargains Crowd the Dead Letter
Sale.
Curious Packages Sold to All Sorts Of
Purchasers-StraDge Christmas a.
Shopping, This.

Uncle Sam has entered the field in compe
tition with the regular shopkeepers to ge
his share Of the Christmas trade. He Is
selling his goods off by auction, and his
sale has already attracted large crowds o1
those who throng the streets these busy
days just before the holiday time The bar
gain counters are loaded down with ar
even more Heterogeneous ruass of articles
than can be found in any OF the regular
variety stores, and Sacrifices" slightly
damaged goods at half price" and marx
downs" are going off like the proverbial hot
cakes.
People who are looking for something tc
give for Christmas presents are on hand ir
large quantities, anG those who are in doubt
as 10 just what will be suitable for hus-
pahu, wlfe or any other member of ones
family find a wealth of suggestion in the
catalogue which contains the list Of articles
winch Uncle Sam wishes to dispose of. Tha,
lots of things are bought in this way that
no one can ever want or find the slightes,
use Tor does not in any way lamp The
aruor OF the purchasers, for the Washing
Ton population-the feminine half Of it, es.
pec1ally-loves an auction sale above any.
thing in .he world, and the opportunity tC
pld away something, no matter what from
some one else, no matter whom, is sweet to
tue taste OF womai, and the feeling that
sne mas kept another from getting IT does
away with any regret when she finds that
sne does not need it and could haze bought
II cheaper somewhere else IN a regular re-
S taiI store. 1t Is the same old love of gam
ohng that keeps lotteries going, for the
arucies are ali sod securely wrapped and
Win oniy the most meager description in
lne catalogue. 1T is buying a pig in a
pOne with vengeance.
rms particular sale that is drawing To-
selher crowds of Christmas shoppers is the
annual sale of the dead letter office when
an the old stuff that has accumulated dur
10
bidder. 1t Is being held at the auction
rooms or mos. Bowling & Co., 612 f street.
ana began at 10 o'clock this morning. II
VIII go right ahead, morning and evening,
until tne entire stock is sold off At the
rate things were going this morning IL will
rot take so very many days to go through
the whole list. Under the head of mis-
ceuaneous articles the catalogue contains a
hsl OF 4,Zo2 packages, but as each package
contains an indefinite number of articles
or an equally definite description, some
Idea may be had of the amount of stuff
that goes through the mails. In addition
10 schedule A, there are ILL packages
listed under the heading of books and 1855
under tewelry. The catalogue itself is
rather formidable document of eighty
pages that was printed at the government
tractive style to win the favor of possible
purchasers.
But, after all, it is the desire to get
something for very little, the possibility of
prize In a fifty-cent package, is what at
tracts most of the people to this curious
sort of sale. The chances, however, of
being rewarded in this way are compare
lively slight, for the class of people who
send matter through the mail 50 badly
done up or addressed that the post office
experts are unable to get 1t either to it's
destination or back to the sender are not
the class of people who have occasion to
send valuable articles through the mail. 1t
is instructive to note, in this connection,
how many of the articles are described in
the catalogue as being cheap, soiled or
damaged.
The big auction room was well filled this
and the bidding was comparatively
lively. Some of the packages brought
prices that were surprisingly large and, in
fact, quite unaccountable. For instance
one package that was marked as contain
ing mems neckttes, mans handkerc hief,
b." silk handkerchiefs and damaged
raZors, was bid in by young man at 81 30,
a young man who apparently buys his
clothes at a swell tailor's and his hand
kerchiefs at 'haberdasher's." Just what
he found in his prize package no one
knows but himself, and he would not tell.
Lot I'D, containing smoking tobacco,
mans necktie, damaged nightshirt and
hosiery, was bought by pretty
little woman, who looked as though she
was but recently married and wanted to
surprise her husband She probably sue
ceeded in doing 80. On the other hand a
big brawny man bought pair of infants
hose, woman's damaged apron, pair wo-
mans damaged hose, spools OF embroid-
ery and some other little trif1es for the
sum Of 45 cents, after a lively struggle at
5-cent raises with comely looking wo-
man. Some knowing ones smiled when
young man bought infants clothing, in
fant's wooden jacket, &c." for 30 cents,
but he seemed to think he had got bar
gain, so il was all right. Lot 127 gave rise
to some of the liveliest bidding OF the
morning 1t contained a womans damaged
dress, 2 aprons, = towels, &c, and starting
at a quarter, was rapidly bid up on nickel
bids to So cents. when 1t was knocked
down to a lad. 1t must have been the &c.
that caught the crowd, for there We're a
dozen people bidding on the lot of all de-
scriptions and coiors. A little blonde got
a set of dark brown hair bangs" linen
collars apron and childs dress, all for 40
cents and she was immensely pleased
when this curious combination was tossed
out to her In the crowd. These were only
a few Of the strange bargains that were
noted this morning, and a like condition OF
affairs is sure to continue throughout the
week To student of human nature, and
every man thinks he is one, there are few
places as full of interest as dead letter
sale and a visit Is sure to repay anyone