The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-12-14
Rid HIGH FOR THE TRUNK.
p,o,l, at the Auet,oa Heard a Metallic
achtnk and the Price Went Up.


Everybody was there. That is every
,,ly WHO deals In secondhand goods;
everybody who has the auction fever;
everybody who saw that lad" and
,.5,se veins run fiery red with the
rysr OF chance aud speculation. There
q something peculiarly attractive abou,
an auction NJ unclaimed railroad pack
og,s 10 these adventurous souls, and
nov crowd the saIssFooms With eager
voices and ready coin, says the Chicago
News
ua61 a barrier which kept the public
Gom mixing too freely with the piles Of
r55i, 10 the rear Several assistants
men strong enough TO hoist trunk,
enI clerk To check on the purchases,
vero al his side, Back In shaduwY
nrlqdaur ~ a glorious uncertainty that
balt Tie Louisiana lottery six miles in
alurng possibilities, stretched the I'M
glfmei baggage, There were fortifica-
lions %, 1ncgages outer bulwlrks OF
trlgks. inner raVelins of additional
tuuks. and a moat OF ouercoats. Round
about In eager expectancy, stood the
curious throng-Reen- laced men, Impa-
dent women, sghtseers who came 10
Faze and remained TO buy, and raft OF
miscellaneous humanity.
\ lat ha6 settled on the barrier with
a solid chus,
Gold dust" said somebody.
"Kl5ndIke," said several persons.
The tar showed that the mysterious
hig had been involced from San Fran
cisco. and It sold f0r thirty cents right
Of the reel. Its purchaser opened his
Prize, shook out the slwdust with
which Il was crammed In confused
heap. AMI went sorrowing away.
4 highly dlgnIned citizen with Hes
inus" bought q small box that looked
like treasure trove, 1t waa, neatly
packed with burglars tools, and the re-
spgctcl citizen went downstairs three
steps at a jump, leaving his find be-
hind him,
A floor brush. bundle OF scandlna-
Wan clothing left by some immigrant
nnd a square package that looked like
THE real thing" were ratified of, The
package was composed of samples of
ilrebrlck, and Its purchaser left them
right where he opened the lot. Five ov-
ercoats went for an average OF fifteen
rents apiece. A violin done up In a
green cloth was hauled from the heap.
DR.. BOwn, a musical enthusiast, sur
rendered 81 and found that 81 worth Of
repairs would be essential to the. future
happiness OF that fiddle.
Some fine canes and bundle of fish
poles went like hot cakes. The crowd
was in the fever now and the bidding
ratified up and down the line like ser
les OF fireworks explosions. Practical
!oksrs in the back Of the hail Varied the
proceedings by making mock bids and
protesting that some innocent dealer,
who didn't want that particular thing
at ALL had been the would-bo buyer.
This led to war. red war. among the
dealers
Peppers wants t."
Il don't! ! never made that bid"
"Hillver bid S9!"
NO. sir; never; these fellows are too
funny"
4 heavy sack was taken as a chance
and found stuffed with potatoes. Two
baby carriages were sold to the same
man, amid loud shouts of Twins" An
antique chair, in fair condition. went
FOR a nickel. A leather hat-box was
snapped up, and Its eentents-a beaver
II the vintage OF lS59-hurled furlously
into a corner.
Just at noon came the climax of the
day--the last trunk. II was only a little
trunk. but as It fell upon the barrier II
emitted sharp metallic ciink that
brought every man in the house sour
10 Ia TNnInnat Will
fans paved the ttunk lovingly.
What am bid, bid. bid? Make 1t a
half. half. half" cried he.
Two doiiars"
Two, I'm bid-make It quarter, a
quar-"
Three dollars"
Three, I'm bid" and the little trunk
clnked again. Make 1t half, a."
-Four doiiars!"
-Four dollars! And quarter? Any
body quarter? Yes? And q quar-
teri"
Five dollarsl"
The frenzy>of speculation and OF bid
ling was upon that bunch in dead ear
nest. They bid and they shouted, ami
they pulled and painted. They shook
rolls OF money and they broke their
thoraxes until all the walls around were
oddly frescoed with purple chunks OF
Hving lung. At last n man With loads
OF money got the trunk. He seized his
prize. he dragged It 20 the floor. and
the bottom burst
Out poured, in shining, glItterlng
glory, with CHEEKY clInk and chiuk,
one hundred pounds OF the best ten
penny nails, and the man tore what
little hair had been left him by time
and fortune.
Then the crowd called express wag-
ons and took the goods away with
them. The nails were left theve and
are presumably still upon the auction
IO0r