Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-06-07
l BIDDING RIVALRY.


AN INCIDENT OF An AUCTION or olo
cssstA AND eRlc-A-eRAc.
VIZ 1.UDoosa wa ~ WS0sa -
Dsesz.unnsa - 1ass . - o. - -.
ee<-Maaa - Ton VIVA Hsss Wsrss
wAo - ~ An ovse.
Il Wa the third day a IN auction
sale q the china. hsio-a-hrao and furui-
tuss a ~ last repressstativ Of IN old
New York family. and the auction room
was crowded to the doors with dealer,
in antiqusa ounnoisssaza spsculatoss
and people Who had juse dropped In .
fish upA bargain IN glass or china II IN
opportunity onered There were q laxre
number q. women present, and they
were principally bargain seekerA
The auctio1eer seemed used to such
crowds and continued to call out TIE
bids monotonously despite the amusing
reached IN article which ono a TIE
women ASd marked 70 buy for herssaf
Things had been quiet for . time when
the auctioueer reached No 7O6 on The
catalogue, which was . cup and san
Ger Of Sevres china. Il was very pref
ty bit Of Sevxss, cleve1ly decc9ated and
frail enough 70 suit the moss artistic
fancy. Il Wa such Q piece - might b
purchased at any ilne china or gla0
store for s.. and it certainly would not
have been reasonable TO expect more
than "a for it at auction sale. The auc-
tioneer didn't expect moro, and under
ordinary circumstances be wouldn't
have got 80 much, but these were mot
ordinary circumstances Il happened
that two bargain seeking women had
marked that cup and saucer for them
selves. They were only separated By q
dozen seats and an aisle through the
maze Of camp stools, and, Of course.
neither had any notion that she would
have very much competition for such .
trifie. They were well dressed women,
and one was quite young. They sat In
their seats without . word, while .
cloisomne jardiniere worth 800 was
knocked down to Q dealer for go, and
they never ventured q bid ON hits Of
Worcester, Dresden, Coalport and other
kinds Of china, which were sold for n
diculously low prices. But when the auc-
tioneer YEARLY remarked in his profess
sional tone: "What m offered for this
cup and saucer7 Guarantee goss with
every piece. Gimme . bid, please," he
was amazed at two shrill voices which
called ont simultaneously:
"Oue dollar.
The two women peered acrus Ut ono
another, 49,.
Then tho younger said in emphatic
tone:
"A dollar and half"
Tho auctioneer took in the situation.
What more could an suCtioneef wamtl
Two women pitted against each other.
Sleepy q moment before, he was all life
now.
a Aaaf mor5r'-He exclsimed scorn-
fully. REALLY this il ridiculoua can
not take less than dollar bida"
1.-TWO dollars" said the older wom-
an.
''Three," sd tho other woman,
The women sised each other up again
while the auctioneer exhorted
III nx nef now. saao tho oloeE
woman to friend ''Five dollarA"
''Six = nidrthe younger oue.
"Why, S3he spiteful thingi I don't
believe sliB wants that cup q al. Well,
she Just 1ha.n't have f. Seven dollara .
In's .,mo tno yoonge1 Womsn nen-
~ '~ Eve,y ~ ~ ~ ne1, 11 tne
o.co4vw1 ~ 'nso.ssse9 c1o W.
1es ~ o.e'ne., NO. somtng IN IN
Mu.9U .S kp.-. @soc tne PIC 20,
WIZ WIZ '.,o a1O;lo. uSa1y zen on M.
.a;.I ~ ~ "a. :. - H ~ 20 Ia. ''
Wen ..n VIC o.1 ~ "a - o H w
'0~ VIZ ~'eS ''''"
Nc ..1,,s -. a..
/ Su'. ua.o su's J vo o.u' -
oo1,,s van 'n.s oup; ~ yu.s .ss
I W: : = " 70. ny now. Len ooa. ~
oA0A se.u VIII Nu"' k'1a""' s1"AA0
s"0 kl.aOeC !, ac1oes tno 1co".
Inas sm.io was 700 muon aot sno otne9
wSh ~ maoe ne. msc oeseImmeo:
On, 'ne noan sn!nk An eHeao On
= c0upae Oh ooAiars, mo !omsfkeo IN
nusky Whisper 70 tne paie 1aoeo man