The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-25

or Russian or Albanian nohlcman who had come
over here TO marry an American heiress and
wns getting ready to set up housekeeping.
First and last he seemed TO buy enough to fur
nish a summer hotel. The new Corners, who
were properly impressed. would gaze at him as
2 school girl looks upon. 4. popular tenor. For
these distant admirers OF his. the worst Glow the
auction rooms received was the news that a bar
Der had seen Indicted for AXE bidding.
II that man wasn't a prince, sad the admir-.
ers OF the man who looked like the Count OF
Monte Cristo, he was surely u barber" and so
their romance was shattered and their faith in
auctions as well
The fund OF gossip never seemed to run dry.
One learned that this man was a famous physi-
clan name givenl and that he was furnishing q
country house by degrees with things bought at
auction ass and had adopted this me- hod OF
distrneting his mind from his professional cares
and curing himself OF nervous prustration. That
woman was threatened with insanity and
was kept on this side OF the border line
only by, che interest she took in auc.
bought and then sold all her pa rlor furniture aG
auction shree times within two years. The
woman in black was n widow who had Just sold
at auction all her household belongings because
the memories associated with them made it i'm
possible sor her to use them with any comfort,
and she vas now getting a new set and at the
same time sOlacing her grief ut the auction.
The women even invited strangers to their
houses to exhibit their bargains. Generally the
auctions were held three afternoons a week, and
the rooms were crowded from beginning to end.
Que OF the most successful OF these auction
to the fact that he possessed unusual taste and
udRment In regard TO furniture and household
ornaments. He collected his wares both in
Europe and this country, and much that he sold
was OF high character, and yet was disposed Of
at lower prices than similar articles would
have brought In regular stores. As for the rest
OF bis wares, while they may not have been
misrepresented, they certainly did not always
COME up to the expectations Of the purchasers
when the glamour of the excitement OF bidding
had passed away and they were examined crit
irally at home. To be sure. ample opportunity
for examination was offered.
Pay u deposit-a dollar, aquarter. anything
the atictioneer would say. Come round to-
morrow and bring anybody you like to examine
have to take it. That's fair. ism It :"
1t seemed fair enough; but, what woman can
over a bargain Besides, when the women
considered the matter deliberately in the
afterward, it seemed to them that somehow they
had been led unconsciously into paying on
the spot. Reference has been made To the
women about the auction rooms who seemed to
know all about everything and everybody but
may not have had any business connection with
the establishments. One OF these women was
pretty sure TO SPOT a likely looking new conner
upon her ARRIVAL and to side up TO her. Per-
haps she would engage in conversation. and per
haps she wouldn't At any rate. when the auc-
tioneer happened To stroll over her way she
would point To something or other, say a carved
oak clothes chest. and say in the hearing OF the
new conner:
oh. Mr.. So and So. won't you please put that
chest up now ! | have resolved to get IL IL I
have to go A. high as $50"
The auctioneer would put IL up and the wo-
man would start the bidding at say 9l5. and
would then engage in the most earnest and APP
sCEulug NOhN VIII n ITltlI. I'm
proper management the new cumer could be in
duced to bid Sl6. Just for fun. and with the Ger.
bid Bat the other woman would be- talking 80
assiduousIy that she would not hear the
auctioneer's, voice. and before her errant
attention had been recalled the chest
would be knocked down to the new conner.
greatly TO the surprise and delight OF the latter.
The woman would make a great fuss upon hnt.
ing herself rubbed Of her prize and would de-
mand that IL be put up again So as to give her
another chance To bid On IT,. Naturally the new
pu,.lr i| a NgfaD 70 mn u IA -ha .haar - ,-I -
to make sure Of having II, and wuuId go about
bohsting TO her friends OF how she had got for
Sto a chest Tor which another woman had been
eager 10 pay $50.
One IIctioneer in whom his women customers
had great Confidence had 4 way 0t drDus'uE by
saying. " Here something | We luSt taken out "
nv own house. Immediately the feminine chO-
rus womb: begin to declare. 1T must b. per-
tert!y grand II IL comes rom his house. for his
house il inst like u palace" The manner in
which he won the confidence OF the women was
peculiar. IL was by being exceedingly rude 70
item, uttensiveiy 81 in the opinion OF unbiased
men who happened to drop in occasionally.
1T nicer sitting IN here tAan being outside.
lsn { IL 2 he wOG!d smart Mt Gi- customers. II
You don t come here TO buy you Z better get out.
instead OF weartnS out my camp stools, What
do you mean by ralsing your hand = to =
Wonlahs lou we're s;rattE-nS your thfe
Well. III nave you to understand that you can
scratch your face n here; II Il cost you a dollar
want TO scratch your face. And 50 he would
raj! on Probably the women reasoned that he
must have wonderful bargains 70 offer them IL
he WIS so rude, and that may have oeeu the ex-
PLANTATION OF why they put up with his insults.
The auctions gradually extended their scope
until they tnaily included about everything
Of interest 20 wOmankint. Even hats and
gowns were sold, the moCiels imported from
Europe 10 be copied here. Tie rooms were
crowded day after day. and the women dragged
in their husbands and male relations. The
anctIonsers. who used only / reasonable amount
OF guile. were so successful that 4 lot OF tmlca-
tors spraHg M who used more guile than any.
thing else. SGopkeepsrs Lound their business
affected ana therefore began the difficult task
OF opening the eyes ot women % The iniq IiIies
prI"t.set in the name OF H~a-gllns. The result
has been rhe indictments against certain aI.c-
rl0GeCrs. and 4 temporary loss OF confidence in
their own judgment on the part OF some women.