The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1898-03-13


the auction department merely supple.
menied. In many parts Of the country
iAiE combination still exists; and as
regards selling by the inch a. candle"
so hard do old customs dean ex-
ample Of this class Of sale was report
cd from Deyonshire Jess than a week
ago. The origin o. ,h.s expression
arose from the employment q candles
as the means OF measuring time. and g I
was understood that one lot Of goods
should not continue 20 be offered 20 /
the bidding Of the company for longer /
time than would sufice for the burn
Ing Of one inch OF candle. A. soon as /
this rude kind % measure hsd wasted /
70 the extent 10 question. the man who |
had made the highest bid was declared /
20 be the purchaser. Those were plod- |
ding reposeful days. innocent Of tele-
phones and kilograms. when as much |
a. one quarter OF an hour was permit |
ted for the consumption q the meas.
nred inch. the interval being agreeably
passed In frequent libaiions al the ex-
pense Of the vendors.
Long before the adycn; % the late
Nr. Price sales By candle" we're pop
ular 10 this country. and an kinds Of
surmises have been made as 20 the
origin Of the custom One authority
declares that the method originated IN
Holland. ".he Dutch being a quie,-lov-
Ing people. 10 whom the ext.ngulshlng
Of a piece Of candle would appeal more
than the tap Of hammer The writer.
as II Impressed by the feebleness OF
this argument. hasteas 20 add: The
Dutch country Is much -cnowned FOR
Us frogs and as the blowing out OF a
candle would place the auction room
In darkness. and since the auctloneer
could not be seen. the bidding Of neces-
sity would cease" On the whole. the
balance % evidence fayors she state
ment tha; the candle was used orig
inally Tor the sole purpose Of measur-
ing time even as the sand-glass Is en-
ployed Tor auctions IN some parts OF
Scotland and England az the present
day. A number OF documents might be
quoted In support OF this view and
pepys. In his Diary. under date Nov.
6, 1860. writes: In our Office. where
We NEE Tor the sale Of two ships by
an inch OF candle. ! observed how they
Did invite one another. aad how a.
las, they all did cry. and We had much
20 do 20 tell who did cry las.. The
ships were the Indian. sold Tor cf.a0O.
and the Half MoOne. sold Tor es30."
There ore still some sales ln london
which would merit this description az
20 crying the wool sales. Tor instance
whore the unlnitiated are certainly
morN often than not az loss 10 know
whose bid Is successful. In times long
gone by sales by the candle" were
popular In Garraway's coffee house In
Exchange alley. az the Marine coffee
house Ia Blrohin lane. and at lae Young
British coffee house. adjoining 10
Ludgaie. where punch IS sold M the
lowest prices"-as the notice Of sale
would invariably state. All these es-
adjustments have now been swept
away % make room for less historic
premises. but the advertisements relat-
+ ing TO the quaIntest OF old auctions
may still be seen. OF the methods M
bidding Mr.. Price could tell some I'm.
teresting stories. In his early DAYS
there were other modes than nod OF
I the head 10 signify Intention 10 pur.
chase A wink IL accepted by some
auctioneers as equivalent to the cry NJ
Yes" though some buyers prefer TO
pinch the leg Of the painstaklng gentle.
man who Is knocking down" the lots
Mr. James +. Field. who has evidently
made a study OF the idiosyncrasles M
buyers. says there Is one class who slg.
nifty bid by an open mouth and signs
Of apoplexy most alarming to behold.
others motion. smile. frown. or trem-
Bile. and. indeed the methods OF some
are perpleXing" The Romans sgnl-
fed their bidding by lifting their I'm.
gers, but this did not conduce 10 the
economy OF time. FOR auctions al the
capital We are told. frequently lasted
two months.
In support OF the great antiquity OF
auctions Il is alleged that the purchase
OF the cave OF MaohpelRh by Abraham
for 400 shekels OF silver was probably
effected through some agent or inter
medlary corresponding to the modern
auctioneer. though the evidence on this
point Is doubtful. We are more con
cerned to know that the Auctioneers'
Institute Of the United Kingdom was
founded In 1856, and that II has a mem
bershlp OF 900, There are several gem
tlemen on It's books with an experience
almost equal to that possessed by the
late Mr.. Price, and all these agree that
within recent years no profession has
made greater progress as regards pub
lie recognition and improved attain
ments than the gentlemen Of the ham
mer. Mr., Charles Harris, the secre-
tary. will Inform you candidly that In
Mr. Prices early days the average auc-
uoneer was a man OF only small i'm
Portance. There was no Incorporated
society and no examination; moreover.
the sales took place In establishments