The times., 1898-12-19
TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER
The Auction Sale Of Dead Let.
ter Parcels.
ALL PREPARATIONS MADE
To Begin This morning Unclaimed Bum
dies sGaiore-Irospect of Large Atten-
dance-Strangc Tricks Of Chance-Many
Inquiries Embellishments Sold for u
Song.

Promptly at 10 o'clock this morning the
annual sale of dead letter packages will
begin at Dowling's auction rooms. in e
Street, between Sixth and Seventh
Streets northwest.
The sale viii continue during the week,
or until the last package mas been dis
posed of by the auctioneers acting in be-
half of the Postoffice Department sEm-
ployes OF the dead letter ofi:ee have been
engaged for weeks preparing the pack
ages which finally found their way to
that branch of the Postoffice Department
during the year.
Within the course of a twelve-month
all sorts and conditions of packages, con-
tanning various kinds of merchandise
reach the shelves ofthe department.
Some of them are minus the requisite
directions, and could not, by any posi-
BILE means, have been delivered by the
Government These are retained six
months. The packages which are ad
dressed, but which cannot be delivered
for various reasons. are kept for two
years, subject to claim, before they are
disposed Of
The auction sale which begins today
Will, All all DC SNay otsShN-
ed by prospective purchasers. The
public seems to manifest the deepest in
terest in this sale, and this year more
than the ordinary amount of inquiry has
been made concerning details of the ap-
preaching sale. All the Government VIII
say is that the sale will begin at GER
tain hour and continue until all the pack
ages have been sold. No tips are fur
nished to anxious inquirers relative TO
the contents of the packages.
Consequently. the auction VIII be very
much of game OF chance. and one is
Just as liable to secure lizard as a dia-
mond The largest packages are sought
by many who think they are thereby
more sure of getting their moneys
worth Others seek the diminutive arti-
Gle. expecting of course, to get jewelry
and other valuables.
1t is strange what tricks chance plays
upon the purchasers. Sometimes those
who get small packages are luclSiest, and
on other occasions 1t is just the opposite.
There have been occasions, too, when
a diamond was found in n 4box~large
enough to contain quart of the rare
gems This is sometimes the case where
persons of n humorous turn of mind ar
range wedding and Christmas presents in
| curious ways or place them in queer
| shaped packages for the purpose OF mis-
| leading the receiver as to their actual
| character - -
| 1t should be understood that the pack
ages to be sold tomorrow are not In the
| original wrappers and boxes in which
| they were received at the dead letter
| office. The Government, realizing that
1 the auction is very much in the nature
| of a gamble, has had all the articles re-
| wrapped according to certain rules. This
is done to remove the lottery aspect as
much as possible. Two men are engaged
during the entire year in the work of re
wrapping bundles.
One of the rules Is to arrange the bun
dies so that no one package will contain
less than about fifty or sixty cents worth
This is the average price the bundle:
generally bring.
II owners of any of the articles sole
at auction can prove, TO the satisfaction
of the Postoffice Department that the,
belonged TO them the amount received
at the sale is remitted to them and thi
frequently happens. The money received
from the sale is not turned over 10 th
Postoffice Department, but is deposite'
in the Treasury. --