The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-17
CRASH At Az AUCTION.
Maybe II Was an Accident but n Disap-
pointed Young Man Was There.

Maybe II Was an Accident but a Disap-
pointed Young Man Was There.
hundred people in the auction room saw
the big tcakwood table loaded with Japanese
china fall down with a crash. but only two OF
three had any idea that the catastrophe was due
10 anything save the sudden and unexpected
breaking of one OF the legs The auction room
was well filled with people expecting TO pick
up Cloisonno vases and bits OF china and enamel.
ware at plain crockery prices The willy auction
Ger was however, getting rid OF large quantities
OF Sa'suma and other cheap Oriental chinas,
on which there Is proAt at almost any price
There was ono young man in the auction room
who seemed 10 know the value OF things hen
ever good article was put up land the auctioneer
occasionally took a chance with something worth
having he got Into the bidding with rush The
regularity with which he was pu, out Of the hid.
ding by one Of little knot OF men who stood ne.
the nuc,ioneer. was suspicious When Il had
happened half dozen times the young man
looked exasperated lie remarked TO another
man that the bidders who 80 consistently boosted
him must be cappers
Il don't think the auction Is a square one,
he satd. but III find out for sure before Igo"
lie bid So little later on n Delft tea SET IT,
had started u a, So and had been raised up to So
ny one S OF ne ssus sS bidders The tea set
denly The auconcet glanced down a, the sF SSm
mediate result The young man sfou md i his
teeth and refused 10 make Il So The tea set set
disappsaa'ssd behind IN the auG,oneer but the man
Next came pair OF sofa cushions They
were very fine tapestry cushions, bound with
aHawS SILK rope lhey were easily worth $40
.hd on one and take your choice. said tho
Two minutes cla psed without ih hid b.inU mad,
The auCti"neer made an eloquent speech al The
end o which small voice offered nifty cents apiece
siormcd. as nuctioncers will He begged for a
dollar Pid then for enty,lye cent bid and after
nH ny iY" nsr GI N, ~ s0,, Of thing said viii
I'm give you So piece for these cushions, =
SAY! n.y. th s,i EoIn n9 , man ,,,-,
another jumped in with SO so The Young man
G,d "a ana Gailed out as he did ri bet don
lie didn't for 81 so was bid by ono Of the men
%ho nTr familiar figures about the place every
daS; ana Tue cushions went at that
That proves that this auction is a fake" said
thc young man in n loud voice ~
IN M ha,s nat" Demanded the nuctioneer.
said the young man calmly. you wasted e oT.,
I'VE minutes trying, 10 get more than SO cents
but Just as soon as bid so, a whole LOT OF pe"n,
o'T6 6C va, they wanted them q any price
was attracting attention lie nut up some .rti.
Gle and had Just got a bid on il when he crash
came; The teak wood table was large one
ipnni ana tully five feet in diameter II must
have bad at least a hundred pieces of china
ont The weight Il was sustaining was so great
mat heavy cane had been put under IL as an
'NNa support, The Young man was standing
very close 10 this cane but 30 were others NAV lie
he kicked the cane out or NAV he some one else
SANITY the big table began 10 rock Some one
shouted Look out" and every ono Jumped
aSl," Then the table came down and there was
Jet "nt a mighty wall and three AIRS ran out from
T",r room, and wTlng their hands as they gAzed
aud carried them away. An examination OF
tne taplc showed one Of the legs tnaprcd off
mort itut the question Is would the leg have
two or tlr"c men entertained the theory that u.e
smash-up was not an accident The auctionccT
didn't accuse any body and the three m,n in
IN question couldn't sec how II WAS up 10 thtm
70 gay anything. They noticed, however. that
when The Young man already mentioned left
the place . few minutes later there was radiant
smile on his fAco