Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-11

| mere tildt the experienced
him. He puts up something that he knows
will call for spirited bidding, being particu-
| lar to get bid from the jagged knocker
and to knock the article down to him. Then
the article is passed down to the cashier.
The knocker with the jag declines to pay
for it, loudly setting up the claim that he
| didn't bid on it, Hereupon all of the bid
| derS who were eager to get the same article
| cut in with an exhibition of Indignation
over the action of the jagged knocker. The
auctioneer puts the question to them, in the
manner of chairman putting question
| to parliam entary body, as to whether the
| Jagged mali has bid on the article. and they
| reply with a unanimous Aye This saps
| the nerve of the knocker, when he sees that
| the whole crowd is against him. and the
| auctioneer walks into him and tells him
| that no more Of his bids will be entertained.
! Then knocker No. 3. finding himself
stunned by all hands. lays course for the
| door. Even without employing this method
the jagged knocker is considerably easier
TO get rid of than some of the others, for
| after fifteen or twenty minutes the i'm
perative need of another 'hoOter' of the
old stuff clutches him and he goes forth to
seek it. But it is hard to have patience
with him for that length of time.
The POmpOus knOcker.
Last, but not by a whole lot, least of
the major types of knockers of the sales
rooms is No. 4, who is the big bane Of the
auctioners' lives. As a rule No. is a
large, portly man, with self-importance
stamped in every lineament of his counte-
nance. Singularly enough nearly all of
this type of SaleS-room knocker that it has
been my misfortune to meet in the course
of three decades experience as an auc-
tioneer have worn Burnside whiskers
His Methods of Work.
This lordly -knocker, as general thing,
with his air of Importance and his portly
frame, crowds his way through the room,
showing all hands aside with a naughty
manner, and takes position directly oppo-
site the auctioneer As the auctioneer puts
up an article he is the first to eagerly
stretch forth his hand to examine it. After
few seconds of the merest cursory inspec-
ton of the article, instead of passing 1t
along to others for examination or hand
ing 1t back TO the auctioneer, he clapS 1t
down on the showcase or the auctiOneer'S
stand with quick, impatient, this-wQn't-
do-at-all movement, pulls his whiskers and
looks up in the air, like a man profoundly
bored. This little move on the Knockers
part, as the auctioneer well knows, Injuries
the sale of the article offered by fully 80
per cent, for all the people standing near
the knocker, judging the latter by his
snowy appearance. and naturally presum-
ing that they are in the presence of judge
of things, inwardly declare that they'll let
the others do the bidding. Article after
article, as the auctioneer offers them, will
be treated in the same fashion by this type
of lordly knocker. He never, of course,
utters a single word rejecting upon the
summarily rejects-in fact, he rarely or
never says a word to any one. He simply
looks over everything put up and slams 1t
down as If it wasn't worth his slightest
consideration. 1t is game that puts the
auctioneer in wretchedly uncomfortable
position If the auctioneer is wise in his
generation he'll refrain from asking this
knocker for any explanation of his weird
conduct, for the naughty proposition with
the Burnsides is as liable as not to reply,
in effect, in a loud, sonorous tone, This ar
ticle isn't what / thought it was, sra
reply that would make matters whole lot
worse, for such a remark would tend to
clear all doubts, if any remained in the
minds of the standers-by, that the portly
man was an expert and critic of high
degree.
How to Dispose of Him.
Il have known inexperienced auctioneers
to lose all presence of mind when up
against a knocker of this particular breed,
and knowing nothing better to do adjourn
their sales out of hand. Well, this isn't
the right plan The experienced auctioneer.
remembering that whom the gods would
destroy they first make mad doesn't lose
his temper in the presence of the pompOus
knocker. He doesn't attempt to get into
an argument with the man. He doesn't
address him in any way. He simply looks
a his feet. Seems queer, doesn't it? But
it works every time The experienced auc-
tioneer simply looks at the pOmpouS knock
er's feet. l myself have tried that scheme
has never yet failed me. The effectiveness
of the plan, of course, depends a good deal
upon the auctioneer. AS soop as the auc-
tioneer finds that he has in his cOngrega-
ton a knocker of this type it is up to him
to Immediately assume his most pleasant
expression. Zen he wants to display elab-
crate courtesy in handing every article he
puts up to the pompOus knocker first. Sud
denly, standing opposite his man from an
elevated position, the auctioneer throws his
gaze down straight and direct at the feet
If nit no
it there for a period of about five seconds.
AS he slowly raises his gaze to the pompous
knockers cOuntenance, with an expression
Of wonderment and curiosity, not unmixed
with surprise, he notices the man with the
Burnsides twitch a bit where he stands.
The auctioneer moves away for a moment
or so, and then returns for another word
or so with the knocker. Then he again
rivets his gaze on the latter's feet, holding
1t there somewhat longer this time. The
pompous knocker begins to get worried,
and looks down at his feet to see if there
is anything the matter with his shoes or
his trousers. Offering the next article the
auctoneer passes 1t first to the Burnsided
knocker. at the same time bending over the
counter and fixing a long, yearning look at
the mans pedal eXtremitieS. The knocker
Will not put the article he has received this
time down with bang. He'll be too much
worried about his feet. After the operation
mas been repeated a number of times the
pompous knocker will move away and min
gle with the crowd, all of his haughtiness
SUM, III iiliit cases out OF ten. But the
experienced auctioueer doesn't let it go at
that. He continues to gaze at the pompous
mans feet, and soon succeeds in attracting
the attention of other people in the room
to the underpinning of the knocker They
all begin to look in the same direction, and
then knocker No. 4, hopping his forehead
violently and wondering what ails him.
sneaks out. And that is the one and only
way to deal with the man whose counte-
nance IS decorated with the Burnsides
w hich brings me up to the statement
t,i.
ours"
Why He AppIauded.
From the Yonkers Statesman
RapoD-'Von hot