The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-08-14

| \ few days after the New Year has
come III, and the rich people of Lack
awanna township, Pike county, Penn
sylvania, and the well-to-do, who earn
enough to keep them comfortable. have
enjoyed the festivities of the holiday
the overseers of the poor begin to de-
wise ways and means for the care OF
the homeless, penniless, friendless crea-
lures whom sickness, hard times, OF
| incapacity have thrown upon their
hands. All over the township they posi-
notice-'A Woman for Sale"-and in
smaller type tell when and where the
bargain hunters can get their money
worth. The sale is by auction and hui
man beings are put up and bid for and
sold just as cattle or houses are sold,
But there is this difference: The sue
cessful competitor Is not the highest,
but the lowest bidder. nor does he pay
the amount of his bid. 1t is paid TO
him monthly for the board, lodging
and clothing of the fellow creature he
has bought, and for such medical at
tendance as the poor chattel may re-
quire during the twelve months of his
or her servitude.
On the 18th of January of year not
long since the sale had been duly adj
vertised to be held at Warren X. Nut
ans hotel. Rowland's Station, and at
the hour fixed the auctioneer, an over
seer of the poor, in the presence of a
large assemblage. offered the first Tot. y
withered old man, with hardly
strength enough to walk. There was no
bid for him, for nothing could be eX-
pected from him as laborer. He could
only eat and sleep and be in the way
and take up room, and get sick, and
then die. So nobody wanted the old
man. and he had to return to the poor
house, there to end his days.
The Window Is Put Up.
THE next lot" said the auctioneer,
with a grin that required the whole ex-
panse of an extremely broad and home
ly countenance in which to be fully
developed, lis the Wilder Crane. who,
some of you is. no doubt. acquainted
with. She ken sew. hez good eyesight,
talks sensible. reads fine print writes
a good hand. an likes folks to call her
Ora ham. What shell we give you to
take keer of the widder?"
'How's her temper?" asked tall,
angular woman, with voice that
creaked like cordage in a calm at sea.
From fair 20 middlin'," said the
auctioneer. She's not cantankerous
'thout you poster her. She's fond o.
music. loves children. and hez an opin-
ion of her own. But she bothers no
body. and is able to arm her board five
times over"
IN take her fer IS a month" said
the woman whose voice creaked
Il go ST." said a quiet man in the
tllrong.
An I'll take the wilder fer Sc"
yelled fullbodied man on the out
skirts.
The auctioneer temporized for a
while, but no lower bid was made un!
til. as he was about to knock down
lot No. to the IS bidder, thin,
full withal, awoke the echoes.
I'll take her for five dollars and a
half month" said the voice. which
seemed to come from nowhere.
And who might you be?" asked the
auctioneer. looking about to right and
left.
Il might be Moses. but l amt" said
a wee bit of woman. as she got uu
from a bench in the back row. I'm
and ready to buy myself.
If you think l can't live on less'n
90 cents day. you're woefully mis-
taken. I've starved on more, but then
1 was not providin' for myself. an
was savin' for others, an maxim
money for 'em, too
Wilder Crane" said the auctioneer
now with the magisterial voice of an
overseer of the poor. what security
kin you give that you kin provide for
yourself with the five dollars an
half paid every month to you by the
township of Lackawanna, county of
Pike. state Of Pennsylvania?
My security is George William
Baker said the widow. Hes here
10 speak for himself
And a fat little man arose in the
throng and placed himself in evidence.
Everybody knew him as one of the
wealthiest residents of the county. a.
citizen of probity as well as of prop
erty.
I'll go bail for the Wilder Graham"
said George William Baker. She'll
occupy that little cottage o mine down