The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-04
A QUEER SALE in WORCESTER
Wellesley Graduates Increase an En-
dOwmcnt Fund by $1,000.

dOwmcnt Fund by $1,000.
WELLESLEY. Mass, June 3.-The
Wellesley alumnae scattered about the
various parts of New England have al
ready exhausted the whole catalogue OF
well-known entertainments in behalf OF
the Wellesley College endowment fund.
and are now bringing to bear on the PROB
lem of getting new ones all the cieyernesS
that they learned at college. Inc latest
effort was made by the Association OF
Alumnae of Worcester, Mass. IL all the
other entertainments for the same pur-
pose could be as successful as this the
college might well feel that its hearts
desire would be accomplished and that
commencement would see Wellesley with
an endowment fund as an assured fact.
The Worcester graduates decided on
''rummage sale" This decision was the
first step and by far the easiest. Next
they literally rummaged the town from
end to end. They began at home and
nothing escaped their eyes from the re-
hottest box in the garnet to the darkest
corner in the cellar. Afterward they in
duced their friends to overhaul their
houses and begged them to be generous
enough to give them everything they did
not care for themselves. Never did such
fore in Worcester. To the over-con-
scientious housekeeper, burdened with the
accumulation of things useless to her. but
too good to throw away" this novel en-
tertainment was perfect godsend. Other
people afflicted with desire to keep
things in a lesser degree also found the
plan excellent, and the motley collection
Of articles that the young women gath
cred together as result of their canvass
was enough to make a junk dealers hair
turn grey. They laid their hands on
everything from a sideboard to key OF
rusty nails. What they did not have at
the sale was not worth mentioning in the
dictionary.
The rummage sale itself was conducted
on most orderly principles. with due re-
gard to the fixed laws of barter and trade.
One merchant who had store to rent on
Maine Street offered it to the young wo-
men free of charge during the three days
they needed it. A decorator offered to
decorate it in his best style, and the
alumnae stocked the shelves with what they
had and acted the part of shop girls to the
best of their ability. One of the important
men of the town took turn about as floor
walker with another important man of the
town, and altogether the entertainment
had all the prestige and eclat that dignity
and learning could lend to a commercial
enterprise. The result was gratifying.
The poor Italians who frequent Worces-
ter in large numbers felt like children
with new toy.
A few of them went to the sale and pick
ed up bargains. Then they told their
friends. who straightway went and did
likewise, until the store was full of them.
They departed happy. and the over-con-
scientious housekeeper beamed with de-
light when she saw chimneypot hats ten
years old, collars long past their prime,
and shoes in every stage Of disrepair.
change hands for a few cents and disap-
pear from view under the arms of an Ital-
ian family.
The customers were not all from the
poorer classes; sometimes the patrons OF
the affair also found themselves buying
and one lady who obtained bargain Oil
stove and gloried over her purchase to
friend felt somewhat chagrined whe, she
found she was talking to the donor Of the
stove. With a few exceptions nothing
was sold for more than a quarter or 50
cents. The hardware department, the
crockery corner. the millinery cotslter.
the tinware stall. the gentieman's fur
nishing department, all took in their
money by driblets. but SO extensive was
the stock in trade and so skillful the COL
legiate salesladies that the receipts were
beyond their widest dreams. Psyche
logically, the Encouragement of matter
brought about by this rummage sale was
very interesting study-the poor ap-
pearing in the outworn finery of the rich.
cooking their garlic in the onion kettles
of their superiors treading in the shoes
of their employers. The shifting of OBJ
jects useless in one family to position
of honor in another is phase worth con-
sidering. But what the Wellesley girls
cared about was not subtle analysis or
psychological investigation. The facts
about the rummage sale were enough for
them. They netted $1,000 as the result
of their three days labor and the joy of
handing the sum over to the endowment
fund treasurer.