The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-12-30
Unclaimed Property Put Up
at Auction.
BIDDERS A HUMAN NATURE Study.
Fond Reconections Stirred by Arti-
cles of Summer Wear-Traits
of Character Shown in Ex-
element of Competition.

SdAG Vi llAC LgtoaAAt JStSsAaAt ms
the department through the efforts Of Ger
tain individuals who would steal a red
hot stove if they had asbestos gloves to !
their higher-cIass brethren with a weak
ness for repousee silveTware. The results
of these efforts when not claimed by their |
owners after diligent search on the part |
of the property clerk, Arthur Kemp, are |
held for year and then auetioned off to /
the highest bidder. e
The police, who have. weakness for |
gold brick promoters, do not offer the /
public pig in poke" at these sales |
like the PostofEice Department on similar |
occasions. Every article is numbered |
with an inventory of its contents on lists /
prepared for the purpose. These lists
are circulated among the people attend
ing the sale, and everyone knows exactly
what one is bidding on
The Opening OF the sale.
This morning the sale was opened at 10
O'Clock by Auctioneer Radcliffe. at his
rooms. go Pennsylvania Avenue north
west When that stout bewhiskered.
! and good -natured gentleman mounted
| chair he surveyed a throng of bargain
| hunters comprising elements of society
as diverse as the goods he had to dis
| pose of-and there was almost everything
| on the list frcm lead pipes to lingerie.
| There was my lady snufhng at vinai-
/ grette and cycling with disfavor through
her Iorgnette some of her neighbors. IN
! washed and unkenpt: men out OF jobs and
men who should have been attending to
the jobs they are holding down; women
fat and voIuble. twirIing door keys around
their fingers and expressing wish that
the children Sould not set the house on
fire during their absence; Weary Rag
| giles, taking a warming, and his natural
antagonist, the policeman of duty, with an
eye to the main chance.
4 Facetfous Auctionecr.
The auctioneer is a witty individual and
in sizing up his audience he "jollied them
along" in good shape,
Ladies and gentlemen he began. we
viii open the sale with an AK and he
twirled one over his head. IT'S an ex-
ceHent thing TO keep the wolf from the
door
And copDers. too" calculated some
body amid a general litter.
Now, What am I bid for this gleam-
ing blade?f
Nickel. said a fat man wearing a
venerable silk hat that looked rs if it
was favorite promenade ground for
snaiIs.
.'Pardo0g," said the auctioneer politely.
--on this proposition I'm free silver
, man. nothing Iezs. Coins of baser metals
not considered g
: Dime yelled thin man wearing a
goatee. as he spat with great precision or
the fat mans foot
Nickel better" growIed the other
The two bid ferceIy against each Other
| until the thin man bid his pile IS cents
! and got the chopper.
What I'll do to the dog that lives mex
door to NE with this, amt fit to DE taiket
- about he said with a bIoodthirsty air.
. Two Reminiscent Purchasers.
The next article. straw hat with :
2 buzz saw rim and a aamboyan5 oand, va.
: Knocked down FOR Is cents to . sad-face,
nan who carried with him an odor o
: HaTaschino cherries dipped in something
- else This airy reminder Of veTnAl Ma.
> vas succeeded by bathing suit Stripe
Ike an .orioIe which passed without oppo
= sition to a sour-Yisaged Fed-nosed persol
{ who threw of an efFiuyia of hot whisk
: and lemons He was Immediately joine
h by the straw hat purchaser. who said:
IS what do you want with that oil
it thing2-'
Ii '-ssr." returned the other. haughtily. =
+ bought it for sweet Rlemory's sake: 1 al
l. the proprietor OF a summer garden.
And L" rejoiHed the other bitterly
y IAN The owner of summer resort wit
s. unexcelled facilities for bathing in
= creek"
l. The two linked arms as they marched {
$ the nearest drink caravansary, hummtn
IS as they went: Wen be HAPPY, Low,
to Wnen Summer Comes Again.
1r Spoken IB a Gentle Hush
1e When Dir. Radcliffe handed out the ne1
package he SAID in a tender tone. 9TH
contains q choice assortment of 'er 'rer
(, and he hesitated, '"Ioasheree.
n As some OF his hearers seemed myst
ty fed he fastened to explain; ''sor
chen,isettes, he added, with all KIM
of lace on EN- and the real things in II
u baby blue ribbon way. Only married ms
are allowed to bid" he wound up wit
or a grin
one OF the women with door key 0
fered % cents against the scornful raj
al of 80 cents by a Blood Field sport. WI
u got the lingerie fer 80 cents amid 4
I
,e who nearly had fight over the next pae
age. containing some e2Fled hair in t
y shape OF fringe $50 affected by En-
as Iish women and made familiar by I
it Maurier in his sketches
IS -Aint youse got -er snun wool, Niger
asked enc OF the Eomen,s wTathfull
Youse noes I dene lose all nah hair Off
- man haid wifi feyab' pointing to h
~ lelosely cropped poll The first wom
~, was adamant, securing the hair for
nj cents.
ng
be Cleanliness, my friends remarked t
ST auctioneer, solemnly. "is next to god
-. ness. Help The good cause along by Blu
lLh ing these dozen cakes of toilet sos
q Sweet as the perfumes OF Araby and VS.
10 rauted to wear to a wafer"
in Nickel, broke in the irrepressibIe
man. scoring the auctioReeT silver dt
ted | laration.
six cents observed man in frc
poking a very dirty hand at Radcliffe.
The soap was haGGsd over to him a
49, the universal opinion was that n his CO
the punishment ut the crime.
Hobby Horse and Watch.
til The auctioneer put hobby horse
the table in front Of him and as ne roel
oh it to and fro he said: Every man Ia.
hobby. Now here's a chance to ride {
20 the death without killing the beas
.es How much am I offered for this /
cephaIus twin brother to Pegasus, SIT
ma IN a toy factory and damned with glue