Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1901-07-26
HIS START IN LIFE.
" WAS AGOOD ONE AND WAS THRUST
ON HIM BY ACCIDENT.

Ehe Incident wouldn't Have Hap
oened If n ShOrtsighted Real Es-
mfe A%uctioneer Had Not Forgotten
His Eyeglasses.
Y owe my start in life to the fact
Eat an estimable Old gentleman forgot
IT, put his eyeglasses in his pocket one
warming" said a prosperous business
1asn from a sister city. cts rather a
,9rIous story" he went on. "and I'll
III it as briefly as possible. A good
1ssuy years ago.. when ! was a young
.kflow Of % or Whereabouts. l drifted
INTO Louisville in search of a job that
saint niaterialize, and the upshOt Of 1t
vas that l found myself practically
1roke in a strange city. Up to that
ane l had always worked for small
ynges and had never succeeded in &C.
sznulating as much as $50, but l had
IN abiding faith that if | could once
get hold of a modest stake l could
1tunch out for myself and make some
zeoney.
Zone morning. when | vas wander
afyg about with only two or three silver
1allars in my pocket. looking for a
NANCE to 60 to work at anything that
light offer, I dropped into a big
akyWn stairs room where some real
R.ate was being sold at auction. A
urge crowd was present, and there
vas an indescribable feeling of ten
MON in the air that warned me some
hing unusual was about to happen.
while | was standing there. only
mguely interested. the a%uctioneer. who
svzs quite an elderly gentleman. put
yp a piece of improved city property
and after a considerable pause receiv-
III a bid of 5000. | could see that the
lsIYAllness of the amount excited sur
}A'ise, and | was also aware of a COM
gEution in one corner where half a
toz n previous bidders were gathered
sassether in an excited group. They
seemed to be quarurling about some
1aing, and meanwhile the a%uctioneer
vas Indignantly appealing for a re-
1tctable offer.
MAKE it $4,000. he shouted. Does
sxy gentleman bid $2,5Oo?' He looked
kklectly at me-. and | made a gesture of
'fAnial. Thank your he exclaimed.
greatly to my surprise. Tile gentleplan
ger there bids $1,000, and. if | can
3elp it, no combination of buyers is go
Ig to be allowed to dictate prices at
Ais sale! With that he suddenly
Knocked down the property to me.
NO sooner was this DONE" continued
Ne story teller, than Il great uproar
II protests arose from the group in the
x@ner. They insisted that they had
zen given no chance to bid. but the
x%uctioneer stood firm ana, calling me
n the platform, requested my name
ac1d address and a 20 per cent cash de-
Esit IN the $500.
by that time ! realized, of course,
ia some extraordinary chance had
1lrown n fine piece of property into my
lall1S ut a fraction of it's real value,
zxnt ! did some quick thinking. I've
MKT a messenger for the money! | said
~ eoolly as | could, and I'll have it
asire i'll 10 minutes
THE a%uctioneer looked at the clock.
aM right he replied. I'll give you
Ia,1 limit
Then | took a desperate chance. l
Yashed through the crowd. which was
already Interested in the mex sale. and
&.ekoned to Il little fat ma who had
SsAeu one of The loudest kickers a few
aNlaaents before.
Look here l said, drawing him
asa,ia. do you want to be my silent
Elltner for an hour or so?
what d'you mean?' said he.
Il gave him the truth in a dozen
weeds. Now let me have that 5000
~sspie,sit money | added, and wen
saAre the profits, whatever they are
The little man looked at me shrewd-
N, This is Il big joke OF all Of u.s. he
xsSl, %grinning, and | guess III risk the
an
1t the same time he counted out
55EE@A, and put ii in my hands. ! raced
axta to the desk with the cash. cllnch-
80 ghe sale and before noon had the
aE4ee2 in my possession. Then, to make
. krng story short. my silent partner
NEpred me $ 1000 cash for my interest,
sxns1 as $1,000 looked about as big as a
mountain at that stage of the game l
promptly accepted. That thousand, for
GnnS.ely placed. gave me the start that
ms Kept mt going ever since.
~Rut what about the eyeglasses, did
:gsS1 say? Why. the %auctioneer. as l
xzterward learned, was very
sighted, and on the morning to which l
lNA4r he had forgotten his glasses. That
YES why he mistook my gesture of dis
smrswal for a sign Of assent and forced
amess. in spite of myself. into a good
ming I understood the exact
saus inwardness Of the deal, but the
zacss in the rough were that a clique
aEE SPECTATORS had formed a combine
"a. Keep down prices. but, owing to
some misunderstanding. failed to bid
promptly on the property which l Sc.
eured. The auctloneer was on to the
Sme and anxious to break 1t up; hence
aaR Dreeipitancy In knocking down the
uA