The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-03-23

and we preferred the feathers. And the
strange part of the tale is that the
old colored woman is one OF our best
customers to-day and steers all her
friends our way.
"One reads all sorts of fake stories
about rich finds made by frequenters
of auction shops, but, while this may
be an unbusiness-like thing to say,
must confess such instances are rare.
Still, we can record one already in the
year 1902. Some months aGo an old
/ Irishwoman who wanted to go back
| to her own country to die, and sold
us her house furnishing goods, includ-
: ing a couple of quaint old quilts which
| she declared had been made by her
great-grandmother. OF course, at the
sale 1 told all sorts of alluring stories
about hidden treasures to be found in
! old-fashioned things, and an old Ger
. man finally bought one Of the quilts at
! 81 20, which was quite to my liking as
we had allowed rs cents for it. The
other day he came back and
tapped timidly at the office
! door Did remember the
Quilt? Surely! And it was worn on
| the corners? He had been almost
afraid of those corners. They would
not last long. But his wife had rip
ped them up to piece them, out with
| new calico and there-there-yes, 1t
was true, there tucked into the layers
of cotton were four diamonds and half
a dozen flve-pound notes.
Just for a joke ] explained that in
such instances half the find reverted to
the auctioneer. crafty light came
into the old mans eyes and he said;
so? 1 tink perhaps dot vas so. But
it ISIS not here. 1t ISIS gone. My wife
has gone back to Germany, and she
takes it NIT her. So? And 1 myself
go next week. But 1 tank you yoost
der same. We be glad to see der old
! home
! "But. Cor real, solid fun, commend
me to what is termed an as it is sale,
| such as are conducted by hotels and
railways for unclaimed baggage, and
where people bid for packages, judging
from the outside only and not being
permitted to open or examine any
thing.
"The last sale I held for the New
| York Central was in '92, when 1O,OOO
packages, parcels and trunks which
had been left at various places between
Buffalo and New York were disposed
of. Three thousand people were in at
! tendance, and the job at times threat
| ened to cost me my life, despite the
| protection of a squad of police. IL
| seemed that wags in the employ of the
| railway, but who could never be To-
| Gated, had shipped III d lOL VI my SIO-
| rious bundles which were hoax
Imagine the feelings of a man who
paid four or five dollars for package
found to contain empty strawberry
baskets or tomato cans.
ION the other hand, at the last sale
| of unclaimed baggage for the Grand
| Central Hotel, the stuff was all offered
In front of our shop here on Broadway,
and some fine bargains were picked up
One man bid in for $14 a dingy trunk
which contained ladies' wearing APP
parel linens and laces valued at $3.50,
! while another fellow picked up for $l.IO
, a package containing a diamond ring
and sterling match box. 1t had been
held for express charge of $14. A man
who was passing on a Broadway car
| saw me pointing to a box that was
Just being put up, and he shouted from
the platform-'Three dollars He
Jumped off at the next corner and came
final word let me say the women show
| that instinct here stronger than the
men. every time"
back to claim SIS worth Of new books.
Gambling? Yes, / suppose you
might call it that. But you can't sup
press the gambling instinct so far as
auction sales are concerned, and for
final word let me say, the women show
that instinct here stronger than the
men, ever time"