The new enterprise. (Madison, Fla.) 1901-1908, 1903-10-08
II!5I I!@I|
IIEsl IMElI

Mol lEll Wharf in San Francisco
one Afternoon In the sum
mer of 81, Although the occasion was
an auction, the bidders chances more
than usually hazardous, and the season
and locality famous for reckless specu'
lation, there was scarcely any excite
ment among the bystanders, and lazy,
half-humorous curiosity seemed to have
taken the place of any zeal for gain.
It was an auction OF unclaimed
trunks and boxes-the personal luggage
of early emigrants-which had been
left in storage In hulk or warehouse at
San Francisco, while the owner was
seeking his fortune In the mines.
The difficulty and expense Of trans
port, often obliging the gold seeker TO
make part of his journey on foot re-
stricted him 70 the smallest impedi'
menta, and that Of q kind not often
found in the luggage Of ordinary civil
ization. As a consequence during the
emigration Of 40 he was apt on land
ing TO avail himself OF the invitation
usually displayed on some Of the doors
of the rude obstetrics on the shore:
"Rest for the Weary and Storage for
Trunks" In q majority Of cases he
never returned to claim bis stored prop.
erty. Enforced absence, protracted
equally by good or evil fortune, ac'
cumulated the high storage charges
until they usually far exceeded the
actual value of the goods; sickness
further emigration, or death also Ne.
duced the number Of possible claim.
ants, and that more wonderful human
frailty--absolute forgetfulness of de-
posted pOssesSions-combined together
to leave the bulk Of the property in the
custodian's hands. Under an under
stood agreement they were always sold
at public auction after a given time
Although the contents Of some of the
trunks were exposed, 1t was found
more in keeping with the public senti-
ment to sell the trunks unlocked and
unopened. The element OF curiosity
was kept up from time to time by the
incautious disclosures of the lucky or
unlucky purchaser, and general bidding
thus encouraged-eXcept when the
Spectator, with the true gambling In
stinct, gave no idea in his face Of what
was drawn IN this lottery. Generally,
however, some suggestion in the eS-
terror Of the trunk, label or initials;
some conjectural knowledge of Its
former owner, or the idea that be might
be secretly present in the hope Of get
ting his property back for less than the
accumulated dues kept up the bidding
and interest
A understanding, well.worn port
manteau had just been put up at a
small opening bid, when Harry Flint
Joined the crowd. The young man
had arrived a week before at San
Francisco, friendless and penniless, and
had been forced to part with his own
effects to secure necessary food and
lodging, while looking for employment
In the irony Of fate that morning the
proprietors OF dry goods store, struck
with his good looks and manners, had
offered him a situation If he could
make himself more prcsentable to their
Fair clients. Harry Flint was gazing
half abstractedly, half hopelessly, At
the portmanteau without noticing the
auctioneer's persuasive challenge.
In his abstraction he was not aware
that the auctioneer's assistant was also
looking at him curiously, and that pos
gibly his detected and half-clad appear
ance had excited the attention OF one
of the cynical bystanders, who was en-
a few words with the as
sistant, He was, however, recalled to
himself q moment later when the port
manteau was knocked down at SIS,
and considerably startled when the as.
sistant placed it at his feet with q
grim smile.
That's your property, Fowler, and
1 reckon you look as If you wanted It
back bad"
"But-heres some mistake" STAN
mered Flint. II didn't bid"
NO, put Iom tlynn did for you,
You see, l spotted you from the first,
and told Flynn reckoned you were
one Of those chaps who came back
from the mines dead broke. And be up
and bought your things for you-like
square man That's Flynn's styla II
he is gambler"
But persisted Flint, "this never was
my property. My name isn't Fowler
and l never left anything here"
The assistant looked at him with a
grim, half-credulous, halfscorufuI
smile.
Have II your own way" he said.
but / oughter tell We, old man, that
I'm the warehouse clerk, and remem-
Der you I'm here for that n,1r1,osa