Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-12
UNCLE SANS AUCTION
SALE OF UNCLAIMED ARTICLES
BY DEAD LETTER OFFICE.
Rooms Of Wilson & Mayors Crowded
Today-Four Hundred Packages
Sold at Noon.

Now ladies and gentlemen, we have
here No on the list 1t contains accord
ing to the word of the Post Office Depart
ment. eleven yards of blue and white striped
bingham and two yards of white lawn. and
YOU may have it for whatever sum you
elect We've got to get rid of this stuff and
the sooner the better. What do l hear?
All, thank you. Ten cents. Ten cents am
offered. ten cents. ten cents, ten, ten, ten,
ten, ten. Make it eleven.
IFS a shame to sell bingham for ten
cents. And think of the exquisite lawn. 1t
reminds me of the gentle spring and the
beating of lambs, without the mint sauce.
White lawns symbolic of the present
wntriness of the landscape, and for that
reason ought to bring more than at any
other season. Bid up. You refuse? Then
going. going, going, gone. For ten cents to
the lady in red with tie green hat
1t was the sale of Inc dead letter office,
held at the auction rooms of Wilson &
Mayors, 1927 and 1929 street. and the
rooms packed with humanity. For
the sake of convenience and for the COM
fort of both sexes the men and women were
separated, each occupying room set apart,
but joined by the stand of the auctioneer
and an archeG doorway. Exclusive of books
and jewelry, of which there are LOSE lots of
the former and 4S7 of the latter, there are
6,212 pieces to be sold this week, and the
sale that is going on now promises to keep
the auctioneers busy until next Saturday.
Up to noon today there were about 400
pieces sold.
Rooms Crowded.
The day without was cold the snow was
falling and the doors were closed. There
was not an inch of room for another per-
son in either side as the auctioneer began
his work but that did not prevent others
from trying to get in and add to the steam
mo no t.
mosphere.
And the customers bid on anything and
with great energy. Merchandise in many
instances brought more than 1t could have
been sold for at first hand, and the COM
petition made a good days record. For
time the ladies who had been disappointed
in their purchases sent them back to the
auctioneer to be sold again, but that func-
tionary soon put stop to this sort of
speculation by telling these drivers of a
bargain that what they bought they would
not. They kept them, but the ukase had
the effect of lessening the rivalry of the
bidders.
Variety of Articles.
Every conceivable thing known to human
use was there in the packages save only
such stuff as was too large for the mails.
Locomotives were there, these being for the
children, and horses and carts and every
other thing that man ever made. From the
shape of some of the packages 1t looked as
If a baby might be brought forth, but the
untying of the bundle merely displayed a
suit of clothes some other equally sordid
necessary. Nothing that civilized man or
woman ever wore was omitted from the list
and the sale promises to be productive OF
much bargaining for the Christmas pres
ents which every man and woman there
expects to get at reduced cost. The sale
will be continued at 10 o'clock tomorrow
morning and every day thereafter until all
the packages are sold. the amount, less the
commission of the auctioneers. being turned
over to the dead letter office fer the benefit
of the postal fund. This is the second sea-
son the sale has been conducted by Wilson
* Mayors.