The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-11-17
Big GUESSING CONTEST.
santa Re Finishes It's Annual Un-
claimed Baggage Sale

| One of the largest sales of unclaim-
ed freight which the Santa Fe has
ever conducted has just been conclud-
ed Seven large car loads of freight
which failed to find an owner or have
in some manner failed to reach the
destination intended were sold to the
public. They were not small car
loads ether but some of the largest
cars which the Santa; Fe uses in its
freight service.nr SIS
The sale commenced at o'clock
last Monday morning. and has been
going on IN full blast since that time.
The old freight depot which was re-
Gently moved into the old lumber
yard is now devoted entirely to the
storage of the unclaimed freight and
it is at this place that the sale is con-
Quoted. Since Monday the freight de-
pot has been the rendezvous of all the
curious citizens of the town. The
great variety of the articles which are
put up for sale attracts all classes of
people and the element of luck which
plays large part in some of the sales
lends additional interest in the sale.
Some of the goods are very easy to
be seen and the buyer of this class
runs no risk in his purchases. Some
of the goods. however are rather du
bicus in, their nature When a tightly
closed box IS put under the auction
GERS hammer everybody, even the
auctioneer himself is ignorant regard
ing its contents. This is where a great
deal of the interest in the sale is
found. 1t is thought that the pur-
chase of a second hand dealer on the
lower part of Kansas avenue capped
the climax for the sale. The purchas-
er was a Jew, whose store carries ev-
erything in stock which could be
classified under clothing, hardware
and three-ball goods. A large box
which bore no label nor Inscription
which would indicate it's contents and
was large and heavy, was put up for
sale The bidding was spirited but
finally ended with the IsraeIite top
ping the bids received What he ex-
pected to find in the box can only be
surmised, but his keen disappoint-
ment can be ina gined when upon
being opened the box was found to
contain large assortment or artificial
limbs Judging from the large assort-
ment which were included in his pur-
chase, his emporium OF miscellaneous
articles should long continue to be a
boon to the afflicted
The variety of different articles
which are put up for sale at a sale of
this kind is beyond description. Farm
ing implements of all kinds kitchen
utensils. everything found in stores of
all kinds and nearly every conceivable
article which is used by man. is
knocked down by the auctfoneer. The
stock of goods which accumulates prior
to sale. would make Sears. Robucl1
& Co. seek new fields for their opera
tons. The goods disposed of at this
sale will find their way into all the
different crafts and trades Imaginable
and there is probably no utensiI
which could be used in any trade
which has not found a purchaser at
the sale.
Col Charles Crews has been crv-
ing the sale and thousands have paid
their tribute to his eloquence during
the sale by investing their money IN
unclaimed freight. Some of the pur-
chasers are immensely better off and
some have been bitten. but thew have
no one to blame but themselves.