The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-07-09
AUCTION SALE BARGAINS.
Surprises in Unclaimed Packages
Sold by Express Companies.
(Chicago Record-Herald.)

"You can't most always sometimes
tell" said the former hotel clerk. The
original package may be tastefully tied
up with pink string, but the contents may
be of the common or hemp variety"
This was apropOS of the experience or
a customer who had told of purchasing a
box of the finest Havanas" from.
swarthy, confidential Cuban who had
And speaking of packages" he con-
tinued, reminds me of q little deal in
parcels of my own. Once l went TO an
express company auction sale of un-
claimed matter and while looking over
the lots picked up a small, well-done-up
package. which had been sealed with wax
and was as heavy as a young stove.
That for me- said /. 1T can't be lead.
and it may be gold. At any rate I'll get
good weight for my money When it was
put up IL brought a bid of cents. |
raised this to TO- and gradually the auc-
tioneer worked il up to 50 cents, at which
figure it was knocked down to me. |
Rugged it all the way home to Galesburg
and didn't peek inside until ] was in my
room at the hotel. / didn't want any one
in on the see until / found whether l
had drawn gold bullion or building
brick Well. it turned out to be set
of cut glass plates, about SO worth of the
finest grade.
II puffed up with pride in my remarka-
BILE intuition. But what could a bachelor
do with a lot of cut glass plates? And
then a happy thought strikes me, the
wife of the proprietor of our travelling
gentlemen's refuge was wearing out her
wish works for just that kind of table
furnishings, and ] got solid as marbles
with my meal TICKET by presenting the
lot to her OF course. ] didn't insist on
her knowing how | got them.
You bet l scanned the Dapers for ad-
vertisements of express matter auctions,
and when one was on | ran down for an
other prize haul.
I'd mo
package about two feet long, flat, and
about ten inches across. 1t has been
sealed with wax in half a dozen different
places, and l noticed that whoever start
ed to break the seals, which is required
by law, had carelessly left a thin bit of
wax intact over the Irvine. 1t was a
cinch no one had opened 1t, and the con-
tents, of course. were untouched.
Small. flat package, carefully wrapped,
sealed all over-a good hunch. Me for it.
| must have shown that / wanted it, for
several bid against me and | didn't get it
until / had given up $3.50 for the privilege
of relieving the express company of fur
Their worry over 1T.
II started off with il as though / had
treasure trove under my arm and when
I got back home I didn't go up to my
room to open it, but laid it on the hotel
desk and gave all within sight the high
sign 10 gather round ana watcn me sloat'
/ had Dragged a whole lot about my abl-
ity to size up valuable package from
the outside, with my other find as proof,
and the boys were interested.
II broke the seals, one by one, cut the
string and unwound about three fathoms
of wrapping paper from a bolt of fine
calico as you ever saw-real turkey red
and worth at the widest estimate about
% cents.
altogether that two-bit piece of Fiji
dress goods cost me 81. There were ten
in the crowd and the bar entrance was
right beside the desk.