New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-04-08
WAREHOUSE SALES.
Fun and Pathos at AUCTIONS of
Household Goods-Odd Bargains.

ANYBODY who has attended ''vendue" Of
household furniture in the country knows what
mixture fun and patlos there is In Of those
affairs. Articles which have been il daily intimate
home use for n good while grow 10 have certain
personality. There is something painful almost
indelicdte in seeing them auctioned of. That is
the sad side Of a ''Vendue." The other aspect is
supplied by the bidders. There S. always some
thing irresistihly funny about "A crowd of bargain
hunters competing for the wares. deadly earnest
though their own mood is.
New York offers nothing exactly like the country
''Vendue, but the annual storage house. sales are
ar excellent substitute About this time Of the year
the observer Is likely 10 flying above OF the
side entrances Of almost any of the large storage
houses, a flag bearing the words Auction to-day
Upstairs, N q big. stone paved room. the goods
are displayed. They are the contents of the trunks
and crates which have been left in the storage
houge. unpaid for. beyond their allotted time
II is curious medley: Here is fine old Colo
ma l SCI OF a[aweTS GoAing shrunken and ashamed.
and kitchen chair that has lost one leg. over 1t
hangs faded painting of a grave faced child in
pantalettes. with Thin shoulders above her title
dress Next 10 thar hangs a print Of ST. Cecilia"
beds Of al kinds and descriptions There are
chalfs % eEeIy shape IN every known state of re-
clothes, sofa pillows, some OF them Inanifestly
girls angular writing friendly letters and stick
ING N me drawer are some forgotten notes. Near
Il les banjo; and beyond that stands dress
makers model" with some threads sticking to il
a really pretty dinner set TO q HETEROGENEOUS coll
Their cruets gone There are mons tin 5or {noS { 9I
ing machines leather couches a bronze stat3ette
Most fascinating, and most suggestive of bargains
aie NE 5 okS 5 aeSPs 81 them Ted together in
thesf 25s is La3t they are not put together with
copy. with Dore's Illustrations. is tied check bv
} oEl VIII a59 NO 7, goose. -Romola, Thomas
though you want only one or two Of these YOU must
bid for the whole
THE BIDDERS.
When the hour Of the sale comes there is gener-
ally fairly large crowd on hand Most Of them
manifestly have been there before There are any
number Of tired with lined faces ard littls
Wsps Of hair sticking out under their hats; keepers
OF cheap boardirg-houses. on the lookout for bar
gains in mattresses and the like There is large
contingent % Sreasy-loCkng men, who immedi-
ately begin 10 examine the sofa pillows bundles Of
Yet even ct these sales there is some romance
here comes couple who evidently newly
70 PICK up something 10 eke out the Furnishings
% uit nome a lev rear DOCK lovers hover over
sne Iaoles on winch ne books are piled. kindly
faced man takes his stand near old-time paint
down 10 some pawnbroker' he mutters III bid
The oucuoneer. a man with an eye like lance
mounts ms little stand, with a Young fellow at
round The atotioneer gives some , g ooTG close
49,, B i our QUO, now Don't pull az my coat. Talk
N9. ! a fae. extension table
-Four burly helpers hold Up by. its four legs an
able family meals might have been eaten OF II
- lIei u Piohel. otJects a man IN shiny
Well anybody can mend that. Table AZ ninety
I'VE. i've. five one dollar, dollsr-ten. ten. ten
Il doIar-tve nty-hve 10 Steinhsrt."
The next lot Is more interesring-a big wax doll
IN excellent repair. The biggest helper holds her
wardrobe The auCtoneer wakes quite sentimental
over her, and she is knocked down 10 a slender
little woman in widows dress
BARGAIN HUNTERS
The bidding grows fast and furious Some Of the
things sell al rieiculousy low rate. A really
beautiful set Of china goes AZ 3 . 4 fine old
piece u brass. warming pan, is knocked down at
s. Again TWO or three men get competing over a
box o. books worth not more than three four
collars, and raise IL 10 Sl3 To cap the climax. the
one VINO sels Il AZ that ns!re discovers that the
books are in German And / cannot read "A word
OF German he saws ruefuliy.
From time 10 time the helpers roll the auctioneer
along IN his portable stand. and he begins a
FRESH assortment OF goods. The crowd surge
aIteT. examining bidding laughing. disputing
ho-stered IN leather IS reached. An old woman.
Very fat, has made up her mind 10 have that and
as the best means Of securing Il has sat down in IT,
The helpers desire u lin il up that the crowd may
behold and bid upon II. The occupant refuses "a
rise. The auotioDeer facetiously asks for bids on
the chair and its contents. No ventures
Finally, amid general laughter. the woman gets
the chair a one-fourth its value and departs
serenely smiling
But il IS a rather Sad sight this sale ~ least
Il would b. 10 tie former owners Of the articles. If
they retained any personal feeling al for their
possessions. The storage companies. however, give
ample warning ~ the sales 20 the people con-
cerned. One Young woman whose goods were for
feited and sold long ago said that she had been
warned periodically FOR years During that
dine she PAID no charges Reminders arrived every
tfTee months from the storage company 'iha AZ
last letter telling her that she left the charges
unpaid Eat her peril. An announcement OF the
saoto-be was sent Ter three months before II took