The daily Alaskan., 1908-11-12
The Hunters
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 Marcus Hunter was left an orphan when he was seven years old. He had no brothers or sisters, no home, no money, no anything. An uncle who was we'll to do took him to hls house against his wlfe's wishes, and the boys life there was one of misery. When he was seventeen the uncle died, and the aunt turned the boy out of the house. He found q position as clerk in a business house In ten years he set up for himself,
 Ills relatives who during this period had Ignored him now began to nod pleasantly to him when they met him and invited him to their houses. The aunt who had made life q burden to him. reminded him of the pleasant days that he had spent under her roof and how happy 1t had made her to be a mother to him.
 Just as Mark was getting on hls feet in business way a commercial panic came on. He needed little as- slstance to tide him over the crisis and applied to those of his relatives who were able to help him. He began by telling them that he would like to talk over his affairs with them with Q view to getting their advice. He got no further than this, for each and every one of them pronounced himself incompetent to advise him. This shut the poor fellow off, as they intended. He failed. Then his relatives dropped him again.
 When the commercial storm was over Mark went to work for a man who was a business genius. He took a great fancy to his clerk and pro noted him rapidly, finally making him second only to himself Then the em- ployer died chlldless and left about all there was of the business to his pro tege.
 Marcus died a multimiluonaire. Just before his death he made a will, in which he directed that the house in which he had passed his lonely life he never marrled-should be closed by his exeCutor from the day of his death tin one week after the funeral, when an auction should take place of every thing 1t contained. No one was to be admitted to the sale except his rela- lives.
 Since he left no direct heirs, most Of the relatives were present at the read lng of the will, each hoping for a sub stantial remembrance When they heard this singular provision and learned that the tcst0tor had left no legacy to any one of them they natu- rallv inferred that he had concluded to remember them by leaving their lega- cies in different articles of furniture But what a singular way. Ten thou sand dollars might be in hollow cane, while but S1,OOO had been placed in a rosewood desk. Yet the cane might be knocked down for a dollar, while the desk might bring $lOO. Was there ever such a way devised for distributing millions of money? The win further stated that the amount realized from the sale was to be expended by the executor for monument to the de- ceased.
 When the day of the sale came around 1t was astonishing how many relatives Hunter had left behind him There were Hunters innumerable both by name and In reality. A protest was made to the eXeCutor that many of them were not related to the testa- tor and should not be admitted. But he argued that by the terms of the will the sale must take place then and there and there was no time to exam inc credentials.
 The crowd were kept waiting while articles were first sold that could not possibly contain anything, such as un- covered crOckery. On these there were only such bids as would serve to get them out of the way. But when 1t came to articles in which stacks of bills could be placed the Did ding became furious As soon as an article was knocked down the buyer wished to get at 1t, but was informed that he could not have 1t till after the sale. The bidders had every variety of opinion as to what articles were most likely to contain large amounts, so that anything wooden or hollow brought excellent prices. A kitchen table with a drawer Qocked and no key) brought $lOO an upholstered sofa S2OO a cane fishing rod S1JO, A stew -pan with a hollow handle large enough to contain dozen $1,OOO bonds brought $275. One of the fayorItes was a plaster bust of Abraham Lin coln. Such busts are usually hollow, and this would naturally attract an ingenious hide. It brought $655 and was the cause of a protracted quarrel between two different branches of Hunters.
 We'll, tue last article was finally knocked down, and buyers were told that they might take away their pur- chases. A rush was made for the articles, but few were removed. Sev- eral purchasers had brought hammers
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