The San Francisco call., 1910-04-25
BARGAIN HUNTERS
PAY HIGH PRICES
Uncle Sans Auction Sale At
tracts Many Bidders for
Unclaimed Packages

Bargain hunters of both sexes sat
room in the appraisers stores in Wash
ington street and bid regular money
for the incongruous assortment of ar
ticles offered by Uncle Sam at his an
nual spring sale of unclaimed and
abandoned goods. Colonel ]. H. Story
umpired the proceedings, says the New
York Herald, and with his accustomed
cheerfulness mana ged to inject many
a laugh into the commercial atmos-
phere. Half the articles in the cata-
iogue brought $4,000, and an equal
amount is expected before the sale
ends.
No more varied collection OF stuff
could be imagined than that which is
disposed Of on these occasions. 1t
comes from all parts of the globe and
falls into Collector Loeb's hands
through the failure or refusal TO pay
duty. Some of the things sold were
statues. pictures. straw hats, silk hats
underwear. artificial flowers. golf
sticks, canned tomatoes. lace curtains,
shOtguns, wall paper, prunes, postal
"a ards mating. candy, cOffins, skyrock-
cts. oVeralls. potted beef, roller skates,
umbrella handles. razors, hair re-
storer. pipes. ales, wines, liquors and
cigars.
The most spirited bidding of the day
was between a bevy of boarding house
proprietors from the dyspepsia district
who never miss a chance TO bid for the
canned stuff auctioned at these sales
There were eight of them and they had
seats in A row. There were enough
canned tomatoes TO go around, but
when Colonel Story announced he had
but two cases OF prunes the women
cleared their throats for action and the
bidding started.
BIDS HIGH FOR PRUNES
The wrinkled bachelor delicacy went
TO the energetic head of a Seventeenth
street house. She ran the figure VI
10 Sl1, which caused the bthers to OBJ
serve that there was no profit in them
at that price This brought the infor-
nation from the purchaser that she
intended to initiate each prune with q
bicycle pump and make il Go the work
OF a dozen. This plan was cheereo
by the other women and they gather
round and cOaxed her to give up the
formula.
Before bidding on casks of liquor
prospective customers are permitted tc
sample the stuff, a privilege which in
Nsriably brings around some of the
tangerine faced little man with a gi-
raffe neck got so full of samples thai
he was unable to bid when the time
came. Before retiring in collapsiblt
condition he mana ged TO whisper thai
he would return for the rest of il. but
Colonel Story Informed him that his
thirst would not get any further chance
TO indulge in spring practice at the
government expense.
PICTURE FOR MRS. VANDERBILT
Much interest was manifested in al
oil painting Of little girl and her pet
dog which was sent on speculation Il
Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt by an Ameri-
can artist in Paris. Mrs. Vanderbilt
hasn't shown any great anxiety over
the fact that it has been in captivity
for nearly year. and it viii be sold II
q respectable bid is offered. A large
number Of the unclaimed articles ar,
sent TO notables in this country wht
never ordered them.
Some admirer in Austria Forwarded
two bottles of hair restorer to Mr.
Andrew Carnoogie. Pittsburg." but evi.
IDENTIFY the irOnmaster thinks his hail
is coming out fast enough. If he could
see the spelling he wouldn't hesitate {
second about shipping his admirer &
library.
Right after buxom widow bought
a chest OF tea a man next to her witt
mourning band around his hat bid
successfully for a barrel of sugar. They
had a whispered conversation. the up
shot OF which was that she promised
the tea and he agreed to come across
with the sugar
A woman's tailor with cerise whisk-
ers was the only bidder for wax fig
ure Of a beautiful young woman. He
declined to follow the suggestions tC
buy her one OF half 4 dozen moth
eaten bOnnets which We're waiting Il
be adopted. 1t looked as if a sack Of
beans was destined to remain in bond
age until a man who was born in Bos
ton bought them for sentimental reas
ons.