Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1910-11-17
AUCTION STORIES
Unexpected Prizes That Have
Been Won by Bidders.
IA GREAT BARGAIN in EGGS.

How Two Specimens of the Great AUX
Species Were Bought For 50 and
Sold For S2.ooo-An Old Picture That
Had Valuable Lining.
"Of course have met with a good
many interesting experiences during
my career as an auctioneer," relates
Henry Stevens in London magazine.
"but the most striking of them all oc-
curred. | think, III connection with a
great auk's egg.
Some years ago young fellow rode
over TO an obscure furniture sale at
the country village in the hope Of Sc
curing a bargain to help in furnishing
a home in view OF his intended mar
riage. And bargain he did get,
though not of the kind he originally
Thought of.
'One of the lots put up for sale was
IA basketful Of shells. eggs and other
ornaments which had attracted the at
mention of an old lady who happened to
be present. Just as they were on the
point of being knocked down to her
Ihe young man was struck by the ap-
pearance of two large eggs in the bas-
lket. and. thinking he might MS well
have them as curiosities. he started to
Ibid. with the result that the lot was
Knocked down TO him for 50.
Upon examining the eggs 1t oc-
Cured to him that he might be able
no make profit on their sale. He ac-
cordingly wrapped them up in hand
kerchief and brought them to me.
las soon as they had washed Off the
CRIME which covered them discovered
THAT they were eggs of no less a bird
than the great aux. and as a result of
their sale few weeks later l handed
the astute young bargain hunter a
check for $1,000.
LAT another sale which / conducted
there was an old picture so covered
with dirt and CRIME that it was almost
hmpossible to see what 1t was like.
This was hung upon the wall in
prominent position. but did not appar-
emily find favor in the eyes OF any Of
iIhe dealers who were present. No re-
serve price was placed upon this pis
Iure, which had been put into the sale
by local pawnbroker to whom it had
been pledged and not redeemed.
In spite of every effort on the part
lof the auctioneer. 1t was eventually
knocked down to a young man who
had looked into the sale quite casually
in order to waste half an hour during
which he had to wait for a train. TAX
ling great fancy to the frame. which
was of oak. bIackened with age. he
hazarded bid Of IS. at which price
lit was knocked down to him without
amy competition.
! LAS he did net want the picture. he
asked the auctioneer whether he would
mind trying to get a bid for It If he
cut it out of the frame. and, being an
swered in the affirmative. he took out
his knife and neatly cut through the
canvas all round the edge.
Imagine the astonishment Of him
self and all present when. hidden be-
hind the canvas. he discovered Eve
bills for $10O each. Evidently EAe pia-
ture had been used to conceal the saw
1Dgs of some previous owner. who had
died without disclosing the secret and
whose hard won fortune thus came
into the hands of a total stranger.
Il should quote as very interesting
a sale at Rutland Gate, where there
were only the remains Of the furni-
fture. a firm having been allowed TO
take what they chose to their rooms.
1T was accordingly after the nature of
a rummage sale. but in one cupboard
which had been overlooked were what
The junior clerk described as three
silver cups. The auctioneer was sit
ting in his office when a gentleman
drove up in a hanson cab. anxious to
speak about these cups. for which he
offered no less than $500.
The auctioneer was so much sur
prised that he thought his visitor must
have some reason for this high bio,
and he wisely determined not to take
the first offer he received oh, don't !
think they will take that he said. and
with this answer the gentleman had to
be content. An expert was called on
10 examine the so called cups. and be
discovered them to be in reality six
teenth century chalices. for which he
himself made an offer of S21OO The
three cups were subsequently sold for
$3.50 but it was only by the slightest
chance that they bad not gone for a
mere song
Il shah never forget an incident |
which occurred in connection with the |
sale of some valuable shells. The bid |
ding for one large shell in particular
was much more brisk than l had an
1icipated. but the reason for this be- |
came apparent when at last 1t was /
knocked down TO a gentleman in a /
very excited condition. who directly 4
it was handed to him flung it upon the
ground and trampled it to atoms. at !
the same time shouting out in u loud /
voice that now that one was destroyed /
De possessed the only specimen in the
world"