Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-11-18

er. But what was done was done with
judgment that showed that the people
who had the matter in charge knew
what they were doing.
The plan of sale was the double
barreled auction-two auctioneers cry
ing at once with two or three modifca-
tions of the ordinary method. For one
thing, as the auctioneer claimed at the
outset, the old custom of warning the
prospective purchasers with three
times and gone" had been discarded.
when you stop bidding" he explained,
I'VE SELL" and that was the way they
worked 1t. Also, cooperating with the
auctioneers were solicitors circulating
through the crowd, advising the bid
ders as to the last quotations and in
viting raises. The thing worked beau
tifully.
And the sale was not pulled off with
out interference from the knockers.
The wise ones, without enterprise or
money, began knocking from the first
announcement Of the lot proposition.
They had all kinds of objections. In
the first place the lots were too small.
in the second place there were not
many people living out in that direc-
ton, and in the third place it would be
a hundred years before the section be-
ing sold would be developed. There
were a good many other places" but
these are sufficient to give an idea Of
the extent, depth and sincerity Of the
objections raised.
There was a band of music to help
collect the crowd; but notwithstand-
ing this the crowd was little tardy
about collecting. UP to the time OF the
arrival OF the band on the ground,
there were not more than twenty peo-
pie at the stai ing point: but they were
struggling in from different directions.
Most of those actually on the ground
seemed to have been attracted more
by curiosity than by any other consid-
Grafton; but here and there could be
marked a man who was evidently out
to buy something.
The ball opened with the sale OF lots
fronting Madison street. Mr.. Hern-
don, the owner, estimated that these
lots should be worth about three hum
dred dollars each. People in the crowd
said that these little lots ought not
to bring more than $25 or $50. The
auctioneers got busy and in a little
while had the first lot up to SITS, when
It was knocked down. Immediately
driving on to the next lot, the auction
eers began their song again and got the
bidding up to 1925. The purchaser had
the privilege of taking two lots at the
same price and exercised that priv
ilege.
The auctioneer led up the next street
and soon got busy again; but stopped
suddenly to say that he had heard OF
intimations from the crowd to the eff
feet that there was "by bidding and
that it was all farce. IL am repre-
senting both seller and buyer" he said,
'and tell you that this sale Is on the
square from start to finish. There Is
way for you to satisfy yourself,
whether there Is any humbug or not,
and If anybody in this crowd can see
anything crooked about any transac-
ton here today, he can have any lot on
the plat for ST." The effect Of this dec
laration was instantaneous and the
game began to grow more interesting.
People who had come merely as spec
tators, began buying. At times three
or four were bidding against each 9TH
er for the same lot; but all kept their
heads. There was no excitement.
without giving his crowd time to lose
interest, the leading auctioneer moved
to another lot as fast as he had sold
the one preceding. and four purchas-
ers out Of five exercised their privilege
of taking a second lot at the same
price at which they had bid off the
first. And so the sale continued until
all the lots had been sold.
All the property went cheap, yet the
net result was much better than any
body expected. and Mr.. Herndon, the
original owner Of the tract was de-
lighted. Among the purchasers are
quite a number Of citizens who are
we'll able to develop their lots and
who are not supposed to have any 9TH
er purpose. There seems to be every
reason to believe that this whole Sec
ton will soon be built up, and If so,
the result cannot be other than very
helpful to the general progress Of the
town.