Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1910-09-15
AUCTION STORIES
Unexpected Prizes That Have
Been Won by Bidders.
A GREAT BARGAIN IN EGGS.


Sold For $2,ooo-An Old Picture That
Had Valuable Lining.
"Of course l have met with q good
many interesting experiences during
my career as an auctioneer," relates
Henry Stevens in a London magazine,
"but the most striking of them all oc-
CURED; l think, in connection with a
great auk's egg.
Some years ago voting 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
rage And bargain he did get,
though not of the kind he originally
thought of.
Zone of the lots put up for sale was
a basketful Of shells, eggs and other
ornaments which had attracted the at
tention of an old lady who happened to
be present. Just as they were on the
point of being knocked down to her
the young man was struck by the APP
pearance Of two large eggs in the bas-
ket. and, thinking he might as we'll
have them as curiosities, he started to
bid, with the result that the lot was
knocked down to him for SO.
upon examining the eggs It oc-
CURED to him that he might be able
to make a profit on their sale. He ac-
cordingly wrapped them up in hand
kerchief and brought them to me.
"As 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 q result Of
their sale few weeks later 1 handed
the astute young bargain hunter
check for $1,000.
"At another sale which I conducted
there was an old picture so covered
with dirt and CRIME that it was almost
impossible to see what it was like
This was hung upon the wall in a
prominent position, but did not appar-
emily find favor in the eyes of any Of
the dealers who were present. No re-
serve price was placed upon this pic
ture, which had been put into the sale
by a local pawnbroker to whom it had
been pledged and not redeemed.
"In spite of every effort on the part
of the auctioneer, it was eventually
knocked down to q 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
ing a great fancy to the frame, which
was of oak, blackened with age. he
hazarded a bid Of So, at which price
1t was knocked down to him without
any competition.
LAS he did not want the picture, he
asked the auctioneer whether he would
mind trying to get bid for 1t II he
cut 1t 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 establishment of him
self and all present when, hidden be
hind the canvas, he discovered five
bills for 800 each. Evidently the pic
ture had been used to conceal the say
ings of some previous owner, who hat
died without disclosing the secret ant
whose hard won fortune thus cam
into the hands of a total stranger,
+ IT should quote as very interesting
! a sale at Rutland Gate, where Their
were only the remains Of the furnl
= ture, a firm having been allowed t
take what they chose to their rooms
1t was accordingly after the nature
a rummage sale, but In one cupboar
. which had been overlooked were VIVA
, the junior clerk described as thre
silver cups. The aucttoneer was s1
. ting in his Office when gentlema
drove up in a hanson cab. anxious
speak about these cups, for which
n offaraI no less than 81 .6DD
1.-THE auctioneer was so much SUI
prised that he thought his visitor mus
have some reason for this high biz
Z and he wisely determined not to TAX
the first offer he received. oh, don
D think they, Will take that he said, an
g with this answer the gentleman had
q be content. An expert was called
- to examine the so called cups, and
discovered them to be in reality ST
is teenth century chalices. for which |
2. himself made an offer or $500. II
n three cups were subsequently sold II
I'll $3.50, but it was only by the slighte
y chance that they had not gone for
,g mere song.
ST shall never forget an inctde'
which occurred In connection with Il
: sale of some valuable shells. The bi
ding for one large shell in particul
was much more brisk than ! had
ticipated, but the reason for this
came apparent when at last 1t WI
knocked down to a gentleman In