The New York herald., 1921-04-26
FORTUNES WON AT
ARMY GOODS SALE
Everything From Sardines
to Surgical instruments
on the Block.
ARE WORTH $500, 900
Surplus Supplies Bought
During War Offered Only
in Large Lots.
NO CHANCE FOR PIKERS
Spectators Crowd Washing
ton to Make Cleanup on Huge
Stocks of Necessities.
NO CHANCE FOR PIKERS
Special Despatch to THE NEW YORK HERALD
New York Herald Bureau,
Washington, ID. c., April rs.

peHQOuS DdrBdlI Sdie tilS WOiiu cNCi
saw, the War Departments disposa,
of leftover supplies.
1t is a get rich quick enterprise con-
Quoted and encouraged by Uncle Sam,
perfectly legitimate. but also as en-
ticing in promise as some Of the gilded
lures for which the Government has
pat too clever persons in Jail.
Millions are in the air, and the air is
full of grabbing hands. In the hotel
lobbies and in the corridors of the
sales office of the War Department
keen eyed men bid for hundreds OF
thousands and even millions Of dollars
worth Of war supplies that they plan
to dispose of at three, four or ten times
the purchase price.
Their talk is In big money. It Is no
pikers' game. Uncle Sam deals in large
lots only. 1t takes capital to play the
cards in this fascinating speculation In
sheets, sardines, flannel shirts. corned
beef smoking tobacco. grapenuts, dehy-
drafted potatoes, duck. whistles barrack
bags. overalls, canned tomatoes, gloves.
arctics, quinine, meat cans, surgical In
struments-everything imaginable.
Already supplies that cost the Govern
ment S1,334 416,244 have been sold for
$S09,SOS.006 and Uncle Sam has got
back about So per cent. Of the money he
laid out in war time to feed. clothe. arm
and equip his doughboys. The fair per-
centage OF return might suggest that no
great opportunities remain for big prof
its in buying and selling left over war
supplies This assumption would be en-
tirely erroneous. There is margin or
many millions of dollars which covers
perishahle materials or supplies that diff
fer in cut or size from corresponding
supplies in ordinary commerce and which
the Government is letting go dirt cheap.
There are big chances to make
fortune" said Lieut. Col. +. S. Harts-
horn, director of sales. to-day.
Last week the last of the left over
timed meats-119, 100000 pounds Of
corned beef, corned beef hash. roast beef
and bacon-which cost the Government
a pretty penny in the hurry up days of
buying food for the soldiers, was sold at
the rate of about cents a pound. The
bidders who got the bargains expect TO
clean up at the average rate of 10 cents
pound. Several are negotiating for the
charter of Shipping Board vessels. plan
ming to take cargoes of good timed food
to Europe and act as their own mer-
chants.
One man with a gambling inspiration
which had fortune of six figures In
sight bid for 100000 tins of sardines,
offering a tenth of cent n tin. His
scheme was to cargo a Shipping Board
vessel or two with nice oily sardlnes
and take them to Russia, after trade
relations are resumed. and sell them
at ten cents a tin to people who dote
ITA ftrrttr rAd <axx
a gross profit OF about $495. 600, and ex-
pected to come clean with at least
$3.50 900 net profit. But the War De-
partment could not see his bid at all.
and the sardines eventually will be let
90 for around two or three cents
plenty of margin still for ncrvy specu.
lator willing to wait for Eis market
Bids are now being made for thou.
sands of cans OF tomaroes. big cans
holding a gallon or more. No. 10 size.
Such sizes are suitable only for hotel
and restaurant use, and the biddins
has been slack for that reason. put
with a chance for spectators TO make
100 per cent. profit on their Investment
IL Is thought there Will be no difncuty
lr the long run in disposng OF the DIG
cans. The little ones have been goins
fast: cans of ordinary commercial size
and under five cents can.
Bidders are reaching ror fortunes IN
smoking tobacco in the small, conven-
lent sacks tied with a string that arc
SO familiar TO veterans of the big war,
the roll your own kind. Sacks OF
tobacco that cost dime In the retail
market can be had for three cents from
Uncle Sam and for less in immense lots.
II know the front name OF each OF
my customers-Abie." said one OF the
army officials In charge.
one man has made tidy fortune in
barrack bags. He got three samples,
took them to a woman handy with
needle and asked her what they were
good for.
watch me-" said the woman.
She turned out a scrviceable canvas
Jumper whose cost. including time and
sewing, was less than 81 cents Uncle
Sam is letting the bags go at 10 cents
and under.
Bidders now here are seeking to turn
army cots into gold or into Uncle Sans
paper money. just as good as gold.
Cots cost at retail s6 or 81 apiece. Uncle
Sam has 100000 perfectly new, first
rate cots ne Is willing to sell at less
than 81 apiece. Reclaimed cots by the
million. not so fresh looking as tho
unused, but just as good, can be had
for T5 cents.
Meat cans good for baking bread and
keeping IL hot. hundreds of thousands OF
them, are available at TWO cents ana un-
der. Flannel and wool shirts by the bale
and the ton and the almost uncounted
thousands. can be had from thirty 10
sixty cents Strong shoes. the sort that
farmers and laborers find Indispensable.
all leather, are offered by the hundreds
of thousands Of pairs at 81 and s1.25.
Millions or yards OF canvas duck.
wider by two or more inches than the
commercial article. are offered at song.
and Uncle Sam guarantees not to be
hypercritical Of the tone. Lcggngs by
the million are ready for the speculator
at few cents apiece. Soluble coffee. de-
hydrated potatoes. carrots and other
dried vegetables are held out at ridicu-
lous prices.
stickers and towels enough to hll
many rooms OF warehouse OFFER further
chances Of swift enrichment Any ma
terial that Is apt to deteriorate goes for
whatever the Government can get. 9th
erwise acceptance OF bids is governed by
the market OF the article and Its demand
IN the United States.
The appraised value OF the leftover
supplies now being bid for by fortune
hunters---appraised. not cost value--is
Frt.m uHrVst