The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-10-13
Frederick | askin' S Letter
The Dead Letter Sale

Washington. D. C., Oct. 13.-At-i
tending dead lslter sales y popu-
In sport In this city, 4 local auc-
ton house was crowded to the
doors . few days ego when the gov
eminent put mp a auction an ac-
cumulation of severAl months un-
claimed and unavailable parcel post
matter.
Some people have An idea that .
dead letter sale 10 conducted along |
lottery lines. A glimpse into the
auction room would bear out this
impression. No goods are in sight.
The auctioneef, high above the
crowd, Is rafting Oh Is fast - he
can:
: lot number twelve-at four dol
lars, ct five dollars, six dollars, at
seven dollars. yours for seven dol
lars, Mr.. Rtown."z
Then, without . pause for breath,
the auctioneer is Keeling OF the
next number and calling for bids.
The bidders in the crowd are close
~ following the sale by their cata-
logues, but these give only the most
general description Of each lot Of
goods. Apparently thsy are bay
ing In the dark.
day before the sale the articles to
be sold we're on display. Long rows
of packing boxes with aisles be-
tween them ranged the length of
the auction room. Each box con-
tanned one lot Of goods. Scarcely
any articles are disposed of singiy
at these sales when a large amount
of goods is to be auctioned.
One great wooden box labeled
cigars, cigarets, tobacco, and
snuff" was filled to the brim with
cigar boxes, packages Of cigarets.
loose, silver wrapped cigars, to-
bacco bags, and cans. In each of
three boxes there wese 10 to IL
suitcases. The cases had probably
been mailed packed with articles
and had missed delivery by wrong
or insufficient address. Now they
were being sold empty. Most of
them were old and travel worn.
Ten mems suits damaged" filled
another box. Others contained such
| collections as 1.-TWO automobile
robes, damaged" Golf outfit, clubs,
case, balls, etc.; Fifty pairs e. e-
glasses, damaged; and 400 miscel-
laneous handkerchiefs."
Comparatively few persons would
care to buy 400 handkerchiefs for
personal use, even at a bargain
price of say $40. Such foresighted-
ness would be extreme. House
wives were poking around among
the boxes, however, seeming out de-
sirable collections of kitchenware,
blankets, and ribbons.
Merchants Inspect Goods.
Many visitors wandered around
the show room merely through cur
iosity. The majority OF persons in
specting the stock with business
like thoroughness were dealers.
Here and there man could be seen
diving into box and holding up a
pair of trousers OF a ratty looking
fur piece to inspect it with an ex-
perienced eye: The entire con-
tents Of the box would be subject
ed to close scrutiny, after which
the shrewd dealer would mark on
his catalog the limit that he would
bid on that particular lot.
Hundreds of people passed through
the auction room selecting bar
gains to be bid for next day. When
the sale opened in the morning
therefore, it proceeded with a snap
The 235 boxed lots of more or less
bulky merchandise, % lots of tires
and 6 lots Of jewelry and small
articles sold in three hours. The
bidder who did not signal his raise
the instant the last price wa.
named found himself out OF thu
competition.
This is a description Of more O,
less typical dead letter sale. 1t |.
given in some detail because few
persons outside of the cities wher,
the sales are held have an oppor
tunity to attend these interestin;
government, functions.
There is not little misunderstanc
ing regarding the so-called dea,
letter sales. This name has be
come popularity attached to then
! because all unbelievable mail
handled by q division Of dead let
l tiers, and this division conducts tn
e sales. The term dead letter sale i
e misleading though, because it sug
gests that undelivered letters ar
put up for the public to buy, an