Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-10-09
DEAD PACKAGES
| In POST OFFICE
AUCTIONED OFF
nv rREDERICK J, HAsISIN

BY FREDERICK j. HASKIN
Washington, Oct. S.-Attending
dead letter sales is popular sport
in this city, A local auction house
was crowded to the doors a few
days ago when the government put
up at auction an accumulation oil
several months unclaimed and I'M
mailabie parcel post matter.
Some people have an idea that
a dead letter sale is conducted
along lottery lines. A glimpse into
the auction room would bear out
this impression. No goods are in
sight. The auctioneer, high above
the crowd is rafting off as fast as
he can:
Lot number twelve--at five dol
lars, at five dollars, six dollars, at
seven dollars, yours For seven dol
lars. Mr.. Brown"
Then without pause for
breath, the auctioneer is Keeling
off the next number and calling
for bids. The bidders in the crowd
are closely following the sale by
their catalogues, but these give
only the most general description
of each lot of goods. Apparently
they are buying in the dark.
This is not the case, however.
The day before the sale the articles
to be sold were on display. Long
rows of packing boxes with aisles
between them ranged the length of
the auction room. Each box con-
tanned one lot of goods. Scarcely
any articles are disposed of singly
,.at these sales when large amount
of goods is to be auctioned.
One great box labeled cigars,
cigarettes. tobacco, and snuff
was filled to the brim with cigar
boxes, packages of cigarettes,
loose. silver wrapped cigars, to-
bacco bags. and cans. In each of
three boxes there were 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 con-
tanned such collections as 1.-TWO
automobile robes, damaged"
Golf outfit, clubs, case, balls, etc."
Fifty pairs eyeglasses, damaged"
and 400 miscellaneous handker-
chiefs
Comparatively few persons
would care to buy 400 handker-
chiefs for personal use, even at
bargain price of say ten dollars.
Such foresightedness would be ex-
IRENE. Housewives were poking
around among the boxes, however,
seeming out desirable collections of
kitchenware, blankets, and rib
bons.
Merchants Inspect Goods.
Many visitors wandered around
the show room merely through
curiosity. The majority of persons
inspecting the stock with business
like thoroughness were dealers.
Here and there man could be
seen diving into a box and holding
up a pair of trousers or ratty
looking fur piece to inspect it with
an experienced eye. The entire
contents of the box would be sub
jected to close scrutiny, after
which the shrewd dealer would
mark on his catalogue the limit
that he would bid on that particu-
lar lot.
Hundreds of people passed
through the auction room selecting
bargains to be bid for next day.
When the sale opened in the morn
ing, therefore it proceeded with a
snap. Tho 235 boxed lots of more
or less bulky merchandise, 20 lots
of tires, and &C lots of jewelry and
small articles sold in three hours,
1taa Ia TtYh a IL
raise the instant the last price was
named found himself out of the
competition.
This is a description Of a more
or less typical dead letter sale. 1t
is given in some detail because few
persons outside of the cities where
the sales are held have an oppor-,
tunity to attend these interesting
government functions.
There Is no little misunderstand-
ing regarding the so-saIled dead
letter sales. This name has be-
come popularity attached to them
because all unbelievable mail is
handled by a division OF dead let
ters, and this division conducts the
sales. The term dead letter sale
is misleading though, because it
Suggests tIidl uncovered letters
are put up for the public to buy,
and this is far from the truth.
Every year the postoffices of the
country handle millions of letters
that cannot be delivered but the
government does not sell any of
them.
Every effort is made to deliver
each letter entrusted TO the postal
service. If letter cannot reach
the person addressed, and the
sender's name and address are not
in the upper left hand corner, the
letter is finally opened.
If money or enclosures Of value
are found and any address is given
in the letter the post office de-
partment forwards the letter and
its contents. Money that cannot
be delivered goes to swell the Gov
crnment's revenues. Letters con-
tanning no yaluables or money are
burned without further attempt at
locating the persons concerned. So
there is never dead letter sale
literally speaking, The government
officially puts on the market "ar-