Evening star., 1924-08-05
THIS AND THAT
BY C. e. TRACEWELL.

Who'll start it for $50-make it
$50-this fine two-ton truck, my dear
sirs-who'll make it $50-s50 am l
offered for this fine truck-s5o I'm of
fered-who'l make 1t $55-make it
s55-make it $3.50, $3.50 I'm offered,
my dear sirs--make 1t SIS.
why it's just giving it away-thts
fine two ton truck-whoIl make il
$60-ah, $55 I'm offered for the truck
I-$55, who'll make it $60-make it
$65-make it s65-what's that-s65o
l-S65 is offered for this fine two-ton
truck-just letting it go, my dear
sirs-who makes it $40, who makes
it $70-the gentlemtn makes IL $40.
1 Seventy dollars / am offered for the
tow-ton truck-make 1t SIS, make it
SIS, make it s75-did hear $75?-s7O
is bid. $40 is bid-$70-s70-$70, first
time-s70, second time-$7o, third
! time-$75 dollars I'm bid for the
ltruck-make it $50, make ii $50
$40. first-$7o, second-s7O, third time.
sold for $70.''
1t is automobile auction day on
Pennsylvania avenue.
The auctioneer, his straw hat firm
ly placed on his head has just COM
pleted the sale of the two-ton truck,
the first in the line of twenty cars
of as many makes lined along the
curb.
With his yellow pad clutched in his
hand, he stands before the next car,
| while the crowd of a hundred men
and boys, surgeS around him, waiting
again for that inimitable drone that
Mas just ceased.
The crowd does not have long to
wait Speed is the auctioneers long
suit. His rapid articulation is part
| and parcel of his mental makeup,
| the sign language of his profession.
Thousands of years ago, when
chariots were being turned out as
the latest means of locomotion, the
| Roman auctioneer mounted the ros-
trum. and began:
Who'll start, it for. so talents
make it 55 talents-this fine two
horse chariot, my dear patricians-
| who'll make it SO talents-50 talents
lam offered for this fine chariot
so talents I'm offered"
AS the direct descendant of that
ancient seller begins on the second
automobile. an antiquated model of a
well known cheap car" the. faces of
the hundred men and boys take on
rapt look.
! Most of them are here for enter
| tainment; this is the very thing they
came for, this machine-gun talk of
the auctioneer. Perhaps not ten in
the crowd could buy one of the cars
if he wanted to. What they like is
| the music of the auctioneer's voice.
| Like the sound of the surf, his
| patter soothes one to pleasant
4 mn c.. NJ
| in ragged trousers, with unkempt
whiskers, listening to the auctioneer.
sees himself driving away in that
| big blue car with the newly polished
[ bright work.
The quick glide of motion picture
film. sixteen exposures to the second
giving the illusion of movement To
the spectator, is duplicated by the
rapid fow of the words of an auc-
| tioneer.
Like a smooth strip of celluloid
passing from one reel to the other
6he unt II WIrdS tpsS 0n,d run on an
forever, like Tennysons brook.
The spokesman knows when 10
quit, however when it suits his
purposes.
He caR step on The brakes with
the best of them when some one sud
denly pops up with SIS increase in
the bid.
No matter how glibly he runs on.
his ears are always on the alert. A
man in the crowd may miss his oppo-
nents increase, but the auctioneer
never does.
Right in the middle OF an exqui-
site phrase extolling some bus that
has seen better days. the auctioneer
will stop, and in the most matter
Of fact tones address some remark
to a spectator
Why let him get away with it
right under your nose. brother?" he !:
asks, as man to man.
/ Then-$90 I'm bid for this car
ss0-who'l1 make it $3.50, first
sSo, second time-ssO, third-soId for
/ The types that follow the auction
eer from car to car are as varied as
mankind. They range from the
rough fellow in stained khaki over u
alls to the man with a white beard
who looks like a college professor,
and the fat chap who may be any
thing from a baker to an automobile
salesman.
Many young men in shirt sleeves
wearing their straws at rakish
angle, hang around the auction sale
They seem much interested in the
tall, sallow man with a car parked
down at the other end of the line Of
cid automobiles.
His car bears the sign ST.
chalked on the hood. I'm just
giving it away at this price, boys"
he says. pleasantly. surveying the
little crowd gathered around to listen
to the engine.
You never can do no better than
this, boys" continues the owner as
he runs the engine, throws IN the
clutch and further ma1ipulateS the
works: You can ride away in this
one."
A gypsy family comes up TO
inspect a truck. Gypsies are going in
for automobiles these days. Two
women and two boys are in the party,
the women attired in traditional cos
tune. the lads in American duds.
Gypsy women have been celebrated
in song and story, here is u good
J while the boys hop in the car and
step on the gas" to see how she
works
Both of the women have regular
! features, brown skin, black oily hair.
waddling sort of figures. queer.
sweater edged with bright ultra
marine, flowing green and pink rags
wrapped around their heads. Both
! wear high heeled shoes.
The women speak to the boys in
their own tongue, the boys answer
party departs. with the exception of
fhe taller of the boys who sits there