davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1951-07-08

to be careful not to be too honest
about the merchandise. "Once /
warned a crowd" he says, that
a certain auto was not in very
good shape. Why, do you know
that was the biggest bid we ever
got on a car of that make? They
probably thought I was trying to
put one over on them"
A few years back, Collord was
faced with a bizarre situation
involving smuggled goods. A
European couple had shipped to
themselves several copper cans
containing altar of roses. the per-
fume base that is made from tons
of crushed rose petals. But when
the owners arrived in the United
States, they were not able to pay
the warehouse charges on the cans,
which were sent to Collord for
auction.
In transit, however, one of the
cans sprang a leak and it was
necessary to transfer the altar to
another container. As the extract
began to spill out there was a
curious clinking sound. 1t was
promptly identified as coming
from $50 gold pieces that had
been hidden in the altar. The
cans finally surrendered $4,000
in gold.
The biggest single sale ever
recorded by the New York Auc-
tion Room amounted to $l04. 600,
which was paid in 1912 for 500
barrels of Italian vermouth. That
figure might have been bettered a
short time later when eight Grace
Line ships were ordered converted
to troop carriers. The entire liquor
supply of the ships went up for
auction. The eagerest mob in
Collord's memory turned out for
the event. But just as Collord got
set to start the bidding, he was
called to the phone.
The .>Noxxuandie" Sale
1T WAS the OPA putting the nix
on the sale and ordering liquor
withdrawn. Six months later the
liquo. ~-as sold at ceiling prices to
names ol -wn from hat.
The most glamorous sale in
Collord's history was the stock of
furnishings of the French luxury
liner. the NOrmandie, which burned
in its dock after it had been
stripped. There were a lot of
screwy things that went for big
prices" Collord says. Most of
Evening star., 1951-07-08
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Evening star., 1951-07-08
UNCLE SANS BARGAIN SALES
Continued from page secen

the beds had different length legs
to fit the curvature of the ship.
Some of the wardrobes, made of
the finest hand-worked wood, had
only two sides" The Noym0ndte
sale brought $350,OOO.
Unclaimed items are usually
those which have been sent to an
individual in the United States
who never comes forward to claim
them. Abandoned goods are those
which. for example, an importer
decides he does not wish to pay
duty on after he brings them over.
A change in the market often
accounts for this.
Scotch II No Bargain
WHEN, on any unclaimed item,
the government gets more than
the total amount of the charges
that have accrued against the
merchandise, the overage is given
to the owner = on application.
Usually the government re-
covers all its expenses and most of
its charges from the proceeds of
each sale. Many items do not 60
at bargain prices. For some
strange reason, Scotch whisky and
name" cognac usually sell for
more than they do in liquor stores
right across the street from the
auction. Strange items like a
Japanese-made motorcycle-truck
often bring astonishing bids. And
many times Collord's skill as an
auctioneer improves the take.
About 300 people turned up for
the auction which attended.
There were wholesale dealers,
housewives, newlyweds in search
of house bargains, junk dealers,
farmers, importers.
Auction rules require that a
deposit of $25 be made by each
bidder, in exchange for which he
gets a numbered paddle which he
holds up when he wishes to bid.
The deposit is required because a
few years ago two quaint old
ladies turned up at an auction
and busily bid on a long list of
items. At the end of the day the
cashier called them up for pay
ment, but they declined his invi-
tation. said they were only having
"a good time" and happily
traipsed out.
While we waited for the crowd
to gather, Collord told about one
anxious buyer who was interested
in a large quantity of India-print
Evening star., 1951-07-08

cotton. appraised at $500. He
came to see Collord before the
auction and tried to inveigle him
into setting a minimum bid. Col
lord said nothing doing.
At the auction, when the bid
ding got up to 81 600, MIR. Anxious
confronted the man who was bid
ding against him. and succeeded
in soaring him off. Collord coun-
tered by withdrawing the lot from
the sale - a prerogative which a
US. auctioneer can exercise at
any time.
The next auction, MIR. Anx-
ious was there again. This
time the bidding on the cloth
goods was even more heated.
MIR. Anxious new competitor was
standing behind a pillar where he
couldn't be seen. When the bid
had climbed to $3.50, a price
higher than the current market,
the man behind the pillar stepped
forward and said, Il finally got
you, you louise. Let's see you make
some money on thatr' 1t was MIR.
Anxious own brother.
Now Collord made his way to
the selling dais and the sale got
under way. An old man bid in
600 dozen japanese jumping mon-
keys for 5000. I'm sell them
tomorrow for ST. ,5OO," he told me
confidently.
wDuznmJsopf!"
AFTER one spirited exchange over
a shipment of hockey sticks from
Denmark, it was discovered that
two partners had been bidding
against each other. "Dummkobt!"
one of the men shouted, and
slapped his palm against his fore
head.
A Japanese motorcycle, 1000
moth-eaten fox pelts, 225 rusted
roller bearings, steamer trunks
that belonged to Lady Korda.
l1.760 bottles of Spanish brandy,
a movie camera. an English bicy-
Gle. 96 music boxes, rag rugs,
beach chairs, toys, "a Venetian
blinds - they all quickly found
new owners at this incredible
auction.
Six hours after the opening
gavel, the last item in the cata-
logue came up for bidding: 200
copies of a book by Andrew ].
Krzesinski entitled, SIS Modern
Culture Doomed?" They went
for four dollars. The End
Evening star., 1951-10-09
Trapped Suspect,
Pays as Insult Is
Added to Injury

A 24-year-old man during
whose arrest injury was added te
insult was indicted yesterday ir
District Court On charges o1
breaking into a restaurant anc
stealing $l20.
The defendant, Conway S. Os.
borne. colored, of the 100 block
Iof Trinidad avenue NE, is &C.
cused of breaking into Kushner's
Seafood Grill. 1915 Georgia ave-
nue. NV. on September 3, where
he was surprised by Police Corpl
Scott E. Meyer. The officer gave
this account of what happened
then:
Corpl. Meyer, who had entered
the grill through back door he
found unlocked, covered Osborne
with his flashlight and revolver
and ordered him to use a tele.
phone booth to call for a patroI
wagon. The prisoner said hi
didn't have a nickel.
AS Corpl. Meyer put down his
f1ashlight to search his owr
pockets for a nickel, the light wen
out. Hearing Osborne move sud-
denly in the dark. the officer fired
a shot in his direction.
The prisoner completed his cal
for a paddy wagon with a slight
bullet wound in the leg.
Evening star., 1951-10-09
ID. {. Victim Identified
In Virginia Crash

A fifth person killed in a Trail.
ways bus crash near Gainesville
Va. Sunday has been identified a.
Mrs. Harriet Smith. 81. colored. oi
the first block of Defrees stree
NV.
The body was identified last
night by her husband, Frederick
Smith. at the Baker 81 Son Funeral
Home. Manassas, Va.
Meanwhile. all but nine Of the
% persons injured in the wreck
have been released from hospitals
One, Mrs. Rosalie H. Earle, sc, q
University of Maryland house
mother, remained in serious con-
dition at Warrenton Hospital.
ALI those taken to Arlington
Hospital were discharged with the
exception Of the driver, Alvin
Shepherd. %, of 16 New York ave-
nue. NE.
The crowded bus left the wet
pavement and completely wrapped
itself around a big oak tree. A
motorist approaching the bus with
bright headlights and near the
middle of the road was blamed
for forcing the carrier off the
Evening star., 1951-10-09
DC. Heads Approve
Dunbar Hotel Permit

The Commissioners today ap-
proved the recommendation of the
License Board and granted a
license for a hotel and public hall
to the Dunbar Hotel, Inc, oper-
ator OF the Dunbar House at Fiji
lteenth and U streets NV.
The hotel was refused a license
earlier in the year after it's liquor
license was revoked by the Alco-
holic Beverage Control Board be-
cause Of violations of the ABC Act.
The hotel appealed License
|Supt. c. T. Nottingham's decision
to the Commissioners and the
Board of Licenses held hearing
in the case last July.
In recommending the license,
the board said that it recognized
there is need for such a hotel
as the Dunbar in the District, if
properly operated. The hotel Is
the largest one in the East cater
ing exclusively to colored clientele.
The License Board said that it In
no way condoned the condition
which previously existed at the
hotel, but it was hopeful that the
Dunbar would operate in a lawful
manner. The hotel will have to
apply for new license by Novem-
ber l. the beginning of the license
year.
Evening star., 1951-10-09
Gettysburg Address Learned
BY New, Excited Citizen of 7o

added, IT love the Gettysbure
Address. 1t is such a wonderful
way of speaking"
She was accompanied today by
her granddaughter, Miss Eve
Grosz. of New York, who explained
to reporters that Mrs. Grosz il
an almost fanatical patriot"
Shes sending me letters all the
time expressing some very sharp
political views and reminding me
of many important American his
torical dates" Miss Grosz said.
The granddaughter is the only
child of Mrs. Grosz' son, Wilhelm
Grosz. composer of such hit melo-
dies as isle of Capri" "Harbol
Lights" and Red Sails in the
Sunset" Mr.. Grosz died in New
York in 1899.
According to his daughter, he
was always rather hurt by the
lack of recognition of his serious
works in this country. Miss Gros7
said some Of her fathers classical
works were played by the Vienna
Philharmonic Orchestra and the
Amsterdam Concertgebouw Or.
chestra under such conductors as
Bruno Walter and Willem Mengel-
berg.
Mrs. Grosz has been living in
Washington since 1945 with a Sis
ter, Mrs. Rose Rohrlich, 14l2 Del
Iafield place NV
Evening star., 1951-10-09
Bipartisan Group
Asks Senate Action on
ID. {. Home Rule Bill

Senate Majority Leader McFar-
land today was urged by a BIZ
partisan group, including religious
and labor leaders. to bring up the
Washington home rule bill for
action by the Senate before ad-
journment Of this session of Con-
gresS.
= The bill. providing a limited
form of self-government for the
National Capital, was reported to
the Senate August l by the Sen
ate District Committee.
Senator Mcfarland repeatedly
has said he would try to find time
for the Senate to consider the
measure, but he has never placed
it on the list Of must legislation,
for this session.
Denial Called Absurd.
I'VE are deeply interested in
securing home rule for the District
OF Columbia" said a letter to the
Senator signed by eight persons.
including Philip Murray, CIO
president. and District Commits
sioner F. Joseph Donohue. ~.
ut is nothing less than absurd
that the residents of the capital
OF the greatest democracy in the
worlds history should be denied
the basic American right to par
ticipate in their own Government.
1t IS equally absurd that the time
OF Congress. in critical days,
should be taken up with the prob
lem OF operating municipality.
In Party Platforms.
Both national parties have re-
peatedly included in their plat
forms planks which indorse the
grant Of home rule to the Dis
trict. We trust that it will
be possible for the Senate to con-
sider> this important measure be-
fore 1t adjourns for the year."
Signers of the letter to Senator
Mcfarland include: Bishop Angus
Dun of the Protestant Episcopal
Diocese of Washington: Mrs. Zella
D. Leonard. first vice president,
League of Women Voters of the
United States; Melvin Hildreth,
committeeman, Demo-
cratic Central Committee, District
Of Columbia: Carl Shipley. general
counsel, Young Republican Ma
tional Federation: C. F. Preller,
president. Washington Central
Labor Union, American Federation
of Labor. and Herbert P. Leeman,
president, Federation of Citizens
Associations. District of Columbia.
Evening star., 1951-10-09

lided with a tractor-trailer on
Shirley highway early today.
The crash occurred at 1915
am. near the Seminary road in
tersection. about 4 miles from
Washington.
Her husband George 81, driver
OF the cab, and Paul Albert Webb,
80, Of Troy. N. c., were charged
with manslaughter and released
under $1,000 bond each.
Two men were killed and a
third critically injured when their
auto crashed into q pole on Marl-
boro pike In Forestville, Prince
Georges County police reported.
The accident brought q tragic
end to q birthday celebration for
one Of the victims, John r.. Griffin,
%. Marine stationed at the
Naval Communication Station in
|Cheltenham. Md. Also killed was
James Louis Pace, 20, of 604 War
rem avenue. Landover, Md.
Roy Mercer, 26. of 1850 Blue
Plains drive Sc, was in critical
condition today in Casualty Hos
pital with head and face cuts and
Ia fractured Jaw.
Evening star., 1951-10-09
Wholesale Rate Increase
On Natural Gas Suspended

A wholesale natural gas rate in
crease that would add $1.4 million
to annual wholesale costs to the
Washington Gas Light Co. has
been suspended by the Federal
Power Commission.
The increase. amounting to Is
per cent, had been proposed by
the Atlantic Seaboard Corp. and
Virginia Transmission Corp. of
Charleston. w. Va. gas company
suppliers. 4
The suspension will continue
until public hearings and a subse-
quent decision by the commission,
a spokesman said. No hearing
date has been set.
Another wholesale increase of
more than 20 per cent became ef-
fectiye here September i
Evening star., 1951-10-09
Suicide Verdict Issued
In Plunge Fatal 10 Colonel

Coroner A. Magruder MacDon-
aid announced today he has is
sued certificate of suicide in the
death of 1t. Col. Gustavus w
Evans. Al, an Army intelligence
officer who plunged from the
top Of the Navy Department
Building on Constitution avenue
NV. September 26.
Col. Evans, the father of four
children, lived at 1926 North
Washington boulevard. Arlington.
His widow is. Mrs. Frances E.
Evans. He was assigned to the
Army's Strategic Intelligence
School.
He was found unconscious on
a concrete driveway between the
sixth and seventh wings of the
|four-story Navy building and died
In the dispensary there.
Evening star., 1951-10-09
Four Indicted in Robbery
OF Col. laun's Home

Four young men have been in
dicted in the 5000 robbery of All
Force Col. Writ A. Laun In his
apartment at 2512 @ street NV.
last month.
+ Accused of robbery were Charles
r. Jones, 20, and Robert E. Scott
81, both of the 200 block o1
Twelfth street Sc; Ernest e
Bayne, 20. of the 100 block of Ten.
neSsee avenue NE, and Thomas
w. johnson. 81, of the 1900 block
of e street Sc.
Police said Col. Laun gave this
account of the robbery: He had
befriended Scott by giving him a
ride and offering him a drink
when he asked for one.
Later Scott returned to the
apartment with the others, on the
pretext he had left something
there. He and the others, Col
Laun said, forced the colonel tc
sign a statement that he had per-
formed an immoral act with Scott
Then the four took the $500 worth
OF items, including a typewriter
movie protector, binoculars, 9
lcamera and clothing.
Evening star., 1951-10-09
Capital Transit Cost Exhibit
AT Fare Hearing Attacked

Counsel for the Public Utilities
Commission today continued cross
examination of witnesses for Cap
ital Transit Co. in its bid for q
fare increase.
Lloyd B. Harrison attacked ex-
|hibits offered by Robert e. Harvey,
vice president and controller of
the company, as the rate pro-
|ceeding resumed at the District
Building.
The company wants to elimi-
nate tokens, now sold three for
40 cents. keep the 15-cent straight
cash fare and increase the weekly
pass from So to $2.25.
Mr.. Harrison attacked the pic
ture Of expenses based on allocat-
ling expenses chargeable to Mary
land and District operations and
by the application Of income tax
rates.
The PUG attorney also said ar
lexhibit, indicating that trends o.
Evening star., 1951-10-09

purchased ambulance won't 20
into service until November /,
however, when a paid driver will
be hired. The volunteers bought
all the equipment except the hook
and ladder truck, donated by the
city.
Two men are sure to respond
as they're in earshot distance
when the siren sounds. They are
A. w. Mcpherson, president oi
the fire department who operates
a service station next to the fire.
house, and Fire Marshal Lyle S
Murphy, who heads a taxi COM
pany about half a mile away.
Volunteers are carefully trained
for their job.
The way Falls Church citizens
feels about its fire department
might be summed up in the
words OF Air Force 1t. Col. Harry
L. Waesche, who lived at 831
Great Falls street until severa
months ago when he was trans
ferred. After the department ex-
tinguished a fire in his house
last year he wrote a letter to its
members.
1t read in part: Speaking
frankly, my opinion OF a fireman
in action was that Of an indi-
vidual dressed In flrefightine
clothes plus hip boots, wading
around in water and debris with
a pick-ax in one hand.
due to the complete efficiency
and thorough training evidenced
by you in fighting the fire. my
previous false impression has
changed one hundred percent"
Mot only did you efficiently
and Systematically extinguish tn,
fire, but your high regard for in.
dividual safety and protection Of
my personal household effects
was amazing" he added.
A job is never too tough fol
the volunteers. AS Capt. Knox
said:
When you're standing on q
corner and hear that siren you
wanta fight fires. Once you fight
one you want to keep right on
going. It gets in your blood"
Evening star., 1951-10-09

fares between 1885 and 1899 had
stayed below operators wage rates
and consumer price indexes,
showed sharp turn in 1946.
Mr.. Harrison brought out the
calculations from the exhibit in
dicating that percentage wise, the
average fares had jumped consid-
erably more since 1916 than oper-
ators wages and consumer price
levels. According to these calcu-
lations, average transit fares rose
81 per cent while operators wages
went UP 90 per cent and consumer
price indexes 1872 per cent.
Mr.. Harvey insisted, however,
that Mr.. Harrison's premise was
unrealistic since 1916 was not a
fair year to use as a base.
Mr.. Harvey presented statistics
yesterday indicating that the
present fares are lower than those
in many large cities over the
Nation.
Evening star., 1951-10-09

American citizenship. in the
view of Mrs. Mathilde Grosz, 70
is not a mere convenience, but
something one should study hard
to master.
Mrs. Grosz, a native of Vienna
who was naturalized in District
Court today with 81 others
showed her convictions recently
when. in the course of a routine
Immigration Service examination
she voluntarily recited the Gettys-
burg Address. according to
Examiner Lowell Palmes.
Mrs. Grosz. despite her broken
English, gave the recitation with
out hitch.
AS she stood outside the natu-
ralization clerks Office waiting fo1
her final papers today, Mrs. Grosz
explained excitedly that her citi-
zenship is ''like dream"
TITS wonderful - wonderful, /"
she declared.
She was so excited that she
refused to sit in a chair proffered
her by solicitous court attaches.
Explaining why she volunteered
her recitation to the examiner
she said Il just want to be a good
citizen"
Il thought that to be good
citizen I should study at it, SO
I did" she said.
The little gray-haired lady
Evening star., 1951-10-09
Comdr. BertoIef Dies,
Naval Operations Aide

Comdr. Samuel Bertolet, Al, at
tached to the Communications
Division, Office of Chief of Naval
Operations, died Sunday at
Bethesda Naval Hospital. He lived
at 4616 Verplanck place NV.
Comdr. Bertolet was born in
Reading, Pa. A 1888 graduate of
the Naval Academy. he was sta
Ftioned here in World War II. He
had been attached to the Chief of
Naval Operations since 1941.
Surviving are his widow, Mrs.
Betsy Lynette Bertolet; two
daughters, Camille and Melinda,
and son, Samuel B. Bertolet, all
of the home address.
Funeral services will be held at
p pm. Thursday in Fort Myer
Chapel. Burial will be in Airing
ton Cemetery.
Evening star., 1951-10-09

Such was the time when the de-
partment responded to q house,
wife's call and found that q big
roast burned to charcoal In the
oven was responsible for the
|commotion.
It's all in q days work for the
Falls Church crew and other
volunteer IRE departments In
the nearby counties surrounding
Washington.
The departments In this area
and those throughout the Nation
are now observing National Fire
Prevention Week. Fire officials
are giving talks. pamphlets and
posters are being distributed and
many stations are having open
house for fire equipment inspec-
ton.
They Start Early.
Fire eaters are usually ready to
volunteer when hardly old enough
to strike a match themselves.
Take Pvt. Maurice Lunsford, "a,
who begin fighting fires regularly
with the Falls Church volunteers
in his teens.
When just IL years old several
of us would lie on a grass plot
behind a store down the block
from the fire house and wait for
the shrek OF the SIREN" he re-
called. "As soon as we heard it
we'd either run after the engines
or give chase with bicycles. Some
times they'd stop and take us
along to help fight field fires"
Al Swift. "a. Of Vienna, Va, is
10 regular member of the Walter
Reed Fire Department and still
finds time to be volunteer fire-
man for Falls Church. When q
|youngster he lived two blocks from
the Falls Church fire house and
ran over there five or six times a
day to see what was going on"
This Virginia community has
rs volunteer firemen and seven
paid men. Chief Of the volunteers
is r. D. Royston.
Station Has Three Pumpers.
The station now has three
bumpers, a hook and ladder truck
and an ambulance. The newly
Evening star., 1951-10-09
Justice Minton Confined
To Hospital With Sprain

Associate Justice Minton, who
missed the opening of the Supreme
Courts new term yesterday be-
cause of sprained back, was rest
ing comfortably today at the Ma
tional Naval Medical Center, Be-
thesda. +
Hospital officials said Justice
Minton was suffering from "acute
back strain" Aides said Justice
Minton complained of his bach
Friday, and felt worse Saturday
He did not know how the sprair
occurred, they said.