“UNCLAIMED TREASURES”

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 18974, 27 March 1924, Page 5

“UNCLAIMED TREASURES”

A BARGAIN iSALE. IH VARIETY OF EXHIBITS/ * Many and varied arc the things come into the bauds of the police, "the little things that people leave li-IB hind them” accumulate to sueh iiu B extent that, a sale by auctiou is the ouiy ■ method for disposal. There was a big attendance at Messrs ■ Sharpe, North and Co’s auction room ■ yesterday afternoon when a big list 1 was offered, the official vendor being 1 the senior-sergeant. Several rifles of modern make realised 25/-, while an old Lee-Enfield went for 3/-. t Ladies ’ purses with contci/v-TffifnV —realised from CJ no 1/-, the bidding being indicative of the fact that tha average lady* purse in Wangunui is somewhat barntn. An 18-caratl ring set with diamonds went for £4 —It was passed round the crowd for inspection under the watchful eye of the auctioneer’s assistant before the bidding started. _ ' Most of the interest centred on the disposal of a quantity of spirits, the ' tangible result of a police raid on a Chinaman’s shop some time ago. “It will be disposed of in five-gal-lon lots,” announced the auctioneer. His audience sighed. The first lot was 36 bottles, including a quantity of Chinese whisky, which is j reputed to have a most exhilarating ef- ' feet, provided one imbibes sufficient of it. j.. “How much for the lot,” inquired i the auctioneer. Two Chinamen bid against one an. 1 other in spirited fashion and one smiloj ' blandly when the auctioneer knocked the lot down, to him at £5 15s. Case whisky in 30 bottle lots saw ! steady bidding, and finality in th< / vicinity of £ll 5s to £ll 10s. / The miscellaneous part of the sale in* eluded bicycles and coila of ting. For some of tho paid