Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 134, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 June 1914 — Widow Buys House at Auction Sale for $3.50 [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Widow Buys House at Auction Sale for $3.50

KANSAS CITY, MO.—a picturesque group of men and women gathered on a hillside near Thirty-first street and Colorado avenue the other morning. They were there for house bargains the city auctioned off to make way for

the extension of Llnwood boulevard. M. Stern, as the auctioneer, represented the majesty of the law; A wave of his arm a deal was made. Perhaps one of the most interesting sales was that made to Mrs. Mattie Price, a “squatter,” who lives in ashack near Thirty-first Btreet and Brighton avenue. She bought a-house for $3.50. She is a widow and lives alone in her little hillside home. When M. Stern put the house up a _ _ am - • An « m «

for a bid she offered $3.50. She looked apprehensively to see If her bid was going to be raised. It was all she could afford to pay for a home. One man was ready to bid $25, when he notioed his competitor for the house. The auctioneer looked at him inquiringly. “No, I don’t want it,” he said. £ « That was the sentiment of the little crowd of bidders. Three times the auctioneer called for higher bids, but got no response. “Sold,” the auctioneer finally said, and the old woman’s face beamed as abe handed him the money. ; r “What are you going to do with the house?” Mrs. Price was asked. “A man is going to move Jt for me over there on the hill.” she answered, pointing eastward. “He isn’t going to charge me anything for the work. You see, I haven’t a lot, so I’ll put it where anyone will let me. I live alone, as my husband died of heart disease several years -ago." Mrs. Price did not know how old she was. “Pretty near fifty,” she believed. She looked to be well past seventy years.