New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-12-24
PUBLIC MEETINGS.
CONVENTION OF LOST BAGGAGE AGENTS

CONVENTION OF LOST BAGGAGE AGENTS.
Ii is obvious that from the vast quaniy of freight
ard baggage passing yer the railroads Of the United
Slater, with the most careful carriage aud w,t,hul
supervision, less OF it must be misaid, stolen,
or lost In consequence of this fact there are few
companies in this country or Canada that do rot en-
ploy special bsggageagent for the purpose Of a.
tending to all claims for lost property. The duties OF
htse agents not unlike Those OF the special agents
in the Post Office. They travel up and down the
line of their roads and find out where the lost package
was last observed, trace cut the parties upon whom
the resI opsibiy of the loss rests detect thieves,
where tie property has been stolen and Oftentmes
show up the unsoundness of many OF the claims
brought against their employers. Many singular
stories ere relSted Of persons claiming to have
lost baggage, and estimating Its value at an
almost fabulous figure which, when found and opened,
proved to be or no value except to the owner
The and dsccsson required to ouwit many Of the
wouldb defrsuders often very great; but with
the of checks, which has been Introduced and
almost perfected on ali railroads, the chances Of sue
cesa are daily growing sma Ter and more uncertain.
On nesry all RAILROAD the station masters obliged
to note each piece Of baggage merchandise checked
received and report the same to the neodeat
The Baggage on the train is lequed TO note and
report each piece of freight or baggage received or
delivered by him at every station at which the train
stops and each station master to make regular report
Of the unclaimed baggage and freight lying az his de-
pot and if not orceTed otherwise to forward the prop
erty unclaimed to the general d,potfor lost baggage.
Thus the bsggsgesgent il able to trace the course OF
every article bythecOmpany. These baggage
sgens for the past three or four years have been i'll
the habit Of holding a semtannua convention, the
last of which began at the Girard House in this city,
Oh Thursday last and ended on SATURDAY afternoon
The principal object Of these conventions is to COM
pare memoranda, each agent bringing list of all
unclaimed baggage and freight in the hands of his
employers arc also list OF claims aud applications
for lost baggage, tgether with descriptions of the
property These conventions have been found of
great value seldom failing to result in finding forty or
fifty pieces Of valuable properly. Packages claimed
70 have been Lost OF the Central Railroad for instance
are und lying in Detroit and goods charged to toe
negligence OF the Ele Railroad, turn up in Chicago.
These conventions productive Of another good
result each agent relates his ex eence OF the abiI-
itits to loss and The benefits of certain systems of
checking the various attempts at fraud, and the man.
,ner in which they were frustrated. BY this means
each agent is put in possession of amount of expe
,ieIoe highly useful TO himself and valuable to his en-
plcyers.
The Convention in this city was organized by the
appointment of Mr.. Van o LINDA, Of Chicago, ILL.,,
President and j. j. PosT, Of Waverley, n Y, Secre-
retary The following Railroads were represented in
the Conventions
Eew-York Central, New York & Erie, Buffalo &
Erie, CLEVELAND, Columbus Cincinnati & Erie, Ceve
land Toledo, Ohio Pennsylvania, Michigan South
ern Northern Indiana, Great Western. Canada
Michigan Central, Chicago Rock Island, Illinois
Central, Gaens Chicago Union, Blu liagton &
Quincy, Chicago & Milwaukee, Nil yankee & Miss,
Milwaukee WATERFOWL, Peoples Line Steamers,
HUDSON River, Clement Line Steamers Lake Michi
gan * milwaukee, and Is Crosse Railroad.
Tie EssteIn RsibOszs we're not represented, as we
unctrstCo' because most of them belong to sep raie
equalization. Mr.. Hayward Of Boston, who gessrs-
IL ie3reens several Eastern sroads in tbs Conyen-
tioB absent from this account of sickness The
thee Gays SESSION resulted ia finding AZ pieces of
valuable hejeht aud baggage. we lean thst ths
u embeIs Of the Convention not only Compare notes
svers six months but III 1t during every week strssm
o. et.ers flows between them with the most ssi,fao
tory suits to their employers and the pubic.
The Convention adjourn ed to NEE. 10 Hamilton,
Canada Wett, on the Pod OF June next.
THE ADDITION TO JEFFERSON MARKET.
A Reeiipg ives held, on Saturday afternoon of the
Srecial Committee Of the Board OF Aldermen-Mr
VooFHs Chairman-to whom was referred q resolu
ion directing inquiry into the mode of awarding the
contract for building the recent addition TO the Jeer
oD Market. resolution authorizing the construction
# this ADDITION, II will doubtless DO remembered,
,ased both Council Boards and received the sanction
If the Mayor in March last, when the sane mt
o the Commissioner Of Repairs and Supplies. Pro-
'ossls for bids were advertisec, and the contract
,iven TO Cornelius s. Pwdy Tne work, in accord
rce with the specifications, was completed last Sam