Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-07-07
Things Found.

IL is worth while to consider whether there s
not a very extensive Generalization of the public
mind on the subject Of the rights of property,
With reference 20 articles lost and found. There
seems 10 be very common notion that a u article
found belongs TO the finder, and il is probable
that not one tenth of the property lost is ever
recovered by the rightiul owners, even with the
assistance OF advertisements
& friend Of ours left package few DAYS
since on a Brooklyn ferryhoat. Ii was Of small
value, but il was directed To him, with full name
and Office address The person who picked il up
Of course knew who was the owner, and should
have sent it to hin. but it was never heard Of
The finder. in this case, was simply a thief,
neither more nor less Ii is plain case Another
friend Of ours left package of considerable
value. and fortunately it was of such peculiar APP
pearance that the overseer at the ferry remem-
bered seeing it carried ashore. and on the next
day pointed out the individual who carried IT,
The excuse which he made simply " found
II. He had left no word At the ferry Office
and made no effort to discover tho owner. We
mention these two cases "a illustrations of what
occurs every day IL Is too plain that great
many well meaning people imagine that find.
ing" an article j. ample title to its possession
Ii is melancholy truth that Christian nations
eau learn some things from even Mohammedans
We remember once seeing silk head dress
the Arab C0QhG) lying in the middle
of the mast crowded street of Damascus
at midday. Every passerby. and the mum
Der was thousands. avoided treadiug on IT,
and il lay there ill sunset, for tho owner TO End
IL II he should return. fhe did not come back
il would be then taken 10 the nearest mosque aud
hung up in full view. but no one would ever
think OF claiming property IN it This is the
Mohammedan method of treating lost property
The Law here Is fully "a honest. but the practice
- not up 10 thc theory Of the law We believe
that the statute gives lost property which s
found within the police district. alter AL efforts
10 tind the owner have failed. to the police fund
But without discussing the question OF hnal dis
position. Il il enough 10 Say tina, law aud moral
ity alike require that he Who finds au article
shall make diliecut effort 10 restore ], 10 the
owner lilo has no claim 10 IL. l. in fact dis
honest holder of OF u, until he has exhausted
every reasonable method OF finding the true
owner. The very fact that rewards arc 80 often
offered l0f Lost property speaks bui III for our
public morals. Why should rewards be necea.
sary TO induce those who have no claim 10 a
valuable article 20 restore Il 10 L. owncfi Aud
vet We sometimes see persons condemned ~
mean Who make bat small presents 90 those
Who teatofe eostly articles. a. II honesty required
compensation. aud men are entitled a. pay Tor
not being thieves This subject IL 10y 90 means
unimpoftaut The annual value OF such losses
swe speak OF i immense. A healthy aud hon.
eat public sentiment would not onl, save much
Of this. but would also. save great distress and
pain 10 many Who lose articles which are yau~i
Zoe their associations iaf more than their pccu
uiafs worth New York Journal OF Commerce