Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1870-11-10
THE MONEY FINDER.
a ZRUE SroRr.

found the Crescent City alive with
people, although the cholera and
yellow fever had almost decima.
ted it. 1t was now full of life,
animation and business. Crowds
of people Of an evening filed the
hotels and theatres, while the
practising pickpockets were reap
ing a golden harvest in their ne
farious business. l made it a rule,
both firm necessity and safety,
to carry very little money about
me. On one occasion thirty-fve
dollars mysteriously disappeared
from my pocket. The fact l cas-.
ually told to reporter of the
Picayune, who, having nothing of
more Importance to write about,
placed the following in his city
column aa.
"Our esteemed friend, Colley
ECibber, was quietly robbed of his
pocketbook last evening leaving
him minus of thirty-fve dollars.
Colley, however, is philosopher,
and bears his loss with stocial in
difference"
l felt somewhat angry when /
read the article, and in the course
of the morning | intended to call
at the Office and have some seri-
Gus talk with the reporter.
As l approached the Office on
Camp street, | saw my man talk
ing with a gentleman. The mo-
ment he saw me, he cried out /;
only as reporters can cry out
when excited:
"Ah, here he is"
eyes," l replied, "here 1 am,
and you--" eF
mo more words, Colley, this
gentleman has found your pocket
book"
"Stop, sir" said the stranger,
81 found a pocket-book. 1t is for
this gentleman to describe its
contents. l would observe, how
ever, that the insinuation thrown
out by the writer, that you were
quietly relieved of it is entirely
gratuitous, sir. l found yo,tr pock-
et book."
"The money, sir, contained in
the pocket-book was q twenty dol
lar note on the Planters Bank, of
Louisiana, a ten dollar note on
the Canal Bank, and a five dol
lar note on the Mechanics Bank" +"
"Sir, here is your property" and
handing it TO me, he remarked !;
at affords me very much pleas
ure to restore it,"
The appearance of the man,
well dressed, we'll spoken, and
evidently we'll educated, made me
hesitate Offering reward"
He seemed to understand my
hesitation, as he quietly remarked,
with a smile:
81 see that you hesitate about
paying me for my trouble-hesi-
tate no longer. Finding money
and restoring it to the owner Is
my business"
l looked at the man in surprise.
"Your business 7"
eyes, sir. But | have no fixed
per centage. Ileave it to the par
ties interested.
"There, sir, as the amount is not
large one, will that suffice 2"
handing him ten dollar note.
"Fully, sir, the five would have
been sufficient, Good day, gentle
men," and away he went, whist
/ ling an air from the last opera.
"Well," said the reporter, "that
was about the coolest piece of
business ever witnessed. What
does it mean 2"
at means simply this-that he
made an excuse of its being his
business to take the reward, moth
ing more"
So the matter rested and / was
minus ten dollars which | consid-
cred he was fully entitled to.
My business in New Orleans at
that period was OF a commercial
nature, and which brought me in
connection with business men.
A large commercial house met
with a most serious loss. One of
the partners while at the post-of-
flee, dropped his pocket-book con-
tanning fifteen thousand dollars in
notes and checks. a reward of
one thousand dollars was offered
Tor it's recovery, with it's contents
intact. On the morning alter the
loss | happened to be in the office.
BE it understood that the adver-
tisement was written for the even
ing papers. and no one was yet
acquainted with the liberal reward
offered for honesty, We were