Middletown transcript., 1870-08-20
grtett gtorp.
THE MONEY FINDER.
BY C0LLEY CIDBER.

"Scke and ye shal fyndc. ."-DIBLE, 1851.
Business called me to New Orleans in
the Winter of 1886; 1 found the Crescent
City alive with people, although the yell
low fever and cholera of 1928 had near
ly decimated it, 1t was now full of life,
animation and business Crowds of peo-
pie, Of an evening, filled the hotels and
theatres, while the practising pickpockets
were reaping golden harvests from their
nefarious trade. l made it rule both
from the necessity of the case, and safety,
to carry very little money about me. On
one occasion, however, thirty-fve dollars
mysteriously disappeared from my pocket.
The fact l casually told to reporter of
the " Picayune," who having nothing of
more Importance to write about, placed
the following in his city column:
"Our esteemed friend, Colley Cibber,
was quietly robbed of his pocket book last
evening, leaving him minus thirty five
dollars. Colley is philosopher, and
bears his loss with stoical Indifference"
l felt somewhat angry upon reading the
article, and in the course of the morning
intended to call at the office, and have
some serious talk with the reporter.
AS | approached the Office on Camp
street, | saw my man talking with a gen
tleman. The moment he saw me he
shouted out, only as reporters shout when
a little excited:
All, here he is"
"Yes," replied" - here 1 am, and
you are tho"
mo more words, Colley; this gentle
man has found your pocket-book."
Stop, sir" said the stranger; "not
so fast. found pocket book 1t is for
this gentleman to describe its contents. |
would observe, however, that the insinua-
ton thrown out in the article by the wri-
ter, that you were quietly relieved of it,
is entirely gratuitous. I.found It, SIR"
"The money, sir, contained in the
pocket-book was twenty dollar note on
the Planters Bank of Louisiana, ten
dollar note on the Canal Bank, and q five
on the Farmers and Mechanics Bank of
Philadelphia"
"Sir, there is your property" And
handing me the book, he remarked" 1t
affords me much pleasure to restore it,
The appearance of the man, well dress
ed, well spoken, and evidently well edu-
Gated, made me hesitate about offering
him reward.
He seemed to understand my hesitation,
as he quietly remarked with smile:
II see that you hesitate about paying
me for my troublc-hesitate no longer
Finding money and restoring it to the
owner is my business"
l looked at the man in surprise.
"Your business p
Yes, sir. But I have no fixed per
centage. leave that to the parties"
"Then, sir, as the amount is not
large one, will that suffice ?" handing him
the ten dollar note.
Fully, sir; the five would have been
sufficient. Good day, gentlemen" and
away he went, whistling an air from the
last opera.
"Well," exclaimed the reporter, "that
is about the coolest piece of business I
ever witnessed. What does it mean %
1t means simply this-that he made
the excuse of its being his business, to
take the reward, nothing more"
So the matter rested, and [ was minus
ten dollars, which I considered he was
fully entitled to.
My business in New Orleans at that
period was of commercial nature, and
which brought me in connection with bu-
siness men. A large commercial house
met with most serious loss. One of the
partners, while at the post office, dropped
his pocket book containing some fifteen
thousand dollars in notes and checks. A
reward of one thousand dollars was offered
for its recovery, with its contents intact.
On the morning after the loss happened
to be in the Office Be it understood that
the advertisement was for the evening pa
pers, consequently no one was yet ac-