The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-06-15
THE PRESS.
LOST

incredullty on Ills llueTrOSdtor ldCe, anu, OF
course, following one of Max Muller's rules,
which shows that the primitive or early races,
in order to be either more impressive, or
because they had paucity of ideas, lifting
small and chubby, but very dirty finger to MS
nose, now said "Jub-bubbles." This he re-
peated three times in most decided way, and
having fixed on this reduplicative patronymic,
stood intiexibly by it and would not Dudge
from it under the most vigorous amount OF
cross-questionings.
''Not much more than three years old at
the furthest," said the sergeant" He's been
here more than an hour, and | can't get
more of his name than that"
Looked in the directory?' ventured to
remark
Eyes; there are some Bulbs to be found
there. but none have lost child. Maybe he
is a country child. Moo-moo, ''said the kind
sergeant, initiating a COW. .Jub-bubbles re-
NAMED as stolid as judge, and was perfectly
indifferent to very clever imitation OF mine
of the crow of a cock.
Evidently not a country child, or he would
have shown it straight after that. It's wonder
full, though, how far the children stray from;
we have had three and four year olds come to
New York and wander through the streets,
that had strayed away thirty miles from New
York. Brooklyn children are common as are
Jersey City and Hoboken babies. How they
smuggle themselves ON the ferry boats is
strange. On procession days, we have whole
RATS of children. OF course, the number of
lost children increases in summer. Just
about now it's heavy. | couldn't tell you
what all the offices picked up. Maybe three
fourths of them are sought after by their
parents few hours after they are lost. After
shutdown, if no one claims them, they are
sent to the Mulberry street headquarters, to
be left until called for. This month, as many
as 400 were carried there. / should think it
wasn't much out of the way to say 1000 child
rem are picked up by the policemen every
month, and you, Jub-bubbles, if you 90 on
calling yourself that way, will be likely to 90
there. But where is Henderson," added the
sergeant as if a happy thought had just en-
tered his brain. "He is most the only man on
the force who can master this kind of thing
All! l see by referring to my book he is on
the Bowery, and will report in ten minutes,
when his time of duty is up. Henderson is
gifted this way. You know they have a clerk
in the post office who has the special faculty
of making out all the impossible inscriptions
on letters. Henderson's just that kind of
party, only he reads babies just like print.
They do say he had wife and baby once
himself, and lost them both, which makes
him mighty tender that way. He's got lot
of toys stored away somewhere, which he
keeps on purpose for working up these kinds
OF jobs. He makes outnames when it sounds
most like Chinee to us. This child here,
don't cry so, my little man, nobody is going
to hurt you) wasn't picked up while he was
on his rounds, or he would have known about
about him straight. Henderson is about as
good specimen of policeman as you can
find; as brave as lion and as gentle as
lamb, but baby hunting is his speciality. Of
course, he wouldn't like to know that we rate
him here as the first baby detective in the
city, but if one of my little ones should stray
away would put Henderson on the track at
once. He has wonderful eye for little
calico gown, or a pair of socks, or a pinafore,
or dimpled face under mask of dirt But
here is Henderson. Know this little one ?'
The policeman thus addressed was as fine a
specimen of the physical man as one could
see. He was six feet high and burly in pro-
portion, with a particularly handsome face
and clear gray eye.
''Says his name is-what was it, my little
fellow?" asked the sergeant
"Jub-bubbles," said the child
Henderson eyed the child for moment,
then took out his large silver watch and gave
it to the child, who clutched it in a minute.
zone of you fellows" he said, speaking to
two or three of his comrades, ego round the
corner and buy stick of candy and a cake
not doughnut, that's indigestible-bu
something with sugar on it. You see sir"
said he, addressing me, ''there is nothing like
candy to open child's mouths it kind of
makes friends right Off Cake is good, but
not so telling Jub-bubbles! can't think of
any people on my round with a name exactly
like that. Just about this time what with
moving, people amt regularly settled down,
and haven't thoroughly spotted the children
yet. May be he is a new conner. Sergeant,
let me have the child. Come off that chair,
youngster, and let's have walk, and see if
we can't find a tin horse.'
Somehow or other, the child, who had
been very shy with us, took to Henderson
quite naturally, and hoisted on the police
mans shoulders, with one hand clutching
his newly-made friends hair, and with the
other one tightly grasping his nose, they
marched once round the room and out into
an adjoining office. Presently they came in
again, Jub-bubbles this time with tin horse.
just then the cake and candy made their ap-
pearance. For moment such an assemblage
of delights seemed an embdTrdSs de richeSse
to Jub-bubbles. Presently, though never re-
linquishing his hold on the horse, he was Sc
duced by the candy. Henderson offered him
the cake, which he refused, and whimpered
for the candy.
Saint hungry" said Henderson, as he
handed the candy to Bubbles, who took it
with singular avidity. "Not being hungry
say he must have had his supper-just as if
it was stated that he hadn't been lost over an
hour. Children of his age,' he added quite
dogmatically, sis mostly hungry all the time,
providing they are healthy. That pint being
fixed, next comes where he lives-or, what
isjust as good, what his daddy does for a liv-
ing. If his daddy is a tailor, or shoemaker,
that amt hard to discover; but if his daddy is
a laborer, or he amt got none at all, and lives
off his m the is q or1a
one to find out. He was found, you say,
near the Bowery and Hester street, and some
of the neighbors said they thought he had
strayed along somewhere from the East river.
Was there any show in that neighborhood as
was working itself up to the Bowery to-day?'
There was two organs-one with monkey
and a parcel of horn-blowers, a playing
somewhere in that neighborhood' replied one
OF the force. THAT won't do; that was in
the morning; but stop-wasn't there a funer-
al on the other side of the Bowery?'' said
Henderson, refectively; Carriages and hear
ses Is mighty taking with child. So |
places that child just the opposite from where
the neighbors think he comes from; and Pll
stick to that until can find something bet
ter You see he is decent clothed, and that
little petticoat Of his'n was clean this morn
ing and for sure his people will be after him
soon. Jub-bubbles-that amt Dutch nor
and second name. If folks would only put
childrsn's names in full on their clothes, they
would save lots of trouble. L have half no.
ton have seen somewhere this very baby"
Here the policeman and Jub-bubbles went in
to the next room again and L followed. We
all played horse for five minutes, Bubbles
proving merry child, and a generous one
withal, breaking off little bits of candy, which
he offered to his horse and to his new friends.
tHe has had good broughting up. poor lit
tie shaver, so he has. II, sir, mine had a
lived. he'd been just seven years old this
coming August It's hard lines, sir, to lose
all ones family within ten days of one anoth-
er. Now, Jub-buDbles, see here" and with
this Henderson dropped his uniform coat, put
it across his knee, assumed a cross-legged po-
sition and commenced an imitation of sewing.
.ub-bubbles watched him with exceeding de-
light, sucking his candy all the time, and
cranlng out his little neck to follow each i'm
aglnery stitch. Now l am of an exceedingly
skeptical disposition, and have put down as
rubbish, long ago. all those curious stories of
expert cadlets who, by the wink of a mans
eye, could determine who was the real cuI-
prit-resorting finally to the gentle means of
ripping open mans stomach to find ont
whether he had swallowed milk or not. Chill
dren are mostly, when of tender age. ex-
ceedingly difficult to get absolute facts from.
The old adage that children and fools speak
the truth, l think, as to the former of the
two, is only applicable to those who are at
least six or seven years of age. Jub-bubbles
might have been barely two and half years
old. / accordingly fnllouyad IIondor,on,o