The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1877-08-30

THELOsr PROPERTY DEPARTMENT in
. LONDON.

From the Anglo American Tlmes.i a~
Mr.. Frederick Salisbury has pub
lished an interesting account Of tn,
"lost property departmentu at Scot
land Yard. The rules are to levy OIL
the property three shillIngs In thu
pound - the award for its restorer; Il
keep the article three months, and u
take every means open to the depart,
ment to discover who the proprietor
70 In case he does not call; failing the
restoration within that period to pass
the article into the possession of the
finder Is his legal property. Weighing
everything, the cabman finds that IL Il
better to deal with Scotland Yard than
to appropriate what may be left by
neglect In his cab, and that It is even
better to deal with Scotland Yard than
to return the article 70 the owner II he
knew where the owner lived. His re-
ward at Scotland Yard IL assured, from
the owner IL Is problematical; and deal
ing In the course which the law pre-
scribes, that dictated as right by his
conscience, while IL Is for his interest
as well, the way chalked out by the
regulations tends to give q moral tone,
which in the due course of time will
remove from the mind of the whole
cabby class any idea of appropriating
what Is left In their vehicles.
Mr.. Salisbury lost his carpet-bag,
owing to block In Minclng lane,
where they were replacinga pavement,
which forced him to get out at spot
he did not intend, and, as often hap
pens under such circumstances, the
bag was left behind On returning to
town on Monday he found q commu-
nication from Scotland Yard, "l0st
property department" which led him
to call, aud opened q view or al insti-
tuition OF which he knew nothing,
though an old resident in London.
The first he met on entering the de-
partment was q distinguished Amerl-
can, In search of an umbrella, the ham
die Of which had been used by an an
cestor In the war of Independence and
that gentleman left, paying the depart
ment q high compliment. Mr.. Sails
bury found that 1854 articles had
been entered In the ledger for 1875.
The year after Colonel Henderson
had procured the alteration of the reg
ulations 1858 articles were deposited,
and ever since the increase has been
They embrace every va
riety, and appear to fill the beholder
with wonder to learn how such things
could have been lost. 1t might be
supposed that the flare" had disrobed
in the cab, for even his shirt Is occa-
taken out; trousers and boots
are often left. There Is medicine
enough to stock an apothecary's shop,
and even an occasional cat may find
its way to the "LOst Property Office,
and run about for o spell, bearing the
usual ticket. OF course umbrellas AMI
parasols are the most common, anu
three shillings in the pound only pays
the cabman Tor the restoration, as the
value may average from 8s to 1Os., and
yield the cabby Is. to Is Cd. But occa-
jewelfy worth much finds Its
way to the department; portmon-
naies, papers and bags. Then the as
is matter of negotiation, in
which the interests of the restOrer are
well protected. Stories are told to il
lustrate the working Of the system.
A lady took o cab In Oxford street,
and, stopping at street in May Fair
street, entered a house. After driving
off the cabman looked through the APP
erture at the top of the hanson and saw
lying on the footboard q diamond
bracelet. "ls 1t Vere-Street perlice
station, or 60 back ?' says cabby TO
Back he went, when the
lady bounced on the bracelet as the
fellow to the other, worth" she ex-
$500. Oh, thank you very
much. You are an honest fellow ~
- Is that all you have to say mum? 1
had better have 1t chalked on my
back" "By all means,n she says,
''and will have il signed for YOU"
''That's what comes" added the cabby,
In telling the story, "from forgetting
the regulations" The inspector gave
another instance. A gentleman re-
ported the loss of deeds worth thou
sands at the department, and offered
800 to recover, filled up the applica-
ton form and left. The cabby into
whose hands they had fallen-as they
afterward learned at Scotland Yard
the old bits of parchment
drove to the lawyers cham
bers, but not finding any one there,
had to return next day, and restored
the valuable deeds, asking for some
thing for his loss of time. "What will
satisfy you, my man ?" "Why, two
shillings won't hurt you, sir. "Oh,
no, cabby; and here is I'd. for yourself l''
Colonel Henderson told ut claimants
how q diamond necklace
worth over $1,000 had been thrown into
q cab in Bond street, with the remark
to the driver, "There do what you like
with that trinket." He drove straight
to Scotland Yard, satisfied that who
ever was wrong he was right, and
would come out square in the lransac-
ton. A tinware artisan, who had
spent years with O meat preserving
In Brazil, returned with ST.
775 In gold in an American cloth bag.
He carried It In this way In preference
Of the money: At Waterloo
with some friends who had met him,
and they aided In unloading the cab on
reaching home, when It was dark.
The cab was paid off and picked up q
fare for Canterbury Hall. There cab
by looked inside and saw the tinman's
bag of gold on the floor. The ques-
ton was, who did 1t belong to
the Waterloo or the Canter-
bury Hall fare ?" He took 1t
home and was pressed by the tempta-
ton all that night; but his wife view
ing the position from the honest stand
point, the bag was deposited at the
yard, and he received the competition
Of $50. Once bank note Of $500 was
deposited by cabman and the award
was $l25. The gentleman to whom 1t
belonged had called, but the impress
sion was against the chance Of his ever
again seeing It, yet within twenty-four
hours It came. A clerk left an open
bag containing $17,50O in o cab; and
the bag was deposited Mt Bow street In
time TO let the manager know of Its
safety before the bank closed that day.
The cabman received $500. A lady
went away from her cab, on the seat
Of which lay parcel OF Lombardo-
Venetian bonds. The cabman regard
ing the bundle as trash, still had the
so strongly on his brain
that he drove to the nearest police
station, and was astonished on receiv-
ing q communicated to call for an
award of $50. A young lady left her
marriage portion, her whole fortune,
I'm q bag In q cab, q, 900 chiefly In Jew
elry. II was restored through the de-
minus the $3.50 awarded to
the cabmaIl. There are rarely less I'm