The sun., 1879-06-22
HUNTING FOR THINGS LOST
Making n Livelihood by Searching the Places
WHARF the Mmah L. lsrentcaL

Making "A Livelihood by Searching the Places |
Where the Hush is Greatest
little after dawn, beated traveller, |
waiting for boat at tho Thirty-fourth street |
ferry. saw n man who seemed seeking for some |
small article dropped near the Long Island |
Railroad ofllce. on the south side OF tho forry
house. The man covered radius OF probably
fifteen yards with an extremely careful senrch
He pecred into the cracks between the tagging
and the curb. the intcrstices among tho cobble
stones. the spaces between the refuse matter In
the gutter everywhere. In short. whore any
thing as large as grain u wheat could have
been concealed. All his movements were prac-
tised and quick. 80 that within fifteen or twenty
minutes he had gone all over the space ind-
Gated. and stralRhtenod himself up to depart.
Notwithstanding the apparent failure OF his
search, he did not seom disappointed. lie was
asked whether he had found IT, No. no had
not What had he lost2 Nothing. What had
somebody else lost That was Just what ho
was trying to nnd out. And 80 explaining
curtly. he hurried away.
| The police officer on duty at that post ex-
planned more fully. THAT is one OF the lind
ers. )" he said. "wno come here every morning
Just MS soon as 1t is light to look for change or
other things that people may have dropped In
| hurrying to the ferry the night before. Very
| often. you see. when man IL running to cntch
a boat he will grab somo loose change out ot hls
| pHntaloons pocket, TO pay tho ferriage without
| losing any time In the gnto and in 80 doing
| will drop n nicko. or n dime. or maybe quar-.
rather leave il than loso the boat Then again,
| at the railroad once. people who have thelr
arms full OF bundles Will put down bill aud
get in change. along with the ticket. u lot OF
loose silver. somo bit OF which. the chances
are. will be dropped before the rect can be
showed into n pocket. particularly II there il
any crQwding aud elbowing Mt the ticket win
dow The bits so dropped are the little wind
are two or three chaps who come every day
but the one you saw Is tho steadiest and nearly
princey income out OF tho business. but by the
way he hurries on guess he works some olher
ierty & Hhu ta e On o coomiortHbiy
Subsequent investigation proved the correct
ness Of The police onicers eoniscture eqneorhi
indeed 81 great number OF places. where tho
public congregate and change money, Those
who pursue this precarious occupation arc
generally mon OF middle age. and some are al,
vaneed in years. some OF the gamins who sell
morning newspapers near tho ferries are very
sharp seArchers. and trench seriously upon the
profits OF the professionals. but as a rule the
findings Of the newsboys are mere chance. lhe
professional finder is 10y no means scavenger.
He carries neither can for the collection Of
stale beer from exposed lager kegs, nor a NOOK
The finder confines his search within certain
narrow and well-denned limits. and II one Of
them-who was persuaded to talk 10 IA re-
porter-is to be believed his profits are hardly
so meagre IA the police officer at Thrty-fourth
There are probably fifty men who make n
living In this way should Judge, from those
whom have seen. that that Is Just Abou, the
number Almost all have seen better DAYS.
perhaps have no trade or profession TO when
!hsy can turn tn9ir h@nIs ana c"v y.ns our
searches not only about ths ferries and railroad
ticket Offices but near the theatres where peo-
pie are buying tickets from curbstone spocu-
! lators. and in front Of uptown resorts where
, young men with more money than sense drink
sibility Tor a young man who is flush and on n
: spree to get through an evening without throw
ina something in our way. Once picked up q
800 note from a gutter where II was lying all
! ! crumpled. Just rs II hnd como out OF the Iockel
Of some fellow VINO was paying a hacIman.
Generally we get only small silver. Jewel Try we
: lnd considerable OF. sometimes a valuable
stone that has been dropped from its setting
sometimes n bracelet that has slipped unnouced
; from some fair arm. The principal articles OF
gentlemen's Jewelry that We expect 70 find un-
is ont Oh a racket will have sense enough &c
take out his studs and put them IN his pocket
when he is going into places where people have
a weakness for handling other peoples proper
> ty. but is very likely when he Is loaded. to Tor
get all about the studs. haul them out mixed W
: with loose bills wnen going TO pay h,t,kthAu l
or treat crowd. drop them, and-theres where
we come I'M Really valuable articles OF icweir>
always return Iewelry when can, for remem
Der that there WAS time when had keepsake'
that were very dear to me.
: About two years ago found very hand
some bracelet In an uptown street. The mex
' lRnswerod all Of them. appointing with each ad
vertiser different time and place Of meeting
|, SO that l could see them al without beinl
J what II meant. One advertiser Was an elderll
: man, the second Il beautiful lady. tho third
y thiri n4d' Rad the line. s' No ansstions assed.
in their advertisements. They. no doubt
trinket was lost. and wanted It more than inior
nation. But the old fellow wanted informa
y for gave the bracelet to the lady herself an,
when told her how things stood, shs doubled
< the reward. hut didn't say word. The inter
:, national walking match in Gilmores Garden.
u little while ago WAS n bonanza for US picke'
:. up six dollars in silver there. IL front oi m
door within twenty-four hours. Now and thel
: we ind small change about the foot OF the step
II leading up TO the elevated railroad stations hu
" that il not much 10 be depended upon. Tn
- nowadays who haunt those places general
10 gobble il up. | don't know that could. even
: wanted TO, calculate the average OF my md
" ings. and don't know that I'd want 10. even
n | could There are enough In the busnes
~ now. without tempting any more 10 cut y U
l. still further. All caro- to say is that make
r living honestly Mt IL and may be have saved
Al But n green man needn't think he can do s
Il ing. with the primary advantage OF keen sigh
=. start for It, There's many man, no
lr blind ones either. that would just as ieve Il
ID hunt tho ground over ahead OF me rs not; bu
T. be lius ieit ior whoever Followed me-,
10 A police officer on duty at the Grand Ceniri
r Depot said that he hAd noticed two mon VIII
ia haunted near the doorways there late In IN
~ 10 catch the trains and that he understood the
M were also seen about there very early "a th
Is mornings. but, he had Satisfied himself thu
o. they were not thieves and consequently no ha
IS no iurther interest IN them.
At the Fulton Ferry there are several nnder
10 One Is a woman. who appears ~ tho morning
10 only Just about dawn The Roosevelt Strs'
m Ferry does not seem so attractive hsld fe
this peculiar occupation.
N BRAYE CoAS1GUARDSMAN COULD
.