The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1885-09-05
LOST TREASURES.
How They Are Found In the Early Nor

IL mas lately Deen maze matter OF
regret that the picturesquely dirty chif-
fonnier or rag-picker of Paris threatens
to become an extinct species in conse-
quence of the operation of stringent
municipal laws. If it should ever hap
pen that he should share the fate of the
dodo and disappear from the face Of the
Continent of Europe. the enthusiastic
will most probably be still able to see
him plying his particular vocation on
the streets of Chicago in the early morn
ing.
In great city like this there are hum
dreds of men whose vocations compel
them to go home about the time when
other citizens are preparing to start out
upon their daily labors. No reference
is here intended to those loafers and
sharks who reel out from gambling sa-
looms and surreptitious drinking dens
when dawn is breaking, and are pre-
pared to do anything that may rake
them in the flying kidnapping at
all from playing the slick confidence
game to sandbagging some befoggel
sirnpleton who has freely placed the en-
envy within his mouth to steal away his
brains. On the contrary, the reference
is to those toilers of the night whose
business is legitimate; to the report
ers and printers who work for the pub
lie chiefly by the midnight lamp;
spectacle men in other professions who,
one way or another, have to find their
bread by night and not by day. One
of these nocturnal laborers lately hap
pened to be Tribune reporter, and
just about daybreak he could not help
noticing the singular demeanor of GER
tain men who walked slowly along the
principal shopping thoroughfares with
their eyes bent steadfastly upon the
ground. The majority carried small,
coarse bags, and stopped wherever they
saw dust heap, which they diligently
searched. These pickers-up of uncon-
sidered trifies were evidently Italians
for the most part. They worked the
streets in sections, as no two ever came
| within block of each other. A police
man happened to be sauntering along
State Street, in the vicinity of the Palmer
House, and the reporter asked him for
an explanation of the mysterious move
| ments of the men, who looked like des-
perate members of a conspirators
| chorus.
| Them fellers?' said the officer,
| waving his hand in the direction of a
| pair Of Italian searchers; ''why, them
is dagos. and they are looking for
articles that folks may have happened
to drop over night. They generally
work State, Madison. and Dearborn
streets. because there the most of the
women do their shopping. and as they
are out the first thing in the morning
the chances are that they may pick up
something that will keep them in COM
fort for couple of months. A little
goes long way with them dagos.
Why, ! don't believe they spend as
much in a week as you or or any
other Christian would spend for one
square meal. Do they ever get
good find? WE'LL yes; once
in while they do. They may
catch on to a ring, or a locket, or pair
of earrings, and it is not long ago since
heard of one fellow that picked up a
purse containing over hundred dollars.
1t was lying just under the cnrbstone,
halfway in the gutter. When he saw
he was observed be thought it wisest to
take it over to the police-station. but it
was never claimed, and he got the dol
lars. You would be astonished to know
how many things women-folks contrive
to lose-maybe owing to the excitement
of buying fancy things, and maybe be-
cause in the crowd they get kind of rat
tied and careless. The daisy time for
the dago-searcher for lost articles is in
Al. L
to melt, and then things that have been
lost and buried for months come to light
and are liable to be picked up by those
who make it their special business to
look for them. They are not at all par
ticular about what they catch on to. See
that fellow therep Well. he's just picked
up an old pair of boots and stuck them
in his bag. He'll get some kind of a
market for them somewhere, and that
Just shows you how some of the poor of
this city have to live. Neither you nor
would look at these boots. but there
are hundreds who would be glad to buy
them for few cents. All these dago
men know where to find market for
almost anything that is put out on the
streets. There goes another who has
picked up what looks like an old cotton
rag-probably a handkerchief that has
been all trampled over in the mud-but
it is good enough for him, as all's fish
that comes to his net"
| '.Are these men worked under the
padrone systemT'
II don't know what that is" replied
the officer, and the reporter explained
the system which prevails in New York.
where a small Italian capitalist called
the padrone hires and feeds so many of
his wretched feilow-countrymen and
vigorously exacts the lions share of
their earnings.
| The officer said he did not know
whether the Chicago treasure-trove
seekers were governed by padrones,
but thought they might be, because
he'd often noticed men going up and
l a.. thar, ~ fhox roxx, sch