Omaha daily bee., 1888-10-30

bulky mass OF papers, fastened 40
gether, which seemed to refer to some
very important railway affair. His
classic brow was corrugated, and grave
concern was depicted on every feature
of his face. A remark was ventured
which elected the eXclamation Its
n pestiferous case. Railroad companies
are as eXacting in investigating the
loss of a pound of freight as bank
boolikeeper is in finding a missing cent
to balance his account. These papers
on my desk refer to amissing one e-pound
package of tobacco. In shipment
from New York to the west the con-
signor reports that one box is one pack
age short. The loss is only 10 cents,
and the railroads lmust bear it. AS is
usual in such cases, unless the point
where the package was lost or stolen
can be located, this loss will be pro-
rated among the several lines over
which the shipment passed. Our share
will be two cents. But we must go
through all the red tape. We must get
the complaint of loss, the weighbill,
learn on what trains and car the ship
ment was made, obtain the affidavits of
all tralnmep who had charge OF the
car, but Of course we don't expect to
recover the property. 1t is merely a
iioltCl vi ioi liz
The interruption appeared to rest the
weary clerk. He had still II large bun
die Of papers before him to scan and re-
fer to their proper pigeon-holes or de-
partment, but he grew confidential and
continued, "You would be surprised to
know the amount of freight that disap-
pears mysteriously every year. Some
articles are more liable to disappear
than others. For instance, liquors have
a strange way of losing themselves, so
have hats and caps, boots and shoes and
cigars. Soap is very seldom missed. 1t
must not be supposed. howe YER, that all
articles reported lost have been stolen.
They are often actually lost and reap
ear again after while. | remember
an instance that happened some time
ago. "A Cleveland lecturer, having an
engagement at Akron, forwarded his
scientific apparatus to that point in
ample time but it never arrived. The
lecture was not delivered and the rail-
road company had to pay a big bill for
actual and consequential damages.
Months afterward the Canton agent of
another road in cleaning up his ware
house found the missing box. How it
got there nobody knew"
Here's another instance: Not long
ago one of Cleveland's large manufac-
tories sent an agricultural implement to
little town near Cincinnati. 1t failed
to arrive. A lost freight agent was
given the number of the car on which
it had been shipped and told to find the
missing property. He traced the car to
its destination, thence through various
courses up into northern Michigan,
where he learned it had been loaded
with lumber and sent south. The agent
was about to abandon the search when,
CHANGING to look about him in the lum-
ber yard, he aw the missing machine
on pile of lumber. 1t was simply
neglect to unload at the proper station
Here is another of the same kind.
Among a carload OF iron castings
shipped from Cleveland to Kentucky
was one peculiar and valuable casting
which, for safety, was fastened to the
ceiling of the car. Notice of nom
delivery arrived in due time and the
car tracers, after following the car
through dozen states, finally found the
casting, still fastened to the car, at a
Massachusetts cotton mill. What,
haven't time for any more instances
to-day2 Well, call again and I'll tell
you some more. Good day" And the
superintendsnt's clerk bowed his head