Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-06-02
CURIOUS OCCUPATION.
PICKING Up A GOOD LIVING IN
CROWDED STREETS.
One OF the Ways q Man May Live
Without Work in New
York City.

l invented, is the most peculiar" :"
I had been introduced to the gentleman
who spoke these words, and after passing a
very pleasant evening in his company, 1
naturally inquired as to his calling. He
was about y years of age, well dressed
and apparently well to do.
If you think it worth your While" he
continued -" will tell you how it all came
about. Some months ago l was out of en-
ployment, and after seeking here, there
and everywhere, and following the news
paper advertisements without success, 1
was naturally depressed and downhearted.
One afternoon about o'clock | was walk
ing on Sixth avenue, somewhere between
Fourteenth and Twenty-third streets, my
eyes cast upon the pavement, thinking of
how ! should get my next meal and a bed
to sleep in, rs | had not cent to my name,
when l saw a dark-looking object about
four inches long lying on the sidewalk
some five or six feet from me- | hurried
toward it, stopped, and picking it up. dis
covered it to be an ordinary pocketDook.
such as ladies usually carry.
Il hastily showed it in my pocket. for
fear the owner might return and claim it.
/ walked to the corner and down
toward Fifth avenue. | could hardly wait
until an opportunity presented itself to in
spect its contents. At last, considering
myself out OF danger of discovery bv the
owner, drew forth the prize and opened
it.
Imagine my surprise and qualification
at discovering Il large roll of bills and
some silver. | at first did not know what
to do. | knew that it was now impossible
for me to find the owner and, to tell the
truth, l did not very much care to find
that person.
Well, to make a long story short, |
rented a room at the Grand Hotel, and
Immediately proceeded to ascertain the
amount Of my new-found wealth. | found
that the roll contained two twenty-dollar
bills, three tens one five and two single
dollars, besides a little over 81 in change.
making total of nearly $50.
You can readily imagine that ate an
excellent supper that evening, better than
/ had eaten for months before.
The next morning ! took up the paper
TO see whether any one had advertised the
loss of the pocketbook. The papers con-
tanned 4 great many ads under the head
ing Of Lost, Found and Rewards but
none which described the book | had
found.
l now considered myself the rightful
owner, and determined to use the money
IS it 1t had been the result of hard toll on
part. | advertised and endeavored in
every way to procure work, but without
success.
AT last, some two or three weeks after
the finding of the pocketbook, was again
wandering along the street with my ewes
directed toward the sidewalk, when they
espied bright shining coin. | picked it
up and found it to be fiye-dollar gold
piece.
Pm in luck said l to myself. TfI
keep this up | won't have to work. And
IN this way the idea came into nv mind
that in a large city, such as New York,
where so many busy people continually
travel the streets, an enormous amount of
money and valuables must be dropped. and
if one would only make it his business to
60 through the crowded streets, and keep
his eyes open, he might make at least a
comfortable living.
Il resolved at any rate to try it. did
from that day on go through the principal
thoroughfares of this city, and have since
made a comfortable living. I do no one
an injury, for, when get the opportunity.
/ return whatever is of value to the owner,
but keep any money as a sort Of reward"
We'll, where do you go principally, and
how do you do the business ?"
60, fer instance, on nice, pleasant
afternoon, on Fourteenth street. twenty
third street, and Broadway and Sixth ave
nue., between those streets. These are the
routes taken by ladies out shopping.
They usually carry their pocketbooks in
their hands, and are not always very par
tlcular about what else they carry in the
same hand. Sometimes they carry three
or four articles besides the book in one
hand; and how easy is it for them to drop
one, especially the book, without in
the slightest missing it. Now, | 90
merely through the street, mingling with
the ladies, not touching them unneces-
sarily. My eyes are everywhere about
the pavement, and | am able TO
see anything on it, from a piece of paper
10 a diamond breaStpin. Hundreds of
people may have passed the same object
before me and not have noticed it. because
they were not on the lookout for it, where
as | am always watching for something
lying about, be it penny, or be it dol
lar or be it diamond
"What do YOU generally find >"
4 find everything, from pearl button
20 a silk umbrella, and from a penny to a
well-hlled pocket-book. | used to pick up
such things as buttons, pens, pencils,
knives, etc, but ! do not trouble myself
about them now, as there is no value in
them"
What is the largest sum you ever
found"
The largest sum that ever found
was wrapped up in an envelope
lying on Broadway, just south of
Twelfth street. / was on the point
Of throwing it away, thinking some one had
rolled up some paper and thrown il out of
a window, when thought / would open
II. | did so. and found roll containing
1910, all in $40 bills. With that find i
opened bank account, 10 which | am now
constantly adding"
"Do you ever find the owners, and return
their property ?"
Sometimes l find an advertisement in
the paper setting forth the loss of an arti-
Gle resembling one which / had recently
found. If the article is clearly identified
return it. If not | keep it. The re-
wards paid to finders are so small that it
hardly ever pays to advertise an article
which one finds, unless it appears to be
relic or an heirloom"
"One more question. Are there any
others besides yourself in your line of bus
iness ?'
Yes, there are three to whom i'm
parted my knowledge, and who have |
adopted it as a means of max |
ing livelihood. And. assure
you, they are well satisfied You can |
come along with me some afternoon and |
see how / manage it. But, remember, | |
may not find anything for two of three |
days or maybe weeks, but when it does
come, it comes WELL
One Heroic Dude.
Liep nant Commander W. H. Emory |
istin I, city, not little proud over his