Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-09
LEFT ON THE CARS.
What Becomes of the Many Little
Articles That Are Left Behind
BY THOSE WHO RIDE IN SLEEPERS.
Bureaus for the Restoration of Lost Prop
erty at the Offices.
SOME OF THE THINGS OFTEN FORGOTTEN

'oh, there it is" joyfully exclaimed one
of two ladies in the Office of Mr.. G. L. Mer-
rill, the District Agent of the Pullman Car
Company, yesterday morning as she eagerly
grasped h andsome gold watch and chain
that one of the clerks was examining.
Don't be so hasty, my lady. Is this the
owner, Charlie?" queried the clerk, address,
ing the colored porter who had been on duty
the night preceding on the Pullman car IN
which the watch was found, and who had
entered the Office with his "fnd," just
few nom ents previous to the impetuous and
hurried entrance of the ladies in the quest
for the watch.
eyes, sir. This is the lady," was the
answer of the ebony-hued gentleman, with
glance Of recognition and smile of satisfac-
tion, as he thought of the liberal fee he had
already received from the same person for
services rendered on the journey from New
York to Pittsburg, and anticipa ed the still
more generous one in store for him from the
thoroughly delighted woman; and who ex-
claimed, as she caressed and fondled the
dainty little timepiece: 81 am so happy to
get it again. 1 was afraid I never would
see it. Dreadfully careless of me to leave it
under my pillow" and in sort of apollo
getical way continued: "But you see am
not in the habit of arising SO early in the
morning, and had barely time as it was to
make my toilet in order to meet my friends
when the train stopped at the station.
KNEW WHERE SHE LEFT IT.
when discovered my loss didn't even
know whether the train stopped here or
went on to Chicago, but I knew perfectly
we'll that 1 left it under my pillow, and that
the porter would find it when he made up
the berth"
"Well, Miss. sign this, please" remarked
the clerk, at the same time passing her
little slip of paper which, with her name at
tached, was a record of the transaction, to
be kept by the Pullman car officials, land
then YOU are at liberty to take your watch"
No sooner said than done, and after
quietly slipping greenback into the hand
of the waiting porter, the ladies left the
Office, the possesspr of the watch exclaiming:
Chow very fortunate I am, anyway" and
the other one replying: "How very careless
you were, anyway"
"Do YOU have many such cases?" was
asked Mr.. Merrill. "Well, no, not many
such cases, +" with an emphasis on the such.
"Seldom are we custodians for gold watch
even for few moments, but handkerehieis,
rubbers, overshoes, gloves and umbrellas
are brought in from the cars in job lots
eyerv day. The losses of those articles,
however, do not, as rule, result in a hasty
visit from the losers. They sometimes send
a messenger boy down directly, but usually
telephone"
(which are the most thoughtless, the
ladies or gentlemen"
"Both," was the laconic reply. "Judg-
ing from our experience, man leaves his
umbrella and woman her rubbers, if it isn't
raining, and man his gloves and woman her
handkerchief, if it is raining. Occasionally,
too, people get the wrong valises and bring
them here to have the mistake rectifed, and
it is really amusing to hear the muttered
oaths OF the man as he carries in some fair
ones valise that resembles his-only in out
ward appearance-and requests that in ex-
change for it and its dainty contents we
find for him his own grip, with his collars
and hose.
NEVER SEE THE BLUsHEs.
'The bushes and confusion of the maiden
or matron, as she opens the valise supposed
to be hers, and imagines her own being in
vestigated in like manner, we never see,
as she always sends one of the sterner sex
around to look up her property-usually
her husband or brother"
SIS everything brought to this Office, that
is found on the Pullman cars?"
Supposed to be. That is, everything
found on the Pittsburg sleepers. Those that
go on through to Chicago or New York, of
course, deposit what they may find in the
offices at those places"
"You must have very reliable porters?"
"We are compelled to have such, not SO
much for what is lost as for what might be
lost were they otherwise. A car full of
sleeping passengers, each one of whom
carries more or less money. and has more or
less valuable jewelry about his person, and
his clothing. would be rather a risky place
to station any other than perfectly honest
man. We don't take porters ON probation,
as far as their honesty is concerned. They
must have established good regulations be-
fore applying to us. We investigate mans
record back five years, always, before en-
ploying him as a porter, and frequently go
farther back than that, and if there is the
faintest suggestion of dishonesty, we have
nothing to do with him. Even then we are
deceived occasionally, but he receives his
dismissal from service at the first complaint
L