The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-11-27
LOST ON BRIDGE TRAINS.
Passengers Who Travel in Order to Secure
the Salvage.

Passengers Who Travel In Order to Secure
the Salvage.
A well-dressed woman got into q
Bridge car Yesterday, carrying a gold
headed umbrella. A moment later a
fairly we'll attired man came in, walk
ing carelessly, and sat down beside her.
Had a careful observer noticed him
when he entered he would have seen
him throw quick glance at the UNI
brella before sitting down.
The train rumb led across. The lady
gazed at the river, and, watching
swiftly moving craft, fell into dreamy
state of observation. When the guard
called East St. Louis: all out!' the
lady got up with PARKWAY look still
in her eyes and walked out leaving the
umbrella. The man beside her had rid
den across with his eyes closed as if
fatigued. When she had got out his
hand fell quickly on the umbrella and
he was making off with it when the
guard collared him. The fellow looked
surprised at finding the umbrella in his
hand, muttered something about pick
ing it up unconsciously," shook off the
guards hand and plunged into the
crowd.
THAT is the fifth time in a month
have caught that fellow taking lost
articles" said the con ductor to a re-
porter. 1.-THE bridge cars are para
disc for such as he. There is more
miscellaneous collection of lost articles
gathered in these trains than in any
other place in America, I'll warrant"
The number of missing articles be-
came so numerous and so many claims
were made by pretended owners that
several years ago a system of checks
was put into use. Now anything found
in the cars is taken to the office, where
a report is made of the article, giving
the time of the car on which it was
found and other details. This is en-
tered on book of blanks having stubs
The trainman then gets Il receipt fer
what he has turned in. When the caller
comes for what he has lost he must
thoroughly identify the article before
he can get it. The stub of the train
mans receipt keeps thus a perpetual
record of everything found
These stub books are filed away and
are never destroyed, A glance through
them reveals q bewildering variety of
lost goods. The stubs of 1889 are es-
pecially prolific in curious cases. Here
are some of the things recorded: Pun
ice stone, diagram, two boxes of cigars,
a pocket-bool containing ffty-two dol
lars, white apron. spool of cotton, pair
of rubbers, picture, waistcoat,
bracelet, some surcingles, several rem
nants, piece of shectiron, three sauce
dishes and a horsewhip.
One Saturday the record for variety
was eclipsed. That day the trainmen
gathered up these things:
Three pairs of stockings, left by
drunken man; a lady's veil, roll of
sheet music a teaspoon, bottle of
wine, gcntleman's kid gloves, eye
glasses, porter's badge, Il lunch, n Cos
samer, cranberry mold.
In one stretch, from September 10 to
Novem Der - two hundred articles were
reported. That was the rainy season,
and forgotten UNI brellas swelled the
list. But taking the year around UNI
brellas have the questionable distinction
of being the oftencst overlooked
Pocllet-boolls, however, singular to say,
are not so far behind. A count of fifty
six stubs Sc lectcd at random gave this
tally:
Umbrellas, %; pocllet-boolzs, Il; pack
ages, :; canes, ,: keys, 3; walters
jacket, !.
On an av crage three articles are found
day. This makes nearly hundred a
month. Some sneaks have long ago
found this out, and travel across often
each day and run the chance OF picking
up something of value. Even if they
fail the low car-farc does not leave
them much out OF pocket.-St. Louis
Globe Democrat.