The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1893-06-20
LOST IN STREET CARS.
e Queer Collection of Articles
Forgotten by Passengers.
me t'mce OF q Chicago Company That
Has a Regular Museum of Curfosfties
Everything from a Night Gown
to an Ear Trumpet.

Everything from a Night Gown
to an Ear Trumpet.
you've left your umbrella. ladvr"
and the conductor waved franticallv
In n air a parasol adorned with
multltarious tassels. The lady ad-
dressed, who had just got off the car,
turned, seized the parasol and without
a word of thanks disappeared in the
throng which crowds Madison street
at the fashionable shopping hour.
women are curious creatures" re-
marked the conductor to an observant
passenger. They're so forgetful, al
ways leaving things in the cars, and
when we happen to notice them before
they get out of sight they never thank
us. And, by the way, there's an awful
lot of stuff left in the cars. I've found
nearly everything. Last trip l picked
up a lady's purse"
"NVhat becomes of all the articles
hat are 1eft?" asked the observant
passenger, whose curiosity had been
aroused.
"Why, they are all turned in at the
office. If you have time a trip there
would be interesting."
The Office of the West division street
railroad is located at the corner Of
Washington and Jefferson streets, and
thither the observant passenger wend-
ed her way, says the Chicago Times.
The young lady in charge of the lost
n found department readily permit
ted herself to be interviewed. The
Office is a commodious one, surrounded
by rows of pigeon holes, in which
neatly labeled and ticketed is to be
seen nearly every conceivable article
that is capable of being ''lost and
found"
"You see," said the custodian, ''our
stock is rather low at present, be-
cause articles unclaimed after thirty
days are returned to the conductor
finding them. Quantities of fruit and
flowers are found, but they are inn
mediately returned to the finder, as is
the rule with all perishable goods.
This morning a package of canned
goods came in. Perhaps you would
like to examine my list"
Here the young lady extended her
record book for inspection. There were
umbrellas by the score, with straight
sticks and crooked sticks, n some
with no sticks at all. There were
gloves from the genteel suede to the
one of plain brown cotton. There
were rings from the noble diamond to
the one of paste.
An E~piscopalian p~rayer-book had
been left at the close of Lent, which
awakens the query: HAS it's owner
ceased to pray?" Next on he list
was a nursing bottle. It's poor little
owner Of course went hungry until
another could be procured at a neigh
boring store; the baby meanwhile
threatening, as best it could, to change
it's boarding place if it must be SO
cruelty treated.
A lantern, an old-fashioned one, was
there. Some Diogenes' search had
been brought to a sudden close; or had
he found it useless?
Two items-things Of much use
similar, yet not alike, were scrawled
across the page; one a check for fifty
dollars, and the other a pair OF
checked ''pants,'' each infinitely use
full while it lasts, but n represent
ing more than the other, being able
to clothe the whole body and the lin
ner man. with food as well.
Here the observant passengerlearned
that carpenters lose saws, washerwom-
en- lose sOiled clothes and soap, BARRIERS
lose cases of their dangerous tmple-
ments, "men of all work" lose old hatch
cts, farmers lose carpet-bags, deaf per-
sons lose their ear trumpets, workmen
lose dinner pals, lovers forget candy
boxes and opera glasses, and ladies'
well, ladies sometimes lose their night
gowns.
Even a bottle of consumption cure
had been left with no one to cure. A
laundering youth had mislaid his tick
cts for a theater-more p~erishable
goods.
But there were three small wax rab'
bits. Who lost them? Crinoline? Yes
one package. It's loss to the owner
will never be known, but n thing i:
r assured: one conductors wife, at least
will lead the fashion next Sunday in &
fin de steele skirt.
At last, but not least, was found {
rosary. It's sight recalled ''Sister Dolo
5 rosa" with a wealth of sweet flower:
- that grew in the Kentucky conven'
garden. What new penance woulo
this pure creature ave to perform fol
. losing the string of brown beads, owe
which her hands had passed for years
None, hoped the observant passenger
as she left the Office just in time to SCI
a fat woman "lose her grip on a trail
car and indent the wet block pavemen
with her plenteous personality.
nE,a PanniAa We LOSE.