The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-06-21
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The lost and found department OF the
World's Fair occupies a section in the
secret service rooms on the third floor
and at the south end of tho terminal
station, 1t was put in operation when
the tair was opened and put in charge
OF Edward Hood. There is an elaborate
system OF records for all articles found
and books are kept in which reports
arc preserved OF articles reported lost,
Already 900 articles have found their
way into the department, articles. OF
every conceivable CHARACTER, from chill
dren's chip hats TO poGketbooks con,
tanning g%reenbacks, diamonds, gold
watches and railroad tickets. The
shelves in the room contain az con-
glomerate a lot Of things as the shelves
Of q pawn.shop, and the room original,
ly provided for the caring for the stuff
has already proven too small and an
addition has been made 10 the shelf
room,
Mrs. NJ, II. De Young, of San Fran
cisco, wife OF the editor Of the Chronicle,
| who IL ono OF the Worlds Fair commits
siouers, is indebted to tho honesty OF q
young man from Clear Lake, In, and to
| the department for the return Of q $500
diamond star which she used for a hat
pin. 1t fell out in the grounds, was
picked up by the young man from Iowa,
who reported it to Mr., Hood and u few
hours later Mrs, De Young had her pro-
perty again,
Another woman visitor TO the fair left
diamond rings worth $40 lying on the
washstand in the woman's toilet in the
agricultural building, and another wo'
man who law them lying there gave
them to tho colored woman attendant
and also reported the fact to q quad,
who in turn reported to the lost and
found department. The woman who
had left the rings came to Mr.. Hood to
report her loss an hour later and a
secret service man was sent to the wo-
man in tho toilet room. This woman
denied at fret having found any rings,
but when the detective Threatened to
arrest her she handed ovcr the missing
properly and tho owner dried her tears.
WHERE MANY EwELs ARE LEFT,
The Glow sanitary company has
adopted a peculiar course. in regard to
valuables loft in toilet rooms, Although
the lost and found department is under
the control OF the World's Fair officials
and is the only recognized repository
for found articles tho Glow sanitary
Compony has steadily refused to either
turn over articles found in toilet rooms
or to make reports. Many articles are
lett in toilet rooms, particularly. by
women. Rings are taken oil and laid
on wash stands to prevent their injury
by soap and water and then their own
ers 90 away leaving them. Such Of
these articles as get beyond the colored
attendants arc taken to the office Of tho
Glow company, whore they are kept
without any record being made OF
them, and hold until the wne can
succeed in getting possession. The
electric launch company follows tho
same course, but a record IL kept OF
found articles. The hygeia company
started in TO keep articles lett on the
stands under its control, but 1t now
turns them over to the department in
charge of Mr.. Hood.
People visiting the fair seem prone to
forgetfulnoss. Mr.. Hood is Of the
opinion that the Glorios of the EXPOSE
ton are so overpowering that little
things like umbrellas, canes and wraps
arc forgotten in the contemplation Of
the novel sights. Women report more
articles lost than do men, and the arti.
cles lost aud those found come mostly
from the woman's building, with the
art gallery u close second. Umbrellas
arc the fayorik, articles to lose. People
start from homo with protection from
expected rains, and when tho sun
comes out and drives away tho clouds
the umbrellas and p%arasols are left
lying on benches and seats. There
have been many wraps aud overcoats
lett on seats or dropped from arms, and
Mr.. Hood has also in his possession a
choice assortment Of pocketbooks, from
the cheapest sort to those Of fine leather
trimmed in silver and gold. Fully
twenty-five watches have been sent in
to the department, in every instance
the property OF women, dropped from
insecure hiding places In belts or drop.
ped to tho floor by reason OF defective
pins. There are fur boas and capes,
hats and caps, sOtChels, women's hand
bags and purses, screw drivers and silk
dresses, oil cant and mutflors, canes and
pipes, and pistols and cigar cases.
HER vALUApLEs AND NOTE book.
Ono woman lott her handbag Of
striped china silk inaide the grounds,
and in it is u big book recording her
impressions Of the various places Wis.
tied, which include some rather cut
ting remarks upon the "brazen women
in tho Egyptian theatre and on the
"honely girla" in the beauty show, a
powder box and puff, and lace board.
ed handkerchief.
There is a silver pencil which was
found by a woman and turned over to u
guard, who in turn handed 1t to his ser.
geant, who forgot to send II in until in
ouiry developed tho fact 1t had never
reached the lost and found department.
A return ticket to Philadelphia was
picked up aud sent in to the office, and
the following morning n man called 10
claim it, but his actions we're rather
suspicious, though no described the
ticket TO tho letter. 1t was refused
him unless no could give bettor proof,
and nh hour later tho real owner came
in, and, after satisfying tho custodian
Of the Tighttulnoss Of his claim, 1t was
given him. The first caller mover re-
turned,
There are many articles reported losI
which never reach tho department,
Thoy arc picked up by ignorant or dis
honest persons or find their way into
the waste boxes, but n large proportion
Of tho goods reported lost aro returned
tho owner. Two poCkotbooks which
wore lost AZ different times, each con
" t.lI.- 49, .l.t.l "a.