Rock Island Argus., 1893-12-02
FOUNDON THE TRAINS
a MAN WHO FOR FIFTEEN YEARS HAS
6sEr PICKING UP THINGS.

4 Few Items From t::c Notebook of Char.
he-Pcople Who Forget Portable Prop
erty-Umbrclias Head the List Of For
gotten Belongings.
Whenever during the daytime New
YORK. New Haven and Hartford train
rolls into the Grand Central depot n stoop
shouidcrcd. little man, with keen gray
eyes and a beard that doesn't grow with
sufficient luxuriaEce to require frequent
trimming. strolls down to the end of the
platform. When the train stops and
while tho most laggard Of the passengers
ere still !eis'lrely aligiiting. he hops nim-
bly, on the rear platform of the last car
and proceeds to literally Ego through
the train. Sometimes much excited
passenger who has suddenly recollectetl
that he has forgotten something rushes
inadly back into the train and discovers
his portable property in the hands of the
little man. Then, if he is of a suspicious
disposition. he glarcs and scowls at the
little man. and sometimes poGnces upon
him and Indignantly demands to be told
what he is doing with ''that."
Then tired look comes into the little
mans face and lie mildly explains that
nc is employed by the company to search
incoming trains for articles LETT behind
by passengers, which he conveys to the
lest property room, where the owners
can always got possession of them again
by furnishing rresumrtivc cvidenco that
the things belong 10 ;hem.
When Charlic-that is what the other
employees about the depot call him, al
thoug'; he has another name which an
pears "n tbe rayroils of the company
first tsgan this work. his beard wasn't
'inSed with gray, and he wasn't 4 bit
stoop sho.lGered. That was II wears
ago III these years. from ESQ in the
morning until 6:50 1T night each day, he
nas been picking M things that careless
passengers have forgotten TO take with
them when they left the train.
Ii would make any man stoop shoul-
dercc to be continually looking for
things that long. But his eyes are as
keen az ever, and his honesty is still proof
against all temptations. If that were
not the case. he could have retired with
n snus little capital From the pocket
books and purses aad "wads" that he
has found while pursuing his unique oc-
cupaticn he coald have slipped enough
into his own pocket 10 render him quite
independent.
There :-c no blanks L. his daily rec
ords. Never a day Cocs BY. that he
doesn't .iad something that somebody
has forgotten. lie picks up fewer things
on Sundays than on any other DAYS, be-
cause on Sundays travel is conaparative-
" light. aad passengers are apt to he
less prcoccCpied with business cares ans!
therefore not SO likely to forge: things.
On somo days his list OF articles found
on the incoming t-ains is quite foru.i.
dable one.
This. for Instance, Is what lie turned
into the lost properly room on Avg. Il:
Thirteen umbrellas, two rings Zone plain
gold and one with dia,nonds). one over.
coat. one package % legal | oers. one
satchel, one lady s jacket, tIc Derby
hat, one va.ise. one cape. one can2. enc
package OF underwear, one macintosh
and one pocketbook.
And this is what he found on -tr,-. o:
Seven umbrellas, one parcsol, one shawl.
one ove~coCt. one pair Of shoes, one pack
age containing Il suit OF clothes. one pair
Of spectaclcs. one parse. one flask Of
whisky and one smelling bottle
Whe,. the articles are take,, to tho lost
properly room, they are labeled with the
date on whict: they are found and the
number of the tram. Nearly all tine ar-
.icles that have any intrinsic value are
redeemed. The rest are simply stored
away tor tie Sna~!rg tooth of time to
prey upon.
Charlie Is OF the opinion, and surely
he may hc regarded rs an expert on the
subject. that everybody is liable to for
get something ~ some time or other.
Umbrellas are the articles chat are most
frequently left behind OF the trains By
travellers. The man who coUld devise
an infalible system by which the owsc-
of an umbrella would always be sure to
remember it would reap fortune.
Charlie has tried his own wits at it, but
WAS forced TO give it up.
/ He has come to the conclusion that 4
state of ecstatic happiness. equally with
one OF intense preoccupation. is apt TO
produce fcrgetfulness Of Portable prop
erty. he has discovered that newly
married b:ides and rroonls axe quite as
apt to forget the little things they may
be carrying with tis,a rs the man who
has got SO much business on his hands !
he can't think Of anything else. The
man who never travels without a flask
of whisky seldom forgets it. Perhaps
that is because the act Of putting it into
his Docket inmediateiy after taking n
nip has been so often repeated that i.
belongs to the category of unconscious
cercbraiion.
{ Il is not an infrequent thing FOR ,nan
20 leave Il stovepipe hat or the rack and
walk ont Of the Cur with little skull
cap on. Dut VIXEN he gets into the
streets the sluai! boys are sure 10 shout.
''Shoot the hat!' or Where did You gct
I that hat" Then hesvi1pcusers the nais.
take that he has made, bu. the fact that
he is never grateful to the small boys