The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-11-08
FOUNDON THE TRAINS.
A MAN WHO FOR FIFTEEN YEARS HAS
BEEN PICKING UP THINGS.

Whenever during the daytime a New
York, New Haven and Hartford train
rolls into the Grand Central depot q stoop
shouldered, little man. with keen gray
eyes and a beard that doesn't grow with
sufficient luxuriance to require frequent
trimming. strolls down to the end of the
platform. When the train stops and
while the most laggard of the passengers
are still leisurely alighting, he hops MIN
bly, on the rear platform of the last car
and proceeds to literally ''go through"
the train. Sometimes a much excited
passenger who has suddenly recollected
that he has forgotten something rushes
madly 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 glares and scowls at the
little man, and sometimes pounces upon
him and Indignantly demands to be told
what he is doing with ''that."
Then a tired look comes into the little
mans face and he mildly explains that
he is employed by the company to search
incoming trains for articles left behind
by passengers, which he conveys to the
lost property room, where the owners
can always get possession of them again
by furnishing presumptive evidence that
the things belong to them.
When Charlie-that is what the other
employees about the depot call him, al
| though he has another name which APP
pears on the payrolls of the company
first began ahis work, his beard wasn't
tinged with gray. and he wasn't a bit
stoop shouldered. That was Is years
ago. All these years, from $50 in the
morning until $50 at night each day, he
has been picking up things that careless
passengers have forgotten to take with
them when they left the train.
1t would make any man stoop shout
dered to be continually looking for
things that long. But his eyes are as
keen as ever, and his honesty is still proof
against all temptations. If that were
not the case, he could have retired with
a snug little capital. From the pocket
books and purses and 'wads" that he
has found while pursuing his unique oc-
cupation he could have slipped enough
TITO his own pocket to render him quite
independent.
There are no blanks in his daily rec
ords. Never a day goes by that he
doesn't find something that somebody
has forgotten. He picks up fewer things
ON Sundays than IN any other days, be-
cause on Sundays travel is comparative
ly light, and passengers are apt to be
less preoccupied with business cares and
therefore not so. likely to forget things.
On some days his list of articles found
on the incoming trains is quite q formi-
dable one.
This, for instance, is what he turned
into the lost property room on Aug. II:
Thirteen umbrellas, two rings Zone plain
gold and one with diamonds). one over
coat, one package of legal II oers. one
satchel. one lady's jacket, Il e Derby
hat, n valise, one cape, n cane, one
package of underwear, one mackintosf
and one p~ocketbook.
And this is what he found on Aug. 81
Seven umbrellas, one parasol, one shawl
one overcoat, one pair Of shoes, n pack
. age containing a suit of clothes, n pail
, of spectacles, one purse, n flask o
whisky and one smelling bottle.
When the articles are taken to the los
q property room, they are labeled with th,
date ON which they are found and tn
number Of the train. Nearly all the ar
ticles that have any intrinsic value ar
: redeemed. The rest are simply store,
away for the gnawing tooth of time i
prey upon.
I ! Charlie is of the opinion, and surel.
. he may be regarded as an expert on tn
: subject, that everybody is liable to for
8 get something at some time o. other
Umbrellas are the articles that are mos
frequently left behind on the trains b
travellers. The mar who could devils
an infailible system by which the owne
g of an umbrella would always be sure t
remember it would reap a fortune
Charlie has tried his w wits at it. bu
" was forced to give it up.
He has come to the conclusion that
state of e~cstatic happiness, equally wit
one of intense preoccupation, is apt I
IL produce for~getfulness of portable pro-
erty. He has discovered that new
y married brides and grooms are quite {
Il apt to forget the little things they ina
k be carrying with them as the man WI
a has got so much business on his hant
IL he can't think of anything else. III
man who never travels without a fas
OF whisky seldom forgets it. Perhal
4 that is because the act of putting it in
his, pocket Immediately after taking
nip has been so often repeated that
+ belongs to the category Of ~unconsciol
n cerebration.
ID It is not an ~infrequent thing for a ma
g. to leave a stovepipe hat on the rack al
a walk ont of the car with a little sku
as cap on. But when he gets into Il
ae streets the small boys are sure to shou
Shoot the hatr' or Where did you &
Is: that hat?' Then he discovers the mi
,u take that he has made, but the fact tn
he is never grateful to the small DO
he for reminding him of it and never
ce wards them must be regarded as g,
en- dence of that perversity inheritent
human nature which so often puzzl
OPP the philosopher.
Charlie il of the opinion that sor