The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1893-11-03
FOUND ON THE TRAINS
4 NAN WHO FOR FIFTEEN YEARS HAS
BEEN PICKING UP THINGS.

a Fasv Items From this Notsbooh Of CHAR
people VINO Fergos Portable Prop
erty -UmbrelIas Head the List Of For.
gotten belongings.
Whenever during the daytime New
York, New Haven aud Hartford train
rolls into the Grand Central depot stoop
little man, with keen gray
eyes and beard that doesn't grow with
sufficient iuxuriance to require frequent
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 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 recollected
that he has forgotten something Tushes
madiy back into the train and discovers
his portable property in the hands Of the
little man. Then, if he is Of suspicious
disposition, he glares and scowla at the
little man, and sometimes pounces upon
him and Indignantly demands to be told
Whist he is doing with "that,"
Then tired look comes into the little
mans face and he mildly explains that
be 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 alWaysget possession of them again
by furnishing presumpttVe evidence that
the things belong to them.
When Charlie--that Is what the other
employees about tho depot call him, al
though he has another name which ap-
pears on the payTolls Of the company
first began this work, his beard wasn't
tinged with gray, and he wasn't bit
stoop shouldered. That was 10 years
ago, Ali these years, from $3.50 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,
It would make any man stoop ahoul-
dered to be continually looking for
things that long, But his eyes are as
keen as ever, and his honesty ia still proof
against all temptations. If that were
not the case, hs could have retired with
q snug little capital. From the pocket
books and purses and "wads" that he
has fonzs while pursuing his unique oc-
cupation he could have slipped enough
info his own pocket to render him quite
independent,
There are no blanks in his daily REQ
ords, Never day goes by that he
doesn't find something that somebody
has forgotten. He picks up fewer things
on Sundays than on any other days, be-
cause on Sundays travel is comparative
ly light, and passengers are apt TO bt
less pFeoccupied with business cares an6
therefore not so likely to forget things
On some days his list Of articles founf
on the incoming trains is quite Q formt
dable one.
This, for instance, Is what he turnet
into the lost property room on Aug, II
Thirteen umbrellas, two rings lone plan
gold and one with diamondsl, one oyer
coat, one package Of legal Iapers, on
satchel, one lady's jacket, cle Derbi
hat, one yalise, one cape, one Zane, on
package Of underwear, one inackintosl
and one pocketbook,
And this is what he found on Aug. ~
Seven umbrellas, one paFasol, one shawl
one oyercoat, one pair Of shoes, one pack
age containing suit Of clothes, one pal
| of spectacles, one purse, one flask Q
whisky and one smelling bottle.
when the articles are taken to the los
property room, they are labeled with th
| date on which they arc found and tn
number Of the train, Nea-ly all the AZ
ticles that have any intrinsic value az
redeemed. The rest are simply store
away for the gnawing tooth Of time
prey upon.
/ Charlie Is Of the opinion, and surel
be may be regarded as an expert on th
subject, that everybody Is liable to tol
get something 1T some time OF othel
Umbrellas age the articles that are mol
frequently left behind on the trains !
travellers. The man who could deyii
az infallible system BY which the owns
of an umbrella would always be sure
ramember it would reap forum
Charlie has tried his own wits at it, bl
was forced to give itup.
He has come TO the conclusion that
state 81 ecstatic happiness, equally VII
one of intense preoecupationy is apt
produce forgetfulpess of portable pro
erty. He has discovered that new
married brides and grooms are quite
apt 10 forget the little things they mi
be carrying with them as the man wi
has rot 50 much business on his han
he can't think of anything else. Tl
man who never travels without q fla
of whisky seldom foTgets #. Perha
that IS because the net Of putting It ID
his pocket Immediately after taking
nip has been 10 often repeated that
belongs to the category oe uiconscio
cerebraHon.
It's not an infrequent thing for ~
TO leave d stoEepipe bat ep the rack ~
walk ont Of the car with O little SKI
ear On. But when lie gets into q
streets the small tpys are sure TO shor
pshoot the hattg Or Where did yau q
that hatT Then be discovers the nli
t,llge that he has made, but the fact th
he is never grateful TO tho small be
for senlindipg him of # and never /
wards them must be regarded e e'
dence of that pergersity ipheritept
human nature which 70 often puzzi
the philosopher
Charlie q of the opinion that ao1
paople would forget their own mother
in-iaw d they bad half 3 chance Ehe
Is one man whose uplbre la be hAs pick
up ID The train % oftep tbRt Re haA Y
tfaek of the number of times And y
taat same man has told him tEequens
that be never leaves the house With
Z umbrella tpat Eis wife doesn't say
him, Nov, dear, bs spre you don't i
get your unpeaias
Women, 70 Charlie has found
even more AIT n iaage things pehi
8 them 50 the eers than Ren,zAsT Xe
Hgrala