The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-10-09
FINDERS VOCATION.
A MAN WHO MAKES HIS LIVING PICK
ING UP THINGS.

He Calls 1t n Profession, and HIS Erplana-
ton Makes 1t Look Like One-Where He
Works at Different nours-How He BE
came a Professional Finder.
"Did you notice that fellow pick up that |
half dollar2" asked the writer of a special !
officer on the upper Rialto of broadway,
where most actors do congregate.
"Well, yes, - said the officer, and that's
bis business"
Three persons had been engaged in ami
mated conversation on the crosswalk at
Twenty seventh street on the west side of
Broadway, when this man, who carried
himself erect, and who would ordinarily
be taken for an actor out of an engage
ment, strolled along, and suddenly, as he
reached the trio, he stopped, deity pushed
the foot of one of them little to one side,
picked up silver coin rubbed it lovingly
on the sleeve of his overcoat and slipped
1t into his pocket
"Yes,n continued the officer, "this is
the finders beat for the shopping hours
down as far as Union square. There are
three of them know of, one quite an eld-
erly man, hut this chap is dandy, for
he never gives his business away by his
looks. See, he walks as straight rs ma
ior, and while his eyes are cast down they
are covering the ground over a hundred feet
! ahead of him. He has wonderfully sharp
eyesight-an eagle eye, we might say
and he never lets anything get by him."
The officers remarks had interested the
writer in the personality of this man as
well as in his queer line of business. Lat
er in the evening he was found comparing
notes with blind beggar in Sixth ave
/ nue. cigar store.
/ uat1 ha wit
ed infection upon the latter word, ais, as
| far as / am concerned, entirely original
with me- but find there are many in the
same line. | was always finder. l re-
member when l was kid in dresses l
/ found one day in front of neighboring
drug store in Albany a So goldpiece. l
did not know its value, but took 1t home,
and my father put it in the bank for me.
"My next find of importance was a 3
foot, ivory, gold mounted rule, which be-
longed to II big contractor on the new cap
itol building. This my father returned
to its owner, as his name was engraved
upon It, and got another V as reward.
"Then found big diamond brooch
belonging to woman of sporting procliv-
tiles, and she swelled my bank account
with S25 more My luck kept on until my
head was swelled with success, and want
ed n large field to operate in.
"Then friend of mine said to me, Jim,
you are so good at picking up things, sup
pose you try picking out the winners in
the horse races That, | thought, was a
lead pipe cinch, and drew my wad from
the savings bank, and we jumped on the
boat for New York My first experience
at picking winners was failure, and in a
week was fiat broke.
81 sent back to Albany for money"
he went on, "but the old gentleman was
not disposed to supplying me heavily
when he found that | was cleaned out
here However, he sent me $50 and n tick
ct home. The latter | sold, for i didn t
intend to show up at home broke. l then
took up finding as n profession, and
have never struck the old man, or, in fact,
anybody else for cent since. My bust
ness, know, is precarious one, but
somehow never get in hole but pull
out with big find.
"Do ever get into trouble for not re.
turning property to it's rightful ownersi
: Well, should say not. have made thre,
: times as much money returning property
as have made selling finds. Why, it'll
Il the trick of my profession. The law o
: finding was established nearly 1875 year
. ago, before the kings bench in England
!. under these circumstances, which know
1 Inv heart.
= "a man found n pocketbook containing
0 a sum of money on the floor of n butcher,
stall. He handed il to the butcher to re
4 turn n IN its gunner After three vears
waiting the owner had not turned up, and
the finder therefore demanded the none,
from the butcher. The latter refused. OF
the ground that IT. was found upon hi,
premises.
"Tben the finder sued the butcher. apt
3 IL was held in court that the finder was
! entitled TO ANYTHING he found. no matter
where or when. against all the world ex
cent the owner. The law in this country i,
) tbe game eycenting that owners of hotels
2 tbroters railroads and steamboats car
make regulations I'm regard to propert,
: found ON their premises which will bint
: their EMPLOYEES hut not the public a
| large.
e HyYhat is nv beatY Well. that's tell
| inn However don't mind saving ,
word about the hours and the character q
C the beat Sometimes. if things are slow
4 | get up early and work the latest fiipb
e RI stnirs ON the Sixth avenue elevated
Thia 10 good FOR nannias nickeIs an,
q dimes hut not for ANYTHING else
= "Wben the stairs are crowded passen
h gers II they drop n cent after buying
d naper or looking for fares. don't stop I,
. nicL n nm
d WAfter this I work In front of big stores
: Most every carriage door opener in from
8 of them knows me and hates me. for in
:. terfere with their incomes as much n,
N with those of the porters who sweep tn,
n