The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-03-23
HIS TRADE PICKING UP.
A Man Whose Sole Means OF Sup
port Is in Finding Lost
Things.
Calls IL "A Profession. and His Ex-
PLANTATION Justifies tho
Description.
uhsrs ne Works NJ Different Hoars-
Kew 10 Heoame Professional
Ftuder-Itieh IInds.

"Did you notice that fellow pick mp that
half dollnrf" asked the writer Of a special
officer on the upper Rialto Of broadway,
where most actors do congregate.
"Nel, yes, said the officer, and that's
his business"
Three persons had been engaged ia ami
mated conversation on the crosswalk al
Twenty -sevcnth street On tho west side ~
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, Hs be
reached the trio, lac stopped, deity pushed
the foot Of one Of them little 10 one side,
picked up a silver coin, rubbed 10 lovingly
on the sleeve OF his overcoat and slipped
IL into bis pocket.
YES" continued the officer, "this il
the finders beat for the shopping hours
down far as Union square. There are
three Of them. know Of, one quite an eld-
erly man, but this chap is "A dandy, for
lac never gives bic business away by his
looks. See, he walks as straight as a ma
for, and while his eyes are cast down they
are covering the ground over "A hundred feet
ahead % him. He has wonderfully sharp
eyesight-an eaglo eye, we might say
aud he never lets anything get by him"
The officers remarks had interested the
writer In tho personality of this man IS
we'll as in his queer line of business. Lat
or in the evening be was found comparing
notes with blind beggar ia a Sixth ave
nue cigar store
"My profession, 4" said be, with decid-
sd infection upon the latter word. sis, as
far as | am concerned, entirely original
with me, but fiud there are many IA the
same line. ! was always a finder ! re-
member when l was a Kid in dresses |
found one day in front OF "a neighboring
drug store in Albany e. guldpiece
did not know its value, but took il home,
and my father put il in the bank for me.
my next find Of importance was a
foot ivory, gold mounted rule, which be-
loDged TO u big contractor on the new cap
itol building This my father returned
TO its owner as his name was engraved
upon Il, and got another V ms a reward.
"Then | found a big diamond brooch
belonging 70 a woman Of sporting procliv-
titles, and she swelled my bank account
with $25 more. My luck kept ON until my
head was swelled with success, and want
ed a large field TO operate in.
Then a 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 a failure, and in
week | was fiat broke.
al sent back TO Albany for money"
he went on, "but the old gentleman was
not disposed 10 supplying me heavily
when be found that l was cleaned out
here. However, he sent me seO and tick
ct home The latter I sold, for didn't
intend to show up at home broke. / then
took up finding as a profession, and
have never struck the old man, or, in fact,
nybody else for a cent since My bust
ness, know, is a precarious one but |
somehow never get in n hole but / pull
out with big find.
do ever get into trouble for not re-
turning property TO its rightful owners'
Well, ! should say not. have made three
times as much money returning property
as have made selling finds. Why, it's
the trick OF my profession The law Of
finding was established nearly 1875 years
ago, before the kings bench in England,
under these circumstances, which l know
by heart:
"A man found a pocketbook containing
a sum Of money on the floor of butchers
stall. lie handed IL 20 the butcher 90 re-
turn il to its owner. After three years
waiting the owner had not turned up, and
the finder therefore demanded the money
from the butcher. The latter refused, on
the ground that it was found upon his
premises
"Then the finder sued the butcher and
IL was held in court that the finder was
entitled 10 anything he found, no matter
whers or when, against all the world ex-
cept the owner The law in this country is
the same, excepting that owners Of hotels,
theaters, railroads and steamboats, can
make regulations in regard to property
found on their premises which will bind
their employers, but not the public at
large.
"What is my beat' Well, that's tell
ing However, ] don't mind saying a
word about the hours and the character OF
the beat Sometimes, IL things are slow,
get mp early and work the latest flight
Of stairs on the Sixth avenue elevated
This is good for pennies, nickels and
dimes, but not for anything else.
"N hen the stairs are crowded passen-
gers, II they drop cent after buying n
paper or looking for fares. don { stop to
pick il up.
After this work In front Of big stores.
Most every carriage door opener In front
OF them knows me and hates me, for l in
tericrc with their incomes as much as
with those Of the porters who sweep the
stairs OF the l. stations. But they have to
attend 10 their business, and their eyes
are not nearly rs well trained as mine are.
"This locality Is good FOR dimes, quar-
tiers. halves and occasionally even gold
piece. II is also the place 10 pick up peck
etbooks, hreastpins, hRtpins, gold hair
pins, button and glove hooks, chatelaines,
keys bangles and often bracelets. finger
rings and earrings.
"AitcrYoons see me on broadway. 10 IL
10 Saturday I am for harvest This is
the great day for nearly everything but f.
gentlemen watch charms are the main
stay. This is doubly 80 when 10 il not
overroat time. You see. the crowd il 50
dense that men, anxious to yet un the in
side, where the ladies passing can see
them. rub mp against each other and thus
detach the watch ornaments.
''Nhen the crowd Is az its height. get
into q sort OF space or clearing and try 10
keep there Then J stand show for a
good pair 81 opera glasses and "A lot ol lace
hanakcrchiei-, with an occasional pocket
book
At night the best field for operations