Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-31
A STREET CAR INCIDENT.
An Absent Minded Man Carries on the
Wrong Package.

From the Chicago Times.
On the second floor of 40 Milwaukee ave-
nue. Is the home ard workshop of Mrs
Lena Wahl, who embalrls natural flowers
manufactures artificial ones, and mounts
and frames coffin plates and other cherish
ed mementoes of the dead which loving
friends want preserved. Mrs. VAIL en-
ploys an agent to solicit. His name Is
FOrtmeier. Last Thursday he obtained a
silver coffin plate from Mrs. Wolf of 11S
Fullerton avenue and another from Mrs
Nitzsehe of 1043 Otto street, both of which
were to be wreathed and framed by Mrs
VAIL and then returned to their owners
Fortmeier put the precious keepsakes in
to an ordinary paper box, which he care
lessly placed on the seat beside him in a
Lincoln avenue ar. When he alighted from
the car he left the parcel behind but he
discovered his loss almost Immediately, and
then began mad race with the car, which
had gone about block. He overlook the
car after a chase of half a mile and entered
1t breathless and in bad humor. The box
was gone and the agent fretted and fumed
and swore under his breath. He made dire
threats against the conductor but that did
not restore the box. Fortmeier reported
the loss to Mrs. Wolf, causing that lady to
shed tears and almost go into Mysteries,
and he went to Mrs. Ntzsehe's, but she
had gone out, so she was saved the pangs
OF poignant Srlef lnnlcted upon Mrs. Wolf.
Mrs. VAIL was alSo made acquainted with
the facts and the "ad' quoted above was
inserted in the Times.
Shortly after Formeier left the Lincoln
avenue car gentleman, Mr. Smith. who
sat next to him, got off the car and absent
mindedly picked up and carried off with
him a paper box lying on the seat at his
side. This was the box Fortmeier had left.
The fact that he was carrying somebody
else's Pre- perty was brought to him half a
block from where he aliphtp1 nv hpa ring a
voice at his elbow exclaiming:
What queer looking box you're carry
ing, Mr.. Smith,
Looking around, Mr. Smith saw that the
words were addressed to him by Mrs. Nitz-
sehe, whom he knew well.
Goodness, Mrs. NitZsehe," said he, "that
box is not mine. l picked 1t up in the car
just now. What shall 1 do with it?"
practical suggestion.
He opened the box, and together he and
Mrs. Nitzsehe investigated It's contents.
1t was Mrs. Nitzsehe's turn to be aston
ished. "Gracious!' exclaimed she. That's
mine" and she picked up a silver coffin
plate, bearing this inscription: ITO Our Be
loved Son, Albert Nitzsehe. Died October
Is. 1894, Aged q Years"
why, only this morning. she continued,
IAN agent came to my house and got that.
He must have lost it,
There was another coffin plate in the box,
bearing the following inscription: ''Unser
Liebling Bella Wolf. Died October ii, 1894.
Aged ) years"
This was the property of Mrs. Wolf Not
knowing to whom this belonged, Mrs. Nitz-
sehe suggested to Mr.. Smith that he re-
wrap and retie the box and take 1t to the
Lincoln avenue barns of the company,
where the agent would receive it. This was
done, and last night Fortmeier was notified
of It's return, and he recovered 1t with many
expressions of gratitude. The souvenirs will
now be framed by Mrs. Wahl and returned
to their owners, one of whom at least, had
mourned her treasure as lost forever.