The Olneyville tribune. (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?, 1894-04-14
ODD OCCUPATION.
A Picker-Up of Unoonsidered Tri-
fes and Trinkets.
Gaining a Livelihood by Recover
ing Lost Articles.

For some time past / have noticed
on the streets Of the city a man who
walks along the curb looking down in
TO the gutter, then glancing across the
pavement as il looking for something.
Although attracted by his peculiar
manner, / thought nothing of it the
first time / saw him, supposing he had
probably lost something. But again
and again / came across him, always
acting In the same strange manner.
He never took his eyes from the
ground, seeming to be continually on
the search. The other day / stopped
the fellow and asked him if he had
lost anything. "No," was his reply,
I'm looking for something" 'Nlay |
ask how you could look for something
you haven't lost 2" "Oh," was the
reply, "Im looking for everything
anything that's lost" The strange
expressions OF the man interested me
in him, so / tried to get him to talk.
"Then you are employed by some one
to find something that has been lost 2"
said /.
mo-" he answered, 81 am not. It's
this way: You see, I'm what might be
called professional finder. / make
my living from what pick up in the
streets and the rewards / receive for
returning lost articles. All sorts of
odds and ends are lost in day in
great city, so | make my daily rounds
and thus gain livelihood. / was
formerly mill worker, but / gave up
my position, realizing that could do
better at the work / am doing now. /
have been number of years in the
less than $1,000 year. | get up at
daybreak every morning and make my
first search of the day. This is not ms
lucrative AZ my second round, which
| make about the time people are go-
ing home from business, although
upon the first one | frequently find
much more valuable articles, such rs
watches, pins, etc. Ny round includes
Il the principal streets in the city,
and strangely, don't find many arti-
cles on the pavements. They are usu-
ally the cutters. At first the business
was very trying to my eyes; it seemed
to require constant strain all the
time, which caused severe headaches.
Now, the business of finding seems to
he second nature to me. | walk
along the streets looking at the pave
ment and cutters and see articles in
tuitively. 1t is no trouble whatever
to me. Why, my sight has become so
keen that the other day picked up
diamond SO small as to be almost in
visible. When | walk over lost arti-
Gle 1t seems ms if were drawn to it.
l stopped down and picked it up with
out knowing it. There are certain
cracks and holes on some of the pave
ments of the city which seemed to
have an attraction for anything drop
ped in their locality. l make tho
rough search of these places. Then
the pavements about theatres are very
productive. l get my rewards by
watching the lost advertisements
closely. Whenever have anything
that is advertised for l answer the adj
vertiser. l have returned several
watches and numerous other valuable
articles to their owners through adj
vertisements This finding business
is my only means of support now, and
is never fails me. What is one mans
loss in this city is another mans gain,
if am lucky. - Pittsburg Dispatch.