The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-12-14
LOST ARTICLES.
They Are Found In Paris Better than Any
where Else.

They Are Found In Paris Better than Any
where Else.
To the Editor Of the Press:
The statement may seem strange but
nevertheless it is true, that there is no
place in the world where it is so easy to
find lost articles, as in Paris.
1t is fact which everybody travelling
abre ad ought to understand, that if the
proper steps are taken one is sure to find
his lost property, in this gay and wicked
but in some respects, upright city. This
is particularly true concerning things left
| in cabs or railway stations.
The Prefecture of Police on the Isle de
la Cite, near the Notre Dame and just
opposite the Palais de Justice and Con-
ciergerie is the place to apply for missing
articles. here is one department. here
| with this title above the window. Gar
ticles Lost and Found.2 Forty or fifty
thousand different articles are brought
here every year, from packages worth mil
| lions of francs to the meanest kind of an
umbrella There are twenty thousand
of the latter left annually. They keep
the things, enc year and then if not
claimed they are returned Professionally
to the finder, but three years must elapse
before the finder can dispose of them
| finally.
| Judging from the number of unclaimed
satchels, overcoats. and packages left in
our railway carriages aud at stations,
/ :, +ho af,sn
which the finder is hedged about, many
| a poor cabmap in Paris must be made
comfortable for life out of his 'sfinds.''
| A jeweler in Paris once lost a set of
diamonds valued at fifty thousand francs
in c b. Applying to this office, he
cab. he replied that he did not and what
was worse he had parted from the coach
man in anger on account of disputs
about the tariff. There seemed little
hope that he would ever recover his
property. But the cabman the sameeven-
ing brought the necklace of diamonds to
the 'sLost Article'' bureau. When told
that he better take it to the gentleman
hims self he replied. 81 never wish to see
that man again."
A foreigner also left package of notes
valued at eighty thousand francs in q
cab.
Thinking there was no hope, he made
no effort to find it until he returned to
his own country. Sometime during the
year he heard this very office spoken of,
when thinking of his own loss, he deter
mined to try and get his notes back. So
having occasion to visit Paris, as it hap.
pened, just before the year expired. he
went to the "Lost and Found" bureau
and applied. After having described the
package and identified himself it was re-
stored to him just as he had lost it, no
one having ever opened it, In answer to
his inquiry if it were there he had re-
ceived the reply, Certainly sir" The
next day it would have been returned to
the finder.
I once left satchel in a cab on Rue
/ St. Honore, having taken the cab at the
station. On trying to hunt up the cab.
man / learned that he might not be found
/. in the same place for year. But every
| lackey said Ego to the Prefecture of
Police" Thinking that what every
cabman said was the thing to do. every
other cabman would be sure to do this
very thing. I went to this office for lost
articles and after paying the small official
| fee and leaving something according to
etiquette for the finder, looked up and
saw my valise before my eyes.
| Not all the things found come from
oabs but any honest mi nded finder takes
il to this place for Identification.
Other cities in Europe have the same
system / believe, but not with the same
| thoroughness in effect.
There should be such an Office in every
large oity at home and abroad and out
lying places should have department.
devoted to their needs in these offices.
The fees paid by those to whom the prop
erty is restored would support the Office.
A. N. G.