The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1896-04-14
FINDERS VOCATION.
A MAN WHO MAKES HIS LIVING PICK
ING UP THINGS.

He Calls 1t Profession, and His Explains
ton Makes 1t Look Like One-where He
Works at Different Hours-How He Be-
came Professional Finder.
"Did you notice that fellow pick up that
half dollaryn asked the writer of 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.
eyes" 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, but this chap is a dandy, for
he never gives his business away by his
looks. Sec he walks as straight as ma
jor, and while his eyes are cast down they
are covering the ground over hundred feet
ahead of him. He has wonderfully sharp
eyesight-an eagle eye, we might say
and he never let's 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
err In the evening he was found comparing
notes with blind beggar in Sixth ave
nue. cigar store.
"My profession, said he, with decid-
ed infection upon the latter word, "is, as
far as l am concerned, entirely original
with me, but find there are many in the
same line. was always finder. re-
member when / was kid in dresses
found one day in front Of neighboring
drug store in Albany s. goidpiece. /
did not know its value, but took it home,
and my father put it in the bank for me.
"My next find of Importance was Q
foot, ivory, gold mounted rule, which be-
longed to 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 a big diamond brooch
belonging to a 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 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 i was cleaned out
here. However, he sent me SEQ and a tick
ct home. The latter / 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
anybody else for a cent since. My bust
ness, l know, is precarious one, but
somehow never get in hole but pull
out with big find.
"Do l ever get into trouble for not re
turning property TO its rightful owners
Well, should say not. have made thre'
times as much money returning property
as have made selling finds. Why, It'll
the trick of my profession. The law o.
|
ago, before the kings bench in England
under these circumstances, which know
by heart:
"a man found pocketbook containing
a sum of money on the floor of butcher
stall. He handed it to the butcher to re
turn 1t to its owner. After three years
waiting the owner had not turned up, ant
the finder therefore demanded the none.
from the butcher. The latter refused, OIL
the ground that it was found upon hi
premises.
"Then the finder sued the butcher, ant
It was held in court that the finder wa!
entitled to anything he found, no matte
where or when, against all the world ex
cept the owner. The law in this country Il
the same, excepting that owners of hotels
theaters, railroads and steamboats, cal
make regulations In regard to propert,
found on their premises which will binS
their employees, but not the public a
large.
"What is my beatS Well, that's tell
Ing. However, | don't mind saying
word about the hours and the character o
the beat. Sometimes, II things are slow
, get up early and work the latest fiigh
Of stairs on the Sixth avenue elevated
This is good for pennies, nickels an,
dimes, but not for anything else.
"When the stairs are crowded passen
! gers, II they drop cent after buying
paper or looking for fares, don't stop Il
pick 1t up.
"After this work In front of big stores
Most every carriage door opener in from
Of them knows me and hates me, for in
terfere with their incomes as much al
; with those of the porters who sweep tn
stairs Of the l. stations. But they have t
attend to their business, and their eye
are not nearly as well trained as mine are
"This locSlity is good for dimes, quar-
tiers, halves and occasionally even gold
piece. 1t is also the place to pick up pock
etbooks, breastpins, hatpins, gold hair
pins, button and glove hooks, chatelaines
! keys, bangles and often bracelets, finge
rings and earrings
AFTERNOONS see me on Broadway. II !
is Saturday, | am for harvest This 4
the great day for nearly everything, bu
gentlemen's watch charms are the mali
stay. This is doubly so when it is no
overcoat time. You see, the crowd Is S,
dense that men, anxious to get on the in
side, where the ladies' passing can Sc
them, rub up against each other and thu
detach the watch ornaments.
. 'When the crowd is at it's height, ge
Into a sort OF space or clearing and try 4
keep there. Then | stiMd show for
good pair Of opera glasses and lot of lac
handkerchiefs, with an occasional pocket
book
"At night the best field for operation
~ outside of the theaters, and then com
the CUTTERS Lots Of coins are dropped be
low the curbstone by people getting int,
On lbs. New York News.