The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-26
FALSE TEETH AND GUM SHOES.
The Articles Most Frequently For
gotten in Railroad Trains.
From the Chicago Tribune.

From the Chicago Tribune.
Recently a Chicago railroad displayed in
it's unclaimed parcel room five barrels of
rubber overshoes and a box full of false
teeth. All this property and more, during
a period of six months. had been left en-
SUBURBAN and through trains by absent
minded passengers. The general baggage
agent, upon being asked what was the
oldest occurrence of this kind, said that
a woman once left on a train 6-months-
old baby, and she did not miss Il until a
trainman overlook her with the little bum
die of humanity before she got outside of
the train shed. 1t was not a case Of
abandonment She had actually forgot
ten to take up her own offspring.
Only one-half of the articles left on
trains are claimed and returned to owners.
At all the railroad offices in Chicago there
are to be found motley collections of
about all the articles which man or woman
ever owned. It would be impossible to
list them in a whole page of newspaper.
The article which figures most extensive
~ among the lost and found of the big
railroads is the umbrella. An official of
baggage department 1900 umbrellas a
year. General Agent Sadd of the Bur-
lington says his records show about 500
a YEAR and the other lines report large
collections of this serviceable article,
which is left on trains in all kinds OF
weather. On a recent fine, sunshiny day
the Burlington railroad showed on its rec
Next come the overshoes, which are
daily found, singly and in pairs, and often
times odd in size and kind. AT all the Of
fees they are accumulated to the extent
of barrels and barrels. 1t is a common
occurrence to find upper, lower and par
tial sets of false teeth. Some give EVIL
dence of long service, others have been
too new and have been Laid out" to give
relief But they come in all shapes and
sizes.
&c. - found In the LOST marcel rooms. The
clerks in the Atoms quarters at the union
station fitted out dummy figure with
every article that man is likely to wear
from head to feet. The articles were all
left piece by piece on the trains and gath
cred up by employees until the figure was
logged out in newest fashion.
The Young woman stenographer in Bag
gage Agent Sadd's office has pet kitten
which was found in an envelope box on
a train, and, there having been no claim
ant, young rom is pelng Taught 70 earn
Cripples frequently leave their crutches
on trains. There Is a collection of them
at all the Offices. Hanging up In the par
eel room of the Illinois Central Is a big
anchor made Of moss, gathered from trees
IN the far south. The maker had taken
care of Il until Chicago was reached, only
10 abandon IL to the care of the parcel
man.
ment store In Chicago contains no article
OF the Chicago railroads unclaimed-par-
eel rooms. The railroads, have different
methods of taking care and keeping track
OF the stuff. That of the Illinois Central
seems TO be the most elaborate. A case
OF boxes, thirty-one in number, Is labelled,
one box for each day OF the month. Into
a box rs placed all matter found on ali
tho trains on the corresponding date.
When mo. 81" Is reached box No. is
emptied and the articles carried to the
baggage storeroom, and thus the filling
and emptying goes on - times a year.
Each article IN tagged, showing
the date and train on which
II was found. The tags are ali
numbered consecutiyely, 30 that a rec
ord and description OF each article can be
had. A stub OF the tag Is printed on a re-
cQipt 20 be signed by the claimant N re-
claimed. A feature OF this plan Is that A
perfect record n kept Of the smallest ana
most inconsequentlal parcel There are a
certain number Of tags, and IN each case
the company has either the parcel or lie
tag. Sales of unclaimed parcels are made
once year. The whole accumulation on
ono year "a bundled" Two Or more small
packages are lied IN one which a eoid
foF az ihe way from = 70 " cents I'm