New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-09-06
COIN COLLECTING ON CABLE CARS.
HOW CONDUCTORS ADD TO THEIR IN
CONES BY SAVING RARE PIECES
BROKERS' MASCOT

oh ny! I've lost my pocSet-piece, exclaimed
weil-dressed woman in a Broadway oable-car yes
terday.
Conductor. CONDUCTOR she called out and when
he reached her she went on:
I've lost my pocket-piece 1t was a haf-do'ar'
What did / give you when paid my fare?
You gave me a silver haf-doller. madam. re-
piled the conductor.
please look your money" added the woman
land see If 1t wasn't my pockets piece that gave
you by mistake
The conductor was bright-lookng young fellow
and before he began search for the missing com
he asked the woman TO describe IT, This she diu'
and then he started TO go over his silver craving
handful out Of one pocket and then out OF announcer
He had to discontinue his hunt every few mo
ments to let a passenger on or OF the car Inc
woman kept her eyes anxiously upon him all the
time however. Finally, after going through MS
pockets several times. he brought forth an oid pat
tered-looking haf-dolar
rs this your pocket-piece?" ne asked the woman
as he handed IL to her.
eyes that's IT," she exclaimed joytuly. and put
ting 1t carefully away in her pocketoooS' she TOOK
out two half-dolars and giving them 10 the ~
ductor told him that for himself. Ahe
conductor thanked her and went back 10 the rear
Of the car with a smile on his face
In speaking OF the incident TO another passeheer
afterward the conductor said that the FIRST hall-
dollar that the woman gave him was an ola one
dated 1904 1906 and that he had noticed IL hhNe
dately 49,
Would you have turned II into the company!
asked the passenger
"Not much" replied the conductor. Il am al
ways on the lookou. for valuable finds IKE mat
know old pieces of money as soon as glance a'
them. and l always put them away III 'HO'!I.'
pocket from that in which keep my change we
conductors often make a good thing Out OF Ola s".
yer pieces that we take in for fares. We ma out
~ there Is premium on such piece. and II so We
sell IT to some collector OF old coins. OF course the
railroad company doesn't lose anything d! H. pe
cause we turn IN 10 the cashier bright new com
OF the realm for 1t. The company mas io'i8
nrinted list hung I'D In the cashiers oiiice showing
on what pieces OF silver money there Is premium
But the list is not there for our peheh'. lie
cashier Is supposed 10 keep all such pieces 'hAt
the conductors turn IN, and then sell them ana
credit the company with the proceeds But II we
conductors get valuable coin for fares. why
shouldn't we benefit by 1t and not the company?
don't think II is dishonest 10 hod OUT such pieces
from the company. DO you!
The passenger said that he did not think 1t was
The conductor added that ne had become alert in
looking out for old coins owing 10 experiences with
HE passengers somewhat similar to the one just
recorded He remembered one time getting an ou
cnriiest pieces Of that denomination coined by the
Government. and he CHANGED TO n9ice y as ne Was
sSumnS up tn, the Gpae6er Fl He eareuy tucked
quarter away in his pocketbook, and gave the
Al Carried the piece for than week" he
car and asked me If he had ridden with me be,
fore / looked him for a moment. ana men TOO
him that thought he had. although couid not
remember when II was. . "
The reason ask YOU said the man Is mat i !
have lost a yalua Die coin, and believe that pad
r. ont bv mistake. II only old silver quar-,
ter but I valued 1t as pocket piece. and would
cheerfully pay s. to get IL back A..
'Just then remembered the silver quarter thdt
had slowed away in my pocketbook ana you can
RELY on II that wasn't long in bringing IL 10 nel'
Well this is the only old silver quarter that nave
e"'That's IL that's II" he exclaimed. and he puiieu
out big roll Of bills and gave me nve ttr
note He told me afterward that he was broker
in Wall Street and that that silver quarter was
his mascot He declared that he had lost II seVeTal
times and his luck had always gone with X he
added that he would bet that that quarter had cosl
him $500 but that it had saved him SG" ~ COM COM
dnctor "a the passenger Jumped off the car