The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-08-25
GOSSIP OF THE STREET
AND HOTEL L0BBIES

do you know We have nearly every
thing from bas.srto a pug dog left on the
ears?" said a conductor Of one of Bir-
mingham's electric cars. you have no
idea what a collection of little things
amounts to in the course of SIX months.
We are compelled to take everything
found in our cars to the terminal and
leave it, Some times the owners don't
call for their property in six months. and
again they raise more racket than you
ever heard of. If they are not called for
eventually, the conductor who found
them gets them, or they are turned over
to some employe who wants them.
"A place b. provided for these articles
at the round-house. There is a big bar
rel for umbrellas. parasols and walking
canes, and drawers for handke .chi5fs AMI.
other little things which ladies are IN the
habit of leaving on shc seats. You nsver
saw the like of umbrellas that are left
on the cars. Ihave ryckei up four or five
on single trip. Generally these are tel
ephoned for at once Watermelons and
all kinds of fruit find their way into the
car shed, and then she boys have a PIC
mic. -
I'VE have had nearly everything left
in the cars, excepting babies, and I ihnk
some of the conductors boas. of having
one of those small bits of humanity left.
ISax,g :, 70 tta ,,,or4 GOV, ,,,or n rsoIos found
and last week one of our men took a
bunch of several hundred that had ac-
cumulated and served their six months
time. We have bottles of parent medi-
cines, teetMng rings, nursing bottles,
handkerchiefs, sstehels and jewelry. The
other night conductor brought in full
set of harness. Cigars are often lost out
of pockets ON the cars, and 1T is indeed an
honest man who will find perfecto and
urn 1t into the office. We also have sew
eral articles of underwear that, safe Ito
say, Will never be called for. There is
set of false teeth awaiting identified tion
and an old man who is employed in the
car sheds, who has been toothless for
twelve years, has recorded his claim for
them at the end of the six months"
did you ever notice." Said an obzsrv-
ant gentleman, "how an old countryman,
the old woman and the daughter act when
they come ITO town to spend the day shop
ping. Well, it is a good hours amuse-
ment to follow up such trio in their
rounds about the city.
''You first see them coming in the wag-
on with no thought of the hot sun. The
daughter looks like she was afraid of
getting her dress crumpl+d, but when
the three alight from the wagon and
begin their tour then there is percepti-
BILE change in each one. The girl is gsn-
orally dressed in all sorts of ribbons,
with her hair fixed so it continually re-
uuires her attention to keep it in shape.
The old man and old woman are of
course spruced up to some extent, but
nothing to equal the young lady. AS
soon as they get in the business portion
of the town the old folks drop little
behind and the girl raises her parasol
which is nearly always some HdSnlnS
material and walks ahead. This is kept
up all day. I'm the stor:s the~old people
stand back unIl the bargain is nailed
and the money is required They then
come to the foreground, but retreat
again as soon as the financial end is ad-
justed."
1.-THE police court is daily the scene of
homely comedies and as frequently sad
stories are told there said man who
frequents the morning matinee, purely
to see such scenes. ION one occasion
last week the simple tale of patient suf-
fering told by poor little lady in be-
half of her poverty-stricken and mis-
guided son-in-law moved all the specta-
tcrsfto pity and many to tears, while the
presiding judge contributed to the press
ing needs of her family and suspended
the sentence of the unfortunate man.
1.-The small army of defendants and
Witnesses can be safely counted on to
supply comic features regularly. A
thick-set, coal-black darby, with a deep
voice, was arraigned on the charge of
disorderly conduct and assault. 1t is the