The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-10-11
REER-kEc DETECTIVE.
Agents Who Go On Hunts to Secure
Missing Brewery Property.

'Do you see that stout man over there,
next to the corner?" said the philosopher
of the elevated to his friend, the broker,
who had just joined him in a cross-seat.
The broker looked and saw a stout Ger
man, whose appearance indicated that he
was at peace with all the world
THAT man, continued the philosopher,
lis detective who has never arrested a
He must be bird detective" replied
the broker who occasionally dropped Into
humor
MOI said the philosopher, ''he is a
beer-keg detective. He travels around
the country hunting stray beer kegs
empty ones of course.
Pleasant job that He looks as though
the work was not killing him.
1t is profitable occupation, although
there is some competition, for there are
probably half dozen men in the business
cries are situated These men are COM
missioned by the breweries to travel up
and down the country hunting for empty
beer kegs. It is almost impossible. for
the brewers to keep track Of all the kegs
sent out by them. Beer Is sold wholesale
to agents, to private persons, to picnic
parties, to boats, and the kegs are likely
to become distributed over great areas.
ing by railway sidings in the most out
of-the-way place. 1t is for Just such
piles of kegs that the man yonder is on
the lookout. He receives % cents for
every one he reports to the office of the
different brewers. He will tour the Jer-
sey summer resorts from Atlantic High
lands to Cape May, looking. into every
beer garden, concert hall, private saloon
and club. or he will travel up the Hud-
son on one side and down on the other,
nosing around everywhere, looking for
cries he represents. All kegs are not
alike to him. There may be q sameness
about them. SO far as the ordinary per-
son is concerned, but he sees blue stripes
red, white and blue on one brand, yellow
daubs on still others every brewery
marks It's kegs in some manner.
This is for the off-hand glance merely.
The key detective can further prove his
claim by examining the head of key,
for the name of the owner is always
burned into it, deep beyond chance of OBJ
liberation. 1t saves the brewers many
dollars, for beer kegs are expensive to
buy or make.
Sometimes the keg detective will take
up the side line of bottle hunting for the
bottling firms. Beer bottles, like kegs,
are really worth more than the beer that
is in them, hence there is no profit In the
sale of beer If the bottles are not re-
turned. l went up the Hudson on a Sum
day excursion boat recently; Beer in bot
ties was sold on board. A great many
empty bottles soon lay around the decks.
Finally one thoughtless fellow took
board. His example was followed by
others, who tried repeatedly to out
throw one another. The bottles would
fly away from the boat and sink beneath
the waters with splash, or II stoppered.
bounce and then float away like the cur
rent bottles of the photographic office.
Now each one Of those trials of strength
cost the unknown bother at least five
cents. wondered how he would have
taken it had he been present.
Yes. there are detectives for many
other inaniInate objects. Any distribut-
ing business corporation which sends its
goods away in receptacles which must be
returned is compelled to employ men to
trace its property. 1t is an old story how
the railroad companies frequently lose
freight cars sometimes for years, and
are compelled to keep men constantly
hunting them. Hired pianos get lost and
have to be hunted up, So do sewing ma
chimes, monographs and theatrical prop
critics Books out of libraries go astray
and are traced. 1t all goes to show that
OF what your neighbor pretends to own.
yery little belongs to him anyway. New
York Sun