Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1900-01-18
BEER KEG DETECTIVES.
The Work of Agents Who Go on Long
Hunts for Missing Prop
erty,

DO you stt Aidt etbub 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 stout German whose appearance
indicated that he was at peace with all
the world
THAT man." continued the philos-
opher, sis a detective who has never /
arrested human being"
"He must be bird detective" re- |
piled the broker, who occasionally |
dropped into humor.
moi" said the philosopher, 'he is
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."
at is profitable occupation, al
though there is some competition, for
there are probably half dozen men in
the business in every city where sew
eral large breweries are situated. These
men are commissioned by the breweries
to travel up and down the country
hunting for empty beer kegs. It is al
most 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 be-
come distributed over great areas. You
viii often notice piles of kegs standing
by railway stations In the most out-of-
the-wav places. 1t is for just such
piles Of kegs that the man yonder is on
the lookout. He receives % cents for
every one be reports to the office Of the
/ different breweries. II will tour the
| Jersey summer resorts from Atlantic
Highlands 20 Cape May looking into
every beer garden, concert hall, private
| saloon and club. or he viii travel up
the Hudson on one side and down on
the other, nosing around everywhere,
looking for the distinguishing marks Of
the breweries he represents. All kegs
are not alike TO him. There may he
n sameness about thin, so far as the
ordinary person is concerned, but he
sees blue stripes on some, dirty white
stripes on others. red. white and blue on
one brand, yellow daubs on still 9th
ers-eyery brewery marks its kegs in
some manner.
"This is for the offhand glance mere
". The key detective can further
prove his claim by examining the head
az a key. for the name of the owner Is
Il always burned into 1t, deep beyond
chance OF obliterau9n. II saves the
:. breweries many dollars, for beer kegs
are expensive TO buy or make.
"sometimes the key detective will
take m 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
~ nrofit In the sale of beer II the bot
ties are not returned. ] went up the
Hudson on Sunday excursion boat re-
Gently. Beer In bottles was sold on
board A great many empty bottles
soon lay around the deck. Finally one
,houphtless fellow took bottle by the
neck and hurled II overheard. His eX-
annie was followed by others, who
tried repeatedly to outthrow one an
ontber. The bottles would fly away
from the boat and sink beneath the
waters with a splash, or If stopperet
bounce and then float away like ING
current bottles Of the photographic OF
fee Now each one Of those trials o
,,reprtb cost the unknown bother a.
sast five cents ! wondered how ~
xould have taken it had he been pres
emit
"yes. there are detectives for many
,thsr iuanimate objects. ANY distrip
4,inr business corporation which sendi
~ goods away in receptacles whic'
must be returned is compelled TO EN-
ploy men TO trace its propertT II Is a.
old story. how the railroad companie
frequently lose freight cars sometime
FOR years. and are compelled to keeI
men constantly hunting them. Hire
: nianos get lost and have 10 be hunte'
: IN. So do sewing machines, phone
. praphsand theatrical properties Book
: out OF libraries go astray and ar
: traced. II all goes TO show that
: what your neighbor pretends TO owl
very little belongs TO him anyway. =