The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-25
QUEER THINGS PEOPLE PICK UP.
Some Have Mania for Rcscuing
Hairpins, Huber Bands and such
Trom the Chicago chronicle.

Like.
From the Chicago Chronicle.
Chicago people are greatly given to
picking things up in the streets. Just
what they do it for nobody knows, not
even the collectors themselves in many
cases. But the man or woman who COM
mences to pick things up I'm this manner
Is lost. There is no knowing to what
lengths or what eecentrlcities the habit
VIII eventually lead and carry its VIC
tim.
A man whom almost everybody in Chi
caSo KNOWS something about noticed "a
wire halrpin resting on the sidewalk he
lore MN one morning Just before Christ
mas lie wondered, idly, as he iourneved
DOWNTOWN just how many hairpins OF va
rlous Kinds might be picked IN on the
streets in single month During the
month OF January he tried to find out In
~. w tmeity-seVen working days of this
month ne picked up over a hundred hair
pins. From his home to the street car and
from the street car to his office he ira
Hersed daily-he could not see to pick nm
hairplns IN the evening-just about ten
DOCKS Iie knowledge that he found and
rescued oyer a hundred hairpins In the
course OF that ten blocks daily has beer
or great satisfaction to hlm-nobodv
knows why. His wife estimates that he
ruined several pairs OF gloves I'm the
course OF his efforts and lost any amount
OF small change, while he didn't even save
the hairpins, but these trifles never trou-
bled him. He is still picking IN hai,-nIn.
ana expects to attain to a marvellous to-
tai during the three months which he
VIII allow to elapse before again taking
stock" of his finds
Last summer 1t was rumored In all sorfs
or business and professional circles that
tne picking up Of rubber bands in the
streets and on the sidewalks was ',luckv',
AGAIN nobody knows why; nobody ever
dld. But members of intellectual and 9TH
erwise sensible Chicago people picked mn
rubber bands all last summer ana an
tumn and numbers Of them are still MR.
suing the elusive rubber circle One won-
ders why.
The habit OF looking for and picking mn
lost money is an ancient one. II streneth-
ems as II grows. 1t has been roughly esti-
mated that at least two-thirds of Chica-
COS Feminine population are victims oe
tnis habit In varying degrees, while plcn-
~ or men succumDed TO 1t long ago. Mon
ey so found is also "lucky''--eyen n it
does necessitate the spelling of brand
new gloves or the soiling of dainty finger
lips. The man who finds money in this
way usually splits upon 1t. This operation
Is performed "for luck" also.
Ihen there are the people who make a
practice of watching for and picking uD
postage stamps, cuff links, hatpns. lead
penciis, rubber erasers, pocket books and
Knives hpger rings and bracelets, brooch
es, watch charms-anything and every
thing, in fact which may be lost and
found. Few of them know or can tell why
they do this They have got into the habit
OF so doing, that is all But always they
can be recognized at sight, these queer
victims of the Finding habit" and this
by their peculiar carriage of the head and
neck. Gibson girls are anything but plen-
tiful in Chicago; there are too many
sharp cable curves and wild-drving and
excltable teamsters allowed about the
streets for that. But most of the popula-
fion seems to approve of a moderately
erect carriage. When you see a man or
woman, therefore, with head bent low
over the dirt and CRIME and mud OF the
city streets you may reasonably suspect
that you have before you a fully developed
finding hend." When the suspected indi-
vidual suddenly swoops down upon the
street or sidewalk, abstracts something
and hides it away in the pocket with
great Joy you may know your suspicious
well founded A find has been discovered
and pocketed; IL will presently be added
to the miscellaneous. and, in all proba-
olity valueless collection at home or the
Office. And the heart of the finder Is throb-
bling with unmitigated delight
And. again, one wonders why.