The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-01-13
HONESTY ILL REWARDED.
Experience of n Tailor Who Presses
Garments for Hotel Guests.
From the New York Times.

From the New York Times.
THAT story about the young dry goods
clerk, Howard Berliner, who found $500
on Broadway the other day and received
So for returning it, besides being arrested
on suspicion that he was perhaps a thief,
is another instance of how there isn't al
ways much inducement for a fellow to
be honest" said a well-known tailor,
whose establishment adjoins one of the
big uptown hotels yesterday.
None have greater opportunities for
observing incidents of this kind than tai
lors," continued the maker of garments
You see, we receive great many
clothes sent in to us by their owners to
be cleaned or pressed, and you would be
surprised to know how often 1t happens
that money, sometimes of very consider
able amount, is thoughtlessly left in the
pockets. You would also be surprised to
know how lightly the honesty is appre-
ciated which returns this money intact.
Perhaps my experience has been ex-
ceptional, for, being so close to the hotel,
l get a great many suits which are sent
in hurriedlX by visitors who want a wrin-
kle or two pressed out or crease insin-
uated and who want the work done quick
ly.
Sometimes the thoughtless owner dis
covers his loss soon after he has sent us
his garments, and comes rushing in in
state OF greater or less disturbance, ac-
cording as he has forgotten large or
small amount to tell us he has left some
thing In his pocket. But often the miss
ing sum is not detected till the Gus
toner calls around for his clothes, or I'M
til they are sent to his room. and the
money taken from the pockets before any
work was done is returned to him in a
! separate parcel.
lone case in particular which re-
member occurred last summer A man
who had Just come back from the Klon-
dixie was stopping across the way, and
sent us a suit to be pressed. This was
given to one of our workmen with orders
to have it ready within an hour The
KlondllSer was evidently well provided
with gold, for in two of his pockets we
found something over $4,000 in bills and
coins and accepted drafts on New York
banks. He called in person for the clothes
within the hour, and was quite taken by
surprise when we handed the money to
him. He had not detected the loss.
And how much" continued the man
of sartorian SKILL do you think he gave
the employe who found it, and who might
have kept the whole amount and denied
all knowledge If he had wanted to do so?
Nothing-absolutey nothing. He thanked
had not suggested that perhaps he might
want another suit of clothes or some
thing else in our line. Then ii evidently
dawned upon him that he owed some
thing just as a matter of decency, and
he said he intended getting married soon
and would need new dress suit.
80 he had himself measured for
dress suit and was to call the following
day to have it tried on. l had my doubts
about him, somehow, and decided not to
risk anything, and did not cut the cloth.
That was the last / ever saw of the man.
Had gone on with the order i should
have actually been out of pocket as the
result of having given back $500 instead
of stealing it, 1 was out of pocket any
way for l couldnt help giving the hon
est empoye a dollar on my own account
just to keep from feeling mean myself.
"Of course, not all the cases of forgot
teen bills turn out like this. Not every
body is mean in tine matter of money.
though a surprisingly large number are.
/ suppose in the course of a year at least
$780, 600 passes through our hands in the
form of overlooked amounts in our pa
irons pockets. OF all these cases perhaps
10 per cent. show a due appreciation at
receiving their money again. Ninety pc"
cent don't. It's rather trying on our faith
in human nature, but we have TO make
The best of il "