The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-08-05

person TO make a pfOL6SSlOH
A of finding what others have
4 lost? Would the profit af-
ford a comfortable living or
would the income be of poor
questions are of particular interest to a
certain class of people who make half
way practice of finding. or, rather. look
ing for, things which have been lost.
They appeal as strongly to almost all
other classes on account Of their very
uniqueness.
Who ever heard of a professional finder?
Notwithstanding popular ignorance,
there are just such people and such a pro-
fession.
Almost any day the observer may see.
If he takes the trouble to look in the right
place, men and sometimes women who
make life business Of looking for lost
articles and who, it must be granted,
manage to live very comfortably.
In crowded stores. on convention floors,
in the railway stations, in churches and
assembly halls, and in other places where
people are accustomed to gather In large
numbers, these representatives Of the
profession will be seen.
There can be no question that a large
amount Of money, or valuables Of some
intrinsic value, is lost every year. While
the actual amount Is hard to be estimated
1t runs up into the thousands Of dollars.
all this is lost. and 1t stands to reason
that 1t is found by someone, and If by no
one else, by he who cleans the streets.
Why cannot a man, with the city we'll
districted and a well-organized force of
assistants, gather In all that which Is lost
by a careless public7
That is Just what has been done In some
Of the cities of the country.
There is at present a danger Of those
who make their living in this manner
modern and, from one standpoint, the
professional finders would have just as
much right to form a trust as any cor
poration in the country.
The experiences of one man who for f1f-
teen years made a practice Of seeking for
lost articles and who in that time
amassed small fortune are particularly
interesting.
Mr.. James r. Moody. a native Of En-
gland is the man who has taken the ini-
tiative in the profession. but who has now
retired from the competitive field and. as
he expresses IT. 'fs ready for something
elsewhere nothing must be hidden.
where all effort is in the open, on the safe
side of conscience and law"
BY this statement Mr. Moody acknow-
lodges that there is at least little Of the
unsavory in the line of work he has fol-
lowed since the year 1887
Finding is keeping" Is a well-worn
adage among children and no doubt, put
in force among great many men. In al
most every case a reward is what is
sought. but sometimes the reward is
sadly incommensurate with the display Of
honesty or. at least. fair dealing.
Mr.. Moody describes his experiences in
the following.
'Tn 1887, after having saved about $500.
I came to America from London to make
my fortune.
con leaving the steamer visited a
money changer, having the pleasure Of
counting my possessions in new bills
nuite strange to my eyes. I walked to
the postoffiee to write a letter to some
of my relatives on the other side Of the
water. When I sought my pocketboolz
TO buy stamps was dumbfounded to find
that it was gone. and I was a pauper.
wandered in the postoff1ce with eyes cast
down. bordering on my plight. Suddenly
saw bulky package at my feet. Pick
ing it up. discovered it to contain
money. something like $50 Eagerly I put
it into my pocket and walked out of the
building.
WAS the money mine? No matter
was in no mood to debate the question,
which formerly would have required no
discussion.
THAT night I slept in hotel. and there
and then I formulated a plan to continue
my luck, If that is what 1T can be called,
and become professional finder al
though I cannot now recall what phases
Of mind led me to that conclusion.
1.-The fruit of my experience was the
knowledge of the fact that valuables are
lost every day-and that they are found.
THE moral and ethical reflections as to
the rightful ownership did not appeal to
me in a strong light, for I was myself a