The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-22

II
street cars" said street-car
ISe6&&SI conductor the other day, after
he had directed a port!y woman
in search of a market basket, to ;the claim
station at the West Washneeon-street
barns. "You would be SURPRISED at
the number of things we find in
our cars. Stick pins, keys. ;handker-
chiefs, books, bundles, Gloves pocket
books end umbrellas are the mos common
articles forgotten by passengers. Now and
then, though, there are some mighty funny
things left in the cars-things that we
can't handle. 1 remember not 2ery long
ago a woman left her baby on: my car
How she did 1t don't know, btst she did
and I tell you had enough of b.. bies that
one time to last me the rest of my life.
She got off the car down town some place
didn't notice where it was, bus directly
there was terrible yellin' in abe front
part of my car and everybody sdemed ex-
cited. I went up to investigate and found
a little kid, red in the face and yellin' and
screechin' like young Apache. They told
me its mother had forgotten it and that 1
would have to take charge Of It till the
car got back down town. Somes motherly
old woman tried TO quiet it by bouncing it
up and down in her arms and lpuckerin'
up her wrinkled face and talEin' baby
talk. 1t didn't do any good for the kid
yelled louder than ever and than every
body in the car got their finger in the pie
and tried to stop it's shoutin@ Finally
they handed ii to me. 1t was the first one
] had ever had my hands on and X was like
holding a wet dish rag. L guess 1 didn't
hold it right or else squeezed it too tight,
for 1t nearly split itself bawlin' land slob-
Berlin. noticed suddenly that the car
had stopped and everybody seeraed to be
gettin' off and the first thing knew L was
alone in the car with that yellen' infant.
1 was utterly helpless and DIDN'T know
what to do more than rabbit Was
afraid to let go of the kid with one hand
to ring the bell, for 1t was all Gould do to
hold it with both. so we just stood still
till the mctorman came back to Investigate.
tried to get him to hold it for; a minute
til / rang the bell, but he was Jon to my
game and wouldn't come near me. The
sight struck him kind of funny and he just
leaned up agin the door of the car and
howled. / began to get hot ami the kid
wigglin' and cryin' harder every minute.
1 didn't have sense enough to set 1t down
on the seat: anyway 1 guess l was afraid
to. 1 don't know how long we stood there,
but suddenly a buggy come tearing up and
a woman jumped out and rushed into the
car and snatched the bundle ont of my
hands, calling me a mean ole man or
something like that Then she blamed ii
all on to me and said she woulG have me
reported. Said l had started the car be-
fore she got her baby out. Thas's women
all over. No more babies for me-"
The conductor who has been in the
business very long has conclusions of his
about the people who ride on street
cars. In his opinion they are pretty for
getful crowd. Scarcely person that rides
much but what forgets something now and
then. and whole lot of them try to forget
their fares, said one street-car conductor
Of facetious disposition. However, the
things that are absent-mindedly eft in the
street cars. were they placed in zone heap,
would make ali admirable old curiosity
shop. trip out to of the claim sta
tons OF the company will readily convince
one OF this. Most OF the things are claimed
especially If they are valuable-.but there
are lots Of things that either the, loser for
gets to claim or. forgets that Re left on
the street car. Handkerchiefs and gloves
and baskets. mysterious bur-iles and
empty pocketbooks. and a hundred and one
trinkets, are stored at the stS;tions. A
basket OF young chickens was ONCE brought
into of the stations. having been left
on the rear platform of car At another
time three kittens were brought ia, all with
sore eyes, which had purposely been left
on the car as the easiest way Il getting
rid OF them. The conductors .say that
letters and money are most quickly called
for The losers Of the letters seemed to
think that their pages are peru@ed at the
claim stations, for they are always in
hurry to get hold Of them. and then exam