River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-12-08
ALL FOR A LITTLE BROOCH
Was a Score of Disguised
Searchers.

It was at the railroad station at
Kansas City that the chic young wom-
an lost and found her jewelry, relates
the New York Sun.
The loss occurred as she alighted
| from the train in search of something
to allay that hungry feeling. If a
| stingy corporation had not left so
much space between the planks of the
floor, her jewelry would not have gone
through, she would have been spared
some embarrassment and the public
would never have heard of it.
The article lost was a b.ooch-ons
that mother gave her-and about
IL of the is karats had worn off. She
peeked through the aperture in the
platform without getting a glimpse of
what she sought. Then, a tri6s dis
tressed at the loss, she was about to
continue in search of first aid for the
appetite.
One of those obliging drummers that
are always willing to turn over a car,
Jack up an engine or tear down
house to do a courtesy for one Of the
fair sex, happened along and inquired
if she had lost something.
ooh, just a little brooch" she re-
piled. 1T doesn't amount to ary-
thing"
With an "Allow me, madam" tie
drummer was on his knees in an in
slant, his eyes searching the depths
of darkness underneath the platform.
at first he failed to see the brooch,
but by lighting q match and holding
it between his two little fingers as far
down in the crack as possible, he To-
Gated it and joyfully announced his
discovery.
The young woman was becoming
embarrassed, and again insisted that
the brooch was of no value. But the
angel Of commerce was sure that he
could get it without the slightest trou-
ble
One of those inky inhabitants of
Mr.. Pullman's travelling bedrooms
happened along and suggested that a
piece of gum on the end of a stick
would prove the magnet that would
draw up the jewel
run, get the gum, porter" COM
manded the now perspiring salesman,
as he passed the porter a quarter and
signalled that he might keep the
change.
The brakeman came up with sug-
gestion that he could run up to the
engine and get crowbar to pry of
the plank; but a bootblack who had
Joined the group thought it would be
easier to get into the basement, and
thence under the platform, where
crawl on hands and knees of about
hundred feet would bring him to the
right spot. A passenger with a long
piece of Irvine tried to lasso the
brooch with slip moose, but without
success.
There were at least score of per.
sons drawn to the scene by this time
and the young woman had given up all
thought OF her breakfast and was
wishing that her train would pull out
so that she might haze an excuse to
leave.
Without undue haste the colored
brother returned with chew of gum
and "a cents profit. The gum was
placed on the end of stick and low.
cred to the unsuspecting brooch.
The gum adhered all right. In fact
it got mashed on the brooch and sew
cred its conn ection with the stick.
All efforts TO relocate it were futile
and the drummer finally appealed to
the brakeman to get the crowbar. To
tear up a station platform out west
you must needs have a permit from
the station master. After that gentle
man had sanctioned the performance
by his own presence, thereby drawing
an additional crowd, the plank was
finally raised.
The tenacious. drummer having
ruined clean shirt and a pair OF
trousers in his endeavors, was in al
the death, and it was he that raised
the much sought for object to the
glare of the sunlight.
His face lost that benign expression
as he passed the brooch to the brake
man and disappeared through the
crowd. The brakeman looked disgust
ed, said something worse than: "Oh,
fildlesticks!" and handed it on to the
porter. That worthy rolled his big
round eyes a couple OF times and
gasped so that all might hear:
Law ne, eff it amt brass, jes'
| b-r-a-s-s."
Then he turned to hand it to the
owner but she had fed into the
sleeper and hid her head under a pill