Los Angeles herald., 1907-09-10
UNCLAIMED FREIGHT.

Here is exposed for sale the wonderful
tumble of merchandise and personal prop
erty that is left unclaimed by its owners,
of the railroads.
More than quarter million dollars
worth of unclaimed freight Is brought to
Kansas City and sold for nominal sums
each year. The room on. Delaware street
is sort of general clearing house for It,
Every conceivable article of merchandise
nearly Is at some time or other left un-
claimed In the possession Of railway
freight agents. Articles that are abso-
lutely worthless to any one but the own
ers find their way to the clearing house,
along with the richest pieces Of Haviland
china, mahogany furnishings and articles
rare and costly. 1t is the one place where
railroads can dispose of their accumula-
tion of unclaimed freight.
Find Human Remains
A few days ago a box of wearing ap-
parel which had remained for months in
a little station in Kansas, was sent into
the city for disposition. When 1t reached
this clearing house and was being un-
packed the shoulder blade of human
skeleton was found. A little deeper In
the box were the bones of the arm, and
still further down the bones of the hand.
Medical books were taken from 1t, and 1t
was readily surmised that the box was
the property of some medical student and
had either been lost in shipment or was
unclaimed by its owner when 1t reached
It's destination. Packed In another box
by its side was a hand organ, the kind
used by the more or less afflicted organ
lists on street corners This had also been
in country STATEN for months and no
one appeared to claim 1T. The little mu-
rfA All L.. - n
ground dolefully the strains of Annie
Laurie"
In one corner was another box of faded
wearing apparel. An old violin with
broken strings and twisted bow was hid
den in 1t. A package of old letters, fondly
addressed to my precious darling aud
Sweetheart" were found.
Everything you can think of comes
here as unclaimed freight" said Max
Gilsey, the freight sales agent. There
are three stories and a, basement here,
always filled. A wagon is busy every
day hauling articles from the freight de-
pots. We sell to individuals, jobbers,
wholesalers-any one who cares to buy.
Railroads keep freight as long as they
think it probable the owners may be
found. Sometimes this is forty-eight
hours, sometimes four years. When they
think the chase is useless they sell.
Most Worthless
But lots of the stuff we get is of little
value to any one but owners, It's an odd
collection. We find photographs by the
bushel-and burn EN-. Marriage certif-
Gates and family Bibles are numerous"
Mr.. Gilsey led the way to a shelf at
one side and uncovered a most remarka-
BILE. -s>t--sof q. decnra+ad Haviland china
!. Worth probably s40O OnTtne second fiooi
he had lot of cloth suiting valued al
Is-~~ III ill.,
pickles. crate of whips, enough books
to stock mammoth library, sacks OF
sugar, half carload of writing tablets
canned goods. huge fly wheel for an
engine, crate of nursing bottles, enough
clothing to stock a store, cooking stoves,
harness, circus tent-thousands of mis-
cellaneous articles.
There are four unclaimed coffins down
at the Kansas City Southern depot which
suppose will eventually come here" Mr..
Gilsey said I'm Cincinnati not many
years ago got a boz: of unclaimed freight
from railroad company and found a
human body in it. 1t was murder mys-
terry which I do not think was ever ex-
planned"
Goods that are damaged in wrecks and
refused by the consignee are disposed of
at this freight sales house. Many mer-
chants will not place damaged goods in
their stores at any price, and 1t is up to
the railroads to satisfy thenI in their
loss. Some goods have to be disposed of
at ridiculous prices to get them off the
railroads hands. Perishable freight when
damaged at all is considered practically
worthless when the consignees refuse it.
One terminal superintendent said that a
boat load of jellies and preserves, un-
claimed at freight depots, is thrown into
the dump here every year.
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