Rensselaer Republican, Volume 19, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 September 1886 — The Beautiful Boodle [ARTICLE]

The Beautiful Boodle

And People who ban Lost or Found the Same. The recent hard luck of the editor in losing his pocket-book has been the means of his hearing of several other instances of a similar nature, of ancient and modern and near and remote ooeurence. M. L. Spitler and Dr. Kelley have each lost a ten dollar bill within a few weeks, and have heard nothing from them since. Mr. Spitler says that he walked about with bowed head, sorrowing over his loss for about ten days and then concluded that he had just as well laugh over his vanished cash as to lament. Auditor Robinson dropped a SSO bill a few weeks ago, and missing it after several hours, made an unavailing search for it, and after giving it up, with the philosophical remark that it was “only SSO anyhow,” he saw it lying by one of the stone, steps, at the rear entrance to the court house. The fact that it “was only fifty dollars” did not prevent his gathering it up with considerable alacrity and stowing it away in a safe receptacle. 3

Warren Robinson wae riding a bucking “broncho” ip the street lately and the cavorting of the critter not only shook the filling out of his teeth, but also jolted a well filled pocket-book but of his pocket He did not observe the loss but a by-stander saw it and picked it up and returned it, before its owner had missed it. J. J. Eiglesbach, the popular meat-market man lost $lB5 a few months ago, and has heard nothing about it since. It is generally understood that Jake staid “out with the boys” pretty late and some scoundrel probably stole his Wh. Of instances more remote, either in time or place, we have learned of several, and some of which illustrate,, in a remarkable degree, the propensity among wealthy men u> encourage honesty among er people by magnificieuily rewaiding the return of lost wealth; Uncle Tommy Robinson, father of Warren, aforesaid, tost a package of SSOO some years ago. He lost it in the fall, and mourned as one who had no hope (of recovering his vanished shekles) until the next spring and then found the money in his door yard. It was in a badly demoralized condition, but not so bad. but that all but one or two bills were redeemed. A young man found a wad of Saper money containing S3OO, oating down the old mill race, years ago, when he was a kid, and rescued it from a watery grave. Learning who the owner was he returned the cash and was rewarded by a very polite “much obliged”—and nothing else. Another man when a boy found seven or eight hundred dollars belonging to a. wealthy citizen and received a quarter for his honesty, upon returning it to its owner. A hired man of a farmer living near town lately found a pocketbook containing a large sum of money and many valuable papers. He returned them to their owner and was offered 25 cents, but declined the same, not with thanks but with a volley of objurgations, which came from his heart A rich old curmudgeon of Lebanon once lost three or four and dollars. The little son of a poor stave cutter found it, and he and the boy carried it to its o wner. The latter offered the boy 25 ’cents. The stave cutter cursed him for an unmitigated hog, and went his way.

Col May, of Crawfordsville, once lost eight or ten thousand dollars. The finder restored it, was offered a quarter, but said, “No you, keep it, you may need it to buy you a meal of victuals some day.” In contrast with this generosity of the wealthy men, is the conduct of Jim Morgan, the barber, and a “poor devil.” Jim lost about $35 some years ago, and Shelton Strickler found the same and carried it to its owner, who, at once, “whacked put” five dollars and offered it to Stricklefr. The latter declined to receive any money, but intimated that he would willingly smoke at Jim’s expense. The latter thereupon repaired to Billy Legg’s restaurant and set up two dollars’worth of cigars for the boys.