LOSS OF POSSESSIONS

Chronicle (Levin), 4 January 1947, Page 4

LOSS OF POSSESSIONS

— Press: A annn.rn.tinn

Raiiway Travellers In Too Big a Hurry ARTICLES LEFT IN TRAINS

Bv Telearavh-

WELLINGTON, Jan. 3. Holiday travellers this year have not been so careless with their possessions. The Raiiway s Lost Property Offi.ce, at the Wellington Station, which always handles a fair volume of what passes for "business" in the lost property office, reports that there has been little increase due to. the holiday season, ei'tber in lost articles brought to the office or in inquiries for " articles lost (and" not always handed in to the lost property office). " ' There are no particular articles which people seem more prone to leave in trains at holiday times. Sxiiteases, gloves, library books, walking sticks and umbrellas are left in hundreds throughout the year and. at holiday time impartially. It was a flustered m other who left a baby's feeding. bottle full of milk in a train last Thursday. It is still in the lost property office, unclaimed, and the milk has gone sour. If it remains unelaimed, it will be sold, sour milk presumably included, at the next sale of unelaimed lost. property next July. Most motliers have been eareful, however, and apart from one or two pushchairs and prams which exceptionally absent-minded people have forgotten, baby's accessorios seem to have been Vemembered, even when mother Jeft her gloves behind. There are several bins of gloves. It is a poor t.vpe of Christmas or New Year traveller who leaves his half-dozen or so of beer in the train. Perhaps, having done so, he thinks it too much to hope that it would be treated lilce other lost property. If this is the case then he is wrong, as there are several of those individualistic parcels on the lost pr'operty otlice's shelves. There are even samples of home brew. A very kindly soul brought a bunch of carnafions into the office last week, apparently without considering whether they were lost or merely abandoned. Already wilted, they are not likely to aftract bidders at the July auction," but the Railways Department takes every care of lost property. Wliy shoes are Jeft under seats is a minor mystery. What liappened to the feet which wero in them when they came aboard? It is believed that alinight travellers sometimes bring their slippers with them, and having worn them in the train, dash into taxis without changing back into shoes. These people seem reluetant to admit even to the lost property. man their einpty-headedness. This mystery is insignificant beside that of the man (or wo'man) who boarded a train at Palmerston North on crutches, and then left then on the train. One would not like to suggest that the train had been so long en route that the injury had healed during its course. Christmas presents left in trains were rare. An American pattern steel helmet of the type being sold in department stores as children 's toys was probably one of the few. A weird and wonderful hybrid, apparently a wiclcerworlc tea cosy crossed with a shopping basket, inight have been a gift abandoned by a recipient who was too bewildered to know what to do with it. Two large saelcs of sliell grit have come into the office, unelaimed, during the past week. The only suggested eonnection between this and the holiday season is that it may have been required for the comfort of some poultry designed to decorate next ChrVtmas's tables, Left in Trams. . The lost property office of the Wellington tramways was expecting a holiday rush. It was not realised. Into tlxe office has flowed the usual triekle of purses, umbrellas and suitcases. Owing^ to the school holidays, the traffie in school bags and .cases havs temporarily ceased. They have been replaced by the suitcases of holiday - makers who .pack in a . great hurry, without leaving themselves much time to catreh trains '■ affil hteamers. Tffiey jump off the tram, still in a hurrv, aud at the end of the fun the Tramwayh Department iinds it has one more little article to look after uptil the owner collects his wits. Colleet his wits he does, usually, for such objeets are quickly reclaimed, unlike some of the more peeuliar articles with • which the railways office is afllicted. Another thing which owners sought to reclaim from the tramways office with the utmost promptitude was the temporarily forgotten Christmas present, either shortly-to-be-presented or just-received. Unfortunatelv, not all those presents lost found their wav to the lost property office.