LUCKY FINDS IN THE 4 RAG BAG.

Inangahua Times, Volume IX, Issue 1471, 17 November 1884, Page 3

LUCKY FINDS IN THE 4 RAG BAG.

The • finds ' in the rag l»ag and the rubliish heap are sometimes not a little .curious. A mistress allows Betty the maid, to keep a rag bag, aud occasion illy B;tty yields t> the temptation of putting into tbat bag articles which are certainly not ra£s. Bat apart torn auy suspicion of dishonesty, valuables find themselves in odd phce3, through inadvertency -or forgetful ness. We need not say much about such small creatures as insects, spiders, or lizards, that are found by the paper TOikftr? in -handles of esparto ; they Tare unwelcome intrusions rather than ■finds. A patent lock was once fouud among the contents of a family raghag; aad ai it* was worth five shillings the bnyer was well coutent. An old Latin prayer book, bought as wast« paper, had a bundle of mails, curiously linked together, packed inside. Halfcaovereigna arid other coins are found in cast off pookets, in the heels of old -stockings, and inside the linings of cdresses. An old coat purchased by a London dealer, revealed the t let —a joyful fact to the buyer, the' buttons consisted of sovereigns covered with cloth. Three -pounds sterling, in German paper money, found their way into a bundle of German rags that reached a papermaker. The London rag-brigade boys .^onca found a cheque-book, ,*«?•! ,on .another occasion six pairs of new silk stockings, in waste- paper and rags which they had bought; these unexpected articles were, to the honour of -the brigade, at once returned. A rare find once occurred in the Houhdsditch region. A dealer — of -the gentle sex, we are told — gave -«evenp*nce and a p nt of beer for a ;pair of old breeches ; while the bargain was being ratified at the public-house, the buyer began to rip up the garment when oat rolled eleven golden -guineas wrapped up in a thirty-pound note. We rather think, that in Btrictness of th*law> the guineas of this -treasure- trove belonged to the Crown 'but mostly likely the elated buyer -amHh** mortified —sailer male merry .over .tho windfall. Maqy people, iu -the days -when banking was tittle •Hnde*rstood,-ha»da habit of concealing their .spare money about their jpersona ;tbna an old waiscovt. bought .tfee* ,triAe» was found hued with bauk•4iotes..