I had occasion to go into the Tramways Company's Lost Property Office recently, and beheld a room packed to the ceiling with an inconceivable variety of pieces. Naturally, anything of value which might have been left in tram or 'bus is immediately claimed, so that the more or less worthless objects quickly pile up and find no owners until a clearance auction comes along.
While I waited to report my loss a lady in front of me told of a glove she had left in a 'bus. She gave the date, and the young official fetched and poured out in front of her a huge basket of gloves, a regular glove cocktail - brown, black, big, small, cheap, dear, good and bad gloves. I saw the lady's eyes light up at the thought of being able to rummage through such a heap.
Also at the counter was another woman looking for her umbrella. The assistant piled about three dozen umbrellas in front of her. All of them, he said, had been found in the one week. I noticed further bundles on the floor behind the counter.
There were shelves and shelves of books, a big percentage of which were prayer books - a line of cases - mine among them - waterproofs, hats, bird cages and a weird list of evidence of carelessness.
At twopence a time for reclaimed articles the company must have a tidy little income from bad memories.
The Irish Times, June 10th, 1940.