Lost and Found in Victorian Brooklyn

I like the little ads and classified in old newspapers very much. They are full of things that you cannot find anywhere else, about the odd little things in people's everyday lives long ago. I will post any extremely odd ones that I find (I'm saving one about a missing man that sounds like the beginning of a mystery novel) - but for today, here are some interesting items from the Lost and Found column of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. First, two of the many animals that went missing in 19th century Brooklyn - a group which includes cows and farm animals (hinting at the many still-rural places in Brooklyn) and many, many dogs (especially black and tan dogs, with names like Winkie or Zou Zou):

$25 REWARD - Stolen from the premises of the subscriber, a GRAY SQUIRREL and CAGE; $10 will be paid for the recovery of the same or $25 for information leading to the conviction of the thief -- J.R. UNDERWOOD, 147 Franklin Avenue. [April 12, 1867, p. 3]

LOST OR STOLEN - A WHITE GOAT, long horns, from 389 Van Brunt street, next house to railroad depot, on Feb. 1. The finder will be rewarded by returning it to William Murray or John Cunningham. [Feb. 3, 1865, p. 3]

Jewelry and pocketbooks were also commonly advertised as being lost on streetcars or in stores. Sometimes the ad was vague, merely mentioning a "sum of money" (I don't know how you were supposed to figure out whether it was yours) - and sometimes the description was very specific and personal. I tried to identify Winnie (but didn't, obviously) because there is a story attached to this bracelet, and I was curious:

LOST - On the 27th, Narrow Chain Bracelet with lock engraved ("Auf Wiedersehen, Winnie"); reward. Please return to 477 Thirteenth St., Brooklyn. [Dec. 29, 1898, p. 10]

Mrs. Schafel, on the other hand, does not want us to know what is in her valuable papers:

$5 REWARD will be paid to anybody and no questions asked by returning those valuable PAPERS which were taken last Monday from MRS. JOHN SCHRAFEL, 190 Harrison av. [Oct. 17, 1885, p. 5]

And finally, a dentist who is incredibly understanding when it comes to thieves:

A GOOD OFFER - The individuals that took two coats (one overcoat and one frock) from HILL & SCOTT's Dental office, at 263 Fulton street, Brooklyn, will oblige the said Hill by returning the Diary and papers that were in the pockets of said coats. They are welcome to the coats, and if they are hungry let them call and be filled, or if they want a tooth extracted call and I will do it without pain or charge. [June 10, 1859, p. 2]

Hill and Scott advertised as "Surgeon Dentists [who] are the authorised Dentists in this city for the use of Francis' Patent Galvanic and Electro Magnetic process of Extracting Teeth without pain," [advertisement in the Eagle, May 12, 1859, p. 1]. The link will take you to the patent, complete with horrifying drawing of the tooth-extracting device, which may not have encouraged the thief to return.

Goat and squirrel pictures from NYPL Digital Gallery.