It wasn't all bad

When contractor Paul Barnett began tearing down the 11-story Woodward Building in Washington, D.C., he found a battered suitcase.

It wasn't all bad

When contractor Paul Barnett began tearing down the 11-story Woodward Building in Washington, D.C., he found a battered suitcase. Inside, was a trove of personal items, including family photos, a 1924 high school yearbook, and a handwritten paper titled “The Causes of the World War.” There was only one clue to link the belongings to a potential owner: the name “Shaughnessy” cropped up several times, including a Brian Shaughnessy, who was listed in a 1952 elementary school graduation program. Barnett tracked him down, and Shaughnessy, a 68-year-old local lawyer, established that the suitcase belonged to his family. “I’m so glad to get it,” he said. The items “don’t mean anything to anybody else, but they mean a lot to me.”

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up