The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1869-04-17
Hom conductors "a \ spotted.n

roads. They receive great zeal OF
money, and must necessarily be left TO
render their own account Of 1t and the
correctness of their returns consequently
depends in great degree upon their hon.
esty. The well.established weakness Of
human nature requires that some sort a
surveillance be exercised upon them, and
this is done by spoilers" detectives who
make "running o railroad q business
aud are extensively employed by the diff
terent railroad companies. A
To "run road successfully requires
the outlay of considerable capital, as the
operation consumes from three weeks TO
three months, and requires the servicesof
from six to a dozen men, or even more,
according to the length Of the road ope-
rated upon, and the number Of its
branches. There must also be taken into
consideration the number of trains run
daily to and from certain points, and the
average number of cars In a train, as each
car has to be covered by acertain number
Of operatives.
Upon starting out 10 run road each
operative is furnished with written In
structions, printed blanks, which specify
the number Of the run, J" the points to and
from, the time Of departure and arrival
Of the train, the car he is to enter, whether
passenger, baggage, or smoking car It's
location in the train, the seat he is TO oc-
cupy, either right side or left, and its num-
Der counting from the forward end Of tho
car, the end nearest the engine.
Each operative is furnished with an
outfit of stationery, which includes report
and expense paper, blank cards, envelopes,
pens, and lead pencils Thus prepared,
the detectives leave their quarters for the
place agreed upon for starting point,
each one going singly and BY different
route, so as not TO excite suspicion. Upon
arriving at the train, each operative enters
the car and takes the seat assigned himin
his Instructions If he is late in reaching
the train, and finds the seat already occu-
pied, he takes the next nearest unoccupied
one and keeps it till he reaches his jour
ney's end, unless otherwise ordered
The least experienced "spotter Is
placed in the forward part Of the car,
about the fourth or fifth seat from the
'front.' the next most experienced is placed
on the opposite side, in about the eighth
seat, while the most experienced one takes
his seat in the extreme end of the car
Neither Of the operatives is expected 10
make notes of fares other than those paid
by passengers occupying seats between
himself and the operative ahead Of him /;
although it often occurs that the operative,
in the forward part Of the car will see q
fare paid in the rear end Of it sufficiently
plainly to enable him to make a correct
report of it. But an operative in trying TO
J note fares paid by passengers in the rear
Of him, must use extra care and caution,
} so that he does not excite the suspicion Of
either the conductor or passengers, for
: among the latter there may be friends Of
/ the former, who would not hesitate to put
/ him on his guard
The operative, when making memor-
. snda Of fares paid, uses pencil not more
! than two inches long, and hasto write
+ with it in his pocket on blank cards, q
package of which he carries in rubber
band. When he has noted down a fare
4 he draws out the card and drops it in his
!, pocket, putting but one fare on each card.
It is no easy matter to write well in ones
pocket while shaken by railroad car
9 going at the rate of15 or 20 miles an hour
y and the specimens Of handwriting exc
8 cuted under such circumstances are very
apt to look moreNike Egyptian hierogly-
ls phics than the style Of penmanshlp In
e common use.
% When making memoranda Of fares paid
to the conductor, the following facts must
; be noted down: The name Of the station
II at which the passenger got in; whether
is alone, or with another person; the seat
b. he occupied, whether near the aisle o.
N window the denomination, charaetei
= and amount Of money handed to the con
II ductor also, the change received by the
10 passenger, if any, and any conversation
overheard between the conductor an'
!; passenger. The form Of the memoranda
" made by the operative when taking dow
= \ fares, is about thus:
Z. "NEwBuRGH.-Young man in dfth seat, alone
" gave conductor q U. s. Treasury note, eayin
Bedford and received some postal curreDc
"a and yellow check, which conductor tore MOI
p checkbook and wrote on with pencil; Went
IS BEDFORD" sr
ld The other operatives in the car who ar
its so placed as to see this fare paid, will als'
I'd make note of it, although they may nc
be able to note all the particulars, such
k, the denomination Of the bill or the exaC
er amount paid. What they do see, howeye
IL and note down, goes to c0rroborate th
re- report made by the operative who q
an nearest the passenger and saw the who
transaction.
II. Upon arriving at the station where Il
m "run ceases, each operative with valiI
0- in hand, viii wend his way to his hotC
,92 which has already been decided upo
me- and the name and location Of which q
al down in his instructions. ALI the dete
tives do not 90 to the same hotel, as
re- would be apt TO excite suspicion. TV
G o;r OF three, at the most, put up at the san
hat @ house, each one dropping in slngly a.
W. W. engaging his room. While at the hot
~ they must treat each other as enti
~ strangers, and are allowed to commur
cate only when in their private apai
~, ments.
ced After each run, and after the operati
re- has reached his hotel, he sits down al
ing writes his report. When the reports
ms finished the operatives assemble in I
Gus room and compare notes, beginning WI
the first passenger car in the train. IL
'ses seldom that there is any great variance
red the reports Sometimes there may be
,ca- DISPUTE as regards the amount Of fare ps
250 in a particular instance, but when
Ter places the passenger got in and out at .
,rk. decided the account of fare paid is 50
in settled by reference TO the schedule
ted prices.
sed Beside the amount Of fares paid, the
ter. port of arun" often contains descr
lese ton Of the conductor, whether polite a
,wn attentive to passengers; whether the
and was crowded or otherwise; whether
was well ventilated and the lamps ighte
40. also, if the conductor Cancelled all tick
ron M on presentation to him, and gave chez
iebt % for them also, if there appeared 70
wv. any suspicion IN his mind Of being ts
ana Eed.n In short, every thing that con
and under the observation Of the deteoti'
s that Is likely ID be OF any interest 70
III, Company is reported.
eIal From three TO five tests are genera
eae, sufficient to show the honesty OF dish
pI9' esty Of conductor, but they cannot
aol' ass made daily, sa It would excite his sui
lno cion to see tho same faces IN hls car
" four or five runs In succession.
Iool' A great deal Of Judgment and shre'
that ness are required to "run road" succ'
2 Or fully, and avoid being dropped on
heir the conductors, who, as q class, are rat
ated knowing than otherwise, and are gene
indy " on the look out for "spotters !
20 L. fl.s.l4 4aff