The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-10-03
Conductor and vice. President.

Conductor and Vice. President.
At certain period, some six or eight
years ago, the officers OF one OF our prin.
cipal railroads had good. reasons for be-
lievlng that some Of the conductors upon
@ particular section Of their, road were In
the habit OF rendering inaccurate returns
oil their receipts from sway passengers"
and as they were unable to FIX the delal.
cation upon the particular individuals,
Pinkerton was employed to investigate
the matter, and test The accuracy Of their
suspicious. For the execution OF this del.
icate service he selected q sufficient num-
oer Of his best men 10 furnish four for
every car IN train, one TO be seated at
eacn door and two In the centre OF tho
! car, The latter facing TO the front and rear,
30 as 70 see every person who went In or
out. These men were directed not to
recognize each other, but to pay their
fares, and otherwise deport themselves
like ordinary travellers. Each one was
provided with pencil and paper, aud In.
structed 10 keep an accurate record OF
every person that entered or left the cars,
noting the stations to and from which
they travelled, etc., 80 that II at the end Of
the trip their notes were In accred, II
would be good evidence Of accuracy. In
this manner the Msjor was enabled In
the course OF few days, to make de-.
tailed report, which showed conclusiyely
that nearly every conductor upon tho
section Of road under surveillance had
been guilty of swindliug. he also ascer.
tanned that one Of these delinquents own.
ed property to large amount 10 Phila.
delphis. Wherenpon, as / was informed,
Col. s., the Vice. President, sent for
the man, and the following dialogue en-
sued: 's'
"Mr. -, how long have you heen
employed as conductor on our road y
"About seven years, SIR" ia. s..
:, "What pay have you received during
that time p" ''' ''" 30 -
Eight hundred dollars year." 81
"Do you own the house No. - upon -
stree,f" g...
II do, Sir"
slave you other any property in this
city,"
II have" a..IG
"What Is its value? r. r....
swell, sir, | can't tell precisely, but 1t is
considerable
"What estimate a do you place upon your
entire assets ?" . IA. .... I'.Hi-f
Something like 10000" q .g.g
"Were you the owner Of any portion oil
this property when you entered our ser.
vices" .,.a& 1r'' Z ;pf
"Nota dollars worth, sir" saaN
"You have q family to support, un-
derstand?"
II have wife and three children"
"Will you do me the favor to inform
me how you have been able IN seven
years to support your family and sccumu.
late fortune Of forty thousand dollnrs
upon salary Of eight hundred :"
II have not the slightest objection to
answer you ques ion, Col. s., provid-
ed you will suffer me first to PROFOUND
few pertinent interrogatories to you"
"Very well, Sir, I've no objections.
What are they ?" I,.s,e sgM,1 l.l.
"Will you, then, be so kind as to inform
me how long you have been connected
with the - Railroad 2"
Something like ten years"
"What, allow me TO ask, has been your
salary during that timer" d, ,...l'.
"Isnppose i may have averaged about
IS 600 year." 1'' a-'
You have a family to support, II I am
not mislaken2" .-..'-
"Yes, Sir, l have a family" ......
"If fit Is not an improper question, Col.
S.; will you suffer me to ask what is
the amount Of your iortune?'
swell, sir, l don't know perclsely, but
It Is something handsome" ....,.ll.
"Wouldyou estimate 1t OF $500, 600, Col.
onel p ~ -
Eyes, dare say II is." - at
"Thst being the fact, sir, II you will do
me the favor to disclose to me tho secret
OF the process by which you, in ten years,
have been able to trausmute $50 600 into
ten times that amount, without any visible
means outside your salary, will most
cheerfully tell you how have managed,
by turning an honest penny now and then
TO amass the comparatively insignificant
amount have named" a'
"That Is all very well, replied the I'm.
perturbable Vice President, "but you
seem TO have forgotten that there "a q
slight difference between your status and
mine upon the - Railroad, In that you
are responsible TO me Tor stealing the Com.
pany's money, whereas l am not account.
able to you Tor my transactions. In view
Of this TACT, 1t now becomes my duty to
infJrm you that our services are no long.
er required npon our road"
The facetious conductor probably an
ticipated this result, and with his charac-
teristic coolness remarked, I'm that
event, sir, It may at some future time be-
come necessary Tor me TO seek employ.
ment upon another road. Would Il be
asking too much for you TO give me let
ter setting forth your estimate OF my abil-
ity to perform the duties Of conductor"
"lf you desire 1t, I certainly have no
objections 10 giving you testimonial to
the effect that I look upon you as the
most unscrupulous and unblushing knave
that has ever disgraced the catalogue Of
ourtemployes, and that any company hav.
ing anything to do with you will be NOR.
ally certain to be rehabilitation VI etec.
tire Pinkerton." BY Gen r u Marcy, In
Harper's nagasine t1r October.
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