, 1873-11-17
Tho ScaIpers Preparing for a Raid
on The General Managers.
Completion Of the Grand Rapids &
Indiana Railway.
Gov. Bagley, of Michigan, Now
Inspecting the Work.
Chicago as Grain shipping Point...An
Interesting Statement.

4 paragraph appeared in TnE TRIBUNE dnv |
boforo yeaterday to tho ofIoct TINT tho General |
Railway and Bteamship Ticket Agents Of Now |
York held a meeting Oh the 11th inst, whom |
Messrs. Swan, Durnham, md DaHoom wero ap~ |
potuted committee to represent tho Assocta-
aion at tho Convention Of General Railroad HfRn-
sgera, to bn hold III this city On tho 10Th OF this
month. Those self-atylcd Gonorat Railway aud
etoamboat Tlckot Agents are not tue acnoral |
Railroad Ticket Agents who hayo charge OF tho
Ticket Departments Of railroad companies, nor
arc they employed by any steamship company
whatever. Those men sty1o themselves Con-
eral Ticket Agents, aud they are we'll known
TO the public as scapors, because Of thoir expo
rienco In Boa1ping thuao unfortunate travellers
who aro induced by their e1oquonco to buy their
tickets from them; but tho travelling public IRE
not tho only victims; tho railrond companies
themselves aro mado to "leayo hair." mud still
tho 1attor Aaye thus far done nothing to atop
this nefarious businesH, but havo rathcr counte-
nancea It by allowing these mon a ccrtain COM
mission. For example: for o tiokot sold from
Chicago to Now York commission OF 50, and to
st. Louis Of 81, is paid. Those arc the eatab-
liahod rates, but thcro arc companies which,, for
tho purpoao OF selling moro tickots than others,
pay commissions from 50 to SO to other Now
Yortt OF st: Louis. Still thoso Scalpers are not
satisfied with receiving these high commissions,
Most Of tho Tickets they soil nre "cut," or
or coupon, tickets, which they buy Tor trlfo
from travellers who had bought tickcta say from
st. Louis to New York, but stopped oYer In this
city, and had no further uBo Tor the coupons
from here to Now York, although tho railroad
companies would pay tho full value for thom II
presented at their general Offices. A ticket from
st. Louis to Now York, for example, costa s27.
From Ohicago to New York, $22. The fare from
this city to st, Louis is $1l. Thus ttcBe scalp
ors find 1t to their advantage to buy their tickets
for Now York in st. Louis, making thoreby on
each ticket tho sum of SC, in addition to tho
50 or IS conanisson. There are eyou somo ways
by which those men manage to make on n ticket
from ST Louis to Now York as much as 912
and 415.
Almost all tho newspapers In tho country have
lately urged upon the railroad managers tho nc
cesBity of breaking up this abuse by paying no
moro commissions, and not selling any tic1sots
except through thoir regular salaried agents, and
to give tho public tho bouofit Of tho commissions
paid to scalpers. The railway managers, seeing
the necessity Of this, hayo latoly taken decisive
steps for aboliBhing the commission business,
and tho meeting Of the 18TH is for tho purposo
Of inally doing away with it.
The scaipers becoming alarmed at this Btate
OF affairs, hayo formed tho aboye-named Gem
eral Railway and Steamship Ticket Agents
Association for the purpose of taking unitelly
euch a.eps as would provent tho consummation
of this reform, and therefore held the meeting
III New York, aud appointed q committee of
three to wait upon the managers aud explain to
them the beauties Of scalping. and show tho m
that 1t is their interest to pay them each S5,090
to $40, 600 for commission evory year.
The railroad companies have lately ourtailed
their expenses by cutting down the aalari os OF
their employees. Why not cut down tho salasio Il
Of these hgh-priced individuals, each Of VII ON
can afford to wear diamond pin az arge as a
saucor, and drive a span of fast horses
The Railway Association OF Asneriea, COM
posed as 1t ia Of the moat high-mindoI aud dig
niaed gentlemen In the country, will undoubted-
~ receive tue delegation from tho ''General
Railway and Steamship Ticket Agents Assocta-
tion with al tho courteay due to such mon, mud
will politely tell them that there is no further
uee for their eloquence; that tho reform must
bs made now, because this ia = good year for re-
fornB.
THE GRAND RAPIDS ! INDIANA RAILROAD.
On Friday last Coy. Basley, Of Michigan, ac-
companied by large number OF influential "a IL
road sSs sESa ans on tour na Of an'pseGn m
Indiana Railroad. This road .pene-
trates through tho immense pine region oi
Northern bfichigan and eroases at right angles
tho Kalamazoo, Grand, Rouge, Tarnnrao, Mus
ration known IS the Grand Rapids i Indian.
Railroad was formed from tho consolidation ol
four several companica in Indiana and Michigan
and at present ia operated and controlled BY Tue
Continental improvement Company Of Pitts
burgh: Worry little ,progress was n,aao in con.
structon previous to the year 1868, During thai
FeNr bridge waB built over Grand Niver, q
from Grand Rapids to Cedar springu, distance
Of 20 miles, was built md put into. operation
The funda expended BY the Company in that yea
we're obtained upon bonds Of tue city Of For
IN tho spring u 1861, coi. George Gray. attor
sttles for the purpose of securing
meana to be naed IN carrying on the work Of con
preliminariea for tho contract, Which was cl!
tered into on the 1st day Of October, 1860, will
the Continental improvement Company, where
by the construction Of the road was assured, ant
Traverse Bay limited to the period within tina
date and the 1st Of Juue, 1874. Tho conpe1isa
ton to the Construction Company was fixed q
$4,000 stock, and E2: ,oD0 bonds per milo OF roa
i might construct, and the land.:grant made b.
Congress pasRes into its possession. Under tn
provisions OF this contract construction pro
Creased rapidly, and tho road was finished las
week, Bix months before tho date agreed upo,
for It's completion.
This Company has also built, in conucctio
with the Grand Rapids l. 1ndinna Road, h branc
from Tyfe Lake to rravo!ae City; also a brancl
known as the Cincinnati, Richmond For
Wayne Road. II Coy. Daglcy, IL his inspection
finds that the road is nell brnls, he will certif
that fact to tho General Government, whom th
Company will come into possession Of tho ro
msinder OF its land:grant.
It was contemplated to extend tho line from
Littlo Traverse to the Straits of MacRinaw at a
early day, but tho existing financial trouble
will undoubtedly Dolby tho carrying out Of thi
intontson.
by an nct Of Congroas, approved juno 8, 1856
ngrant Of public lauds was mado to the State 9
Michigan Tor the purpose OF aiding in tho cor
attuction Of railroad from Grand Iapids t
Littlo Traverse Bay, d diatance OF $50 mile!
which contained 63l 200 acres, all Of which has
been certified to tho Company. BY another al
OF Congress-, approved juno Z, 1864, tho compar
received a like grant Of land for the Eouthcr