The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 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
| principal railroads had good reasons for
| believing that some of the conductors
| upon a particular section of their road
were in the habit of rendering inaccu-
rate returns of their receipts from
"way passengers ;" and as they were
unable to fix the defalcation upon the
| particular individuals, Pinkerton was
employed t. investigate the matter,
and test the accuracy of their
suspicious. For the execution of
this delicate service he selected
sufficient number of his best men TO
furnish four for every car in train,
one to be seated at each door and two
in the centre of the car, the latter fac
ing to the front and rear, so as to 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 ordi-
nary travellers. Each one was provided
with pencil and paper, and instructed
to keep an accurate record of every per-
son that entered or left the cars, not
travelled, ETC., so that if at the end of
the trip their notes were in accord, it
would be good evidence of accuracy.
In this manner the major was enabled,
in the course of a few days, to make
detailed report which showed conlcu-
siveIy that nearly every conductor upon
the section of road under surveillance
had been guilty of swindling. He also
Of 1nla
qaents owned property to a large
amount in Philadelphia. Whereupon,
as 1 was informed, Col. S., the vice
president, sent for the man, and the fol-
towing Dialogue ensued:
"Mr. -, how long have you been
employed as conductor on our road p
about seven years, sir.
What pay have you received dur
ing that time p
"Eight hundred dollars a year"
"Do you own the house No. - upon
- street ?"
Il do, sir"
"Have you other property in this
city,"
"I have"
" What is its value ?"
"Well, sir, can't tell precisely, but
it is considerable.
What estimate do you.place upon
your entire assets ?"
Something like forty thousand dol
lars"
"Were you the owner of any portion
cf this property when you entered our
service ?"
"Not a dollars worth, sir"
"You have family to support, l I'M
derstand?"
81 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 accu-
mulate fortune of forty thousand dol |
lars upon a salary of eight hundred p |
"I have not the slightest objection to |
answer your question, Col. s.. pro- |
yided you will suffer me first to pro- |
pound a few pertinent interrogatories |
to you" ,,.,
What are they?"
will you, then, be so kind as to in
form me how long you have been con-
nected with the = railroad? p
Something like ten years"
"What, allow me to ask, has been
your salary during that time ?"
81 suppose it may have averaged
about S., 900 year"
"You have family to support, if I
am not mistaken
eyes, sir, have family"
"If it is not an improper question,
Col. s., will you suffer me to ask
what is the amount of your fortune ?"
"Well, sir, l don't know precisely,
but it is something handsome"
70 ok hol l. |
lion dollars, colonel ?"
g Yes, dare say it is. :"
"That being the fact, sir, if you will
do me the favor to disclose to me the
secret of the process by which you, in
ten years, have been able to transmute
$50, 900 into ten times that amount, with
out any visible means outside your sal
ary, 1 will most cheerfully tell you how
have managed by turning an honest
penny now and then, to amass the COM
parativeIy insignificant amount / have
named"
"That is all very we'll, >" replied the
vice-president, "but you
seem to have forgotten that there is q
slight difference between your status and
mine upon the - railroad, in that you
are responsible to me for stealing the
money, whereas am not ac-
to you for my transactions.
In view of this fact, it now becomes my
duty to inform you that your services
are no longer required upon our road"
The facetious conductor probably an
ticipated this result, and with his char
acteristic GOODNESS remarked: "In that
event, sir, it may at some future time
become necessary for me to seek en-
oloyment upon another road. Would
Z be asking too much for you TO give
ne letter setting forth your estimate
If my ability to perform the duties of
conductor %
If you desire it, I certainly have no
objections to giving You a testimonial
20 the effect that look upon you as the
most unscrululous and unblushing
znave that has ever disgraced the cata-
ogue of our employees, and that any
company having any thing to do with
7ou will be morally certain to be rob-
bed. ."-Harper's Magazine.