Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1874-10-10
Our New York Letter.
New York, OCT. 3, 1874.

Many and curious are the devices
resorted to by the management OF
our street Car companies to detect
and prevent peculations by its en-
plOyees, and equally ingenious are
the counter operations of the con.
ductOrs.
1t has long been the custom to
employ what are termed "spotters,"
whose duty it is to accompany the
cars as passengers and report any
"knocking down" Of fares by the
conductors during the trip. This
plan operated successfully until a
cOllusion was discovered between a
number of these detectives and
those whose actions they were set
to watch, and after a number Of in.
ventions the "Bell Punch" was
adopted as being little too smart
for the gentlemen to get ahead of.
AS each fare is paid, a number is
punched from a slip of card board
and II tiny bell is struck inside the
instrument where the fare also is re.
corded by means Of a small hand
over dial which moves one pace
as the bell strikes. When these
were first introduced their construc-
tion was such that any one having
a knowledge of the internal work
ing, could strike the bell and pre-
vent the hand from recording it,
But the instrument as now perfect
ed renders it itimpossible to be taD-
pered with in any way without
holding up the meddler to detection.
The small round metal case, en-.
closing bell, hands and dial, is cap.
ped by disc held in place by a
spring lock and opened with a key.
These punches are compact and
neat looking, being silver plated and
and Of convenient size, measuring
over handles and all not more than
five inches.
An elderly lady entered a Third
Avenue car a few days since and
the conductor, after allowing her to
carefully arrange her skirts and
recover breath, sauntered up and
leisurely drawing the punch from
his pocket, demanded fare. The
old lady threw up her hands and
shrieked, "Don't shoot, don't Shoot"
and it was some time before the
passengers could assure her there
wasn't a pistol ball round her some-
where.
Having thus overcome their own
grievances the companies should
lend their aid in abolishing a sys-
tenn of extortion Of which the con.
ductors are victims. 1t appears that
the drivers have it in their power to
throw suspicious of dishonesty, care
lessness or incompetency upon con-
ductors, and that unless friendship
exists between the two, cemented
by frequent dollar, the conductor
is soon in bad odor at headquarters,
and later is elbowed out entirely by
successor. This is what the driv.
er can do. With the aid of his
friends he undertakes to show the
conductor that drivers have perqui-
sites which conductors are bound to
respect. The rules of the road re.
quire the cars to run so many mill
utes apart-say four.
The driver ahead l0Oses a minute
and the one behind follows his ex-
ample which reduces the honest con-
ductor's time to 3 minutes, while
increasing that of the conspirators
to 5. The returns of the latter
show for each nearly double those
of our friend who thus finds him
self under a cloud without knowing
precisely the reason.
l do not say this state of things
is universal, but true enough of
some roads to make the uninitiated
thereof scratch their
heads over the uncertainties of this
world.
THEo. THOMAS.
What this leader has not done to
elevate the musical taste of our peO-
pie, is the fault of those who will
not listen.
Near one of the principal entranc-
IS to our Park, is a large white,
orick building in which, during the
summer evenings, one of the finest
in the world, under his
has given a series of bril-
liant concerts, and made the place
amUus as the home Of classic music.
The main hall is on the ground floor,