The New York herald., 1874-10-04
THE THIRD AVENUE PUNCHES.
Conductor Explains the Situation

A Conductor Explains the Situation.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
In late Issue you pretend to give an accouns
OF how the bell punches are received by the
conductors Of the Third Avenue Railroad. IN facs
your reporter is qnie jocuiar on the matteri
but his description, think is farietcned; else ne
has been unfortunate In meeting with the most
iltterate aud stupid of our much abused class.
There is no doubt but that among car conductors
you can find men who are not able or prepared
10 taiS to newspaper men, but 1t don't follow tnaC
tney are all the sama; and believe. above all
otner ROADS the Third avenue has had the bess
and most respectable class indeed, men OF Intelll-
gence Tar above the position they occupy. We
nave not all been born lucky or rich,
and / think il ls far better for 3 man
10 take the position OF conductor than to exc
out an existence by begging borrowing or steal
ing; for, although there are a great many who
judge US by themselves ana think that, because
they could not reaist the temptatton that we
have, still / say there are q great many among us
who are far above appropriatlng what il not their
own.
shah not presume TO take up your valuable
space in defending the conductor, hut shall con-
fine myself to few comments on the article In
Fridays HERALD I think the remarks relative to
the punching OF the recording slip are entirely an
invention OF your reporter ! uoH oeucNe sucn
an idea ever entered the mind OF any conductor
on Third avenue. Nor is IL out OF humanity the
said slips are given us; neither is 1t to expend
our wrath upon, but merely as a "check' or
.recordlng s,pr TO show how many fares are
collected. You call the attention OF the pubic
and invite them 10 take notice or the ''vclons
manneru wlth which tnev br.ng down the nam
mer Now, am positive no one mas seen ths
''vlcious" behavior but your reporter. why, the
very idea s nonsenslcal and, should iy. y pnt
forward by some Que VINO has grndgc AGAINST u
class OF men by one Of whom ne may nave oeeh
used roughly. l think "the youny, the 1alr, the
good,n &C., mscall the punch when tnev say IL Is
the 'rrnrng brand OF dishones y" for every iare
received IS recorded even before the eyes o. al'.
Tue punch eeralnv Is an ugly tnag s 10 carry ior
from many passengers. IL Is also humli.
iatlng to think that the company haa not nos
sufficient confidence in their men TO try
the easiest method FIRST OF Increasing
their wages. It now costs them over s. per DAY
Tor conductor ana his punch besides the other
expenses, such as increasing the number OF clerks
in the Office the amount of paper used M daily
IRE ordng slips, aud other Incidental expenses
never dreamed oi before their introduction.
Now, sir. the loouac,ous conductor whom your
reporter s.interyiewea" must Fave been man or
very little common sense or he would not nave
talked as he Is alleged to nave done ne mas M Mevi,
dently advanced aa Idea OF hts own wnen he SAID
that the Introduction OF punches was opposed
by either the superintendent or any OF he diree-
tors as | presume Jhey dtd not make a conhdante
or him He must nave drawn lar sely on his imagi
naton for such an assertion AS lar as Mr. hart
t. concerned believe % M ne a,.ar anu Mr.; hnwavas Lane
no one wi VIII be surprised at that. All
Mr. Harts money was made by squeezing the
poor: and, although he has given up pawneroking
a. business. why should lie give up Il > oia
habits never see nm or ms Cha nam stree; un,
where Mar!ey's ghost appears 10 scroggs. Imagine
Mr. Hart calling oat OF us WINDOW IN Cha,naml nam
fegS to ,ye 't 70 some poor o,5r my or or VET him n
meeting day going before the directors oI .ne
/ rnrd avenue and requesting them TO increase
the pay OF their employees
NOW, Mr. Laue IS the gentleman OF the Eighth
National Bank notoriety, who, ! peheve, - aI
present under $4,000 bail Tor an alleged conspiracy
10 deiraud the depos!tors OF sad b INK an account
o which was gveu IN your paper some hne since.
You know tine o,d saying that, "as man lives SO
ne generally Judges hts ncighhors;n but Mr.. Lane
comes forward TO lnsrli honesty into the THIRD
10 resist the temptation that he nlmseii, as has
been alleged, could not withstand-vH., appropri-
atinE what is not ones own.
Now sir 10 concluded Tor one. and MANY other
conductors tnat know. have not the Ill eeing to-
ward the inventor Of the purch that you ascrbe to
Us. We tnluk 1t is very ingenious tuvention. but
4 we do not believe 1t VIII answer tue purposes Tor
when It was intended, ior II conductor wishes to
steal the punch viii not interfere with MN.
I have heard from the men empioyed by Mr. Harris,
tne agent ei the Punch Company. that it IS easier
aud q surer way ot making money tnan the old
way" believe IL Is the imention OF Mr.. harris to
have all the old men removed lrom the road In
Iact, any one whom he tninks has the least ohjec-
ton to the punch must go. Men VINO nave been
here Tor years, OF good reputation talthonph con-
uuctors), VINO have been un ortunate III business
ana obliged turn their attention 10 anything TO
support themselves and famil,es-these are the
men tHat VIII suEer, VINO iFoh tHelT iOuG cApcTls
ence at rallroading have become united for any
other position Also young men wnom d"iness OF
business has forced INTO the service, VINO come
well recommended ana have done everything
in their power To re tam their positions. These are
The men who VIII be discharged TO advance the
Interests OF pnnch company that viii thrive or
the profits of the roau. The u!tnlatuu ol TINS
will be that but the lowest and most ignorant
class of men Will hold tre posluon oi conductor.
the public at large VIII he the sufferers a. wei as
the companies. They VIII find that they benefit
little br the change. "A broom sweeps
clean" so will the punch company They viii
first clear the road OF any respectable men ina.
may be on IL: that done and the punch cstaD.
nshed the railroad companies VIII end that their
receipts with be smaller than ever.
A THIRD AVENUE CONDUCTOR.
/ NEW YORK, Sept. 30. 1874.