The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-05-14
THE RAILROAD SCALPERS.
NOW MERCHAS AND OTHERS MAY
TRAVEL At REDUC Ed RITES.
Men who Obtain Comfortable Living nv
Cutting Down Railroad Farrs-1 Jewellers
whose Heads are not Exactly Level.


whose Heads arc not Exactly Level.
"Ticket scalpers" are Spectators who.
taking advantage of the axiom "thc shortest rail-
road fixes the rate" are enabled to make profit
while selling railway tickets cheaper than reg
ular ticket agents care able to do. The regular
ticket agent Is very slow to admit the existence
OF such honest tradesmen. They probably would
tell prospective passenger that scalpers are out
OF date, having ceased to worry the railroads
when the sale OF tickets In hotels was abolished
some years ago. That step was the result OF the
determination of railroad men to divert all the
profits OF passenger trafiic to the treasury OF
their roads. The era of throat-cuttng competi-
ton compelled them 10 submit to the payment
OF commissions to the hotel ticket sellers, and
1t was deemed master stroke OF policy to COM
bne In prices and withdraw their tickets from
the hotels They mscalculated one element in
the problem The sub-agents had become
thoroughly versed in the tricks Of ticket selling,
and the mysteries of short lines through traflic,
rebate and drawback. The result was that many
Of the sub-agents turned out accomplished
scalpcrs, aud some Of them are making fortunes
out of the commissions " which they extort
from the railroads despite their earnest oppose
tion.
Lansing Of 3o7 broadway ia one Of these shrewd
spectators. For many years he sold railroad
tickets In Enrle's Hotel. when the regular ticket
agencies were withdrawn from the hotel Lam
sing kept on and l. stlll selling.
How do YOU manage to undersell the regular
agentsf' sun reporter inquired Of him.
THE CENTENNIAL DISCOUNT.
"Well. It's Centennial discount that enables
us to do that now, but before that we used to
worry the roads 10y several little advantages or
course Its only long travel that leaves margin
ern cities, Chicago, for instance. The fare is So
more from Boston TO Chicago than II Is from
New York. buy all my western tickets from
Boston via. New York. and tear on the lIoston-
New York coupon. | can sell that coupon for
something ovcr s., and that enables me to give
the Chicago traveller II discount Of "a dollar or
So. II don't tasc much Of bait to catch n mer-
chant. They are always looking 10 get the best
Of bargain. II the cost price OF ticket was
81, they would rather buy 1t ut S2i. half dol
llr discount. than 10 buy II at the net figure.
They come here and think nothing of spending
ak or eight dollars n day at a big hotel. and
they'll work around for hall day to get railway
ticket half dollar less than the regular rate.
They think they're saving something"
The srall margin you name Is not all the
profit you makei'
ting cheap tickets. have large number Of rcgu-
lar clistom salesmcn who run say to Chicago.
| sell them ticket through to st. Louis, regular
price 81, for say $50 They sell the coupon from
Chicago To St Louis to my correspondent In
Chicago for enough to bring down the price Of
pas sage from New York TO Chicago to a dollar
or two below the regular fare. My correspond
ent can sell the -. Louis coupon for enough to
give us a net profit Of 81 or s., "A very satisfac-
tory return. IL you look over a map Of the ter
riiory travcrsed 10y the main trunk lines YOU will
see that there are many important cities living
between the several main lines that are reached
by local railroads. Take indianapolis for ex-
ample. All the main lines running out Of New
YORK VIII sell you ticket for that point nj the
same price, although to reach II by way Of the
Central you must make dctour to Chicago.
ONE WAY To BEAT TIE RAILROADS.
1--WE often sell tickets for indianapolis to men
who only intend to go to- Chicago. They take
| the Chicago ludanapulis coupon TO a Chicago
| sralper' who gives him enough t. bring down
the price of the ticket To Chicago dollar or two.
| lie j. satisfied, and We make satisfactory
Can You undcr4cll the regular rate of tickets
ITO some southern points we san. Look at
map Of Georgia aud Alabama. There are Ah-
gusta. Atlanta. and Selma Just about equidis-
tant from New York. one through southern
| limo touches Augusta. another rams through
| Selma. Any Of the main limos ont 90 New York
Will sell YOU aticNet to Atlanta via Louisville
AT the same rate that the southern lines sell to
| Augusta or selma Hence the southern road
are compelled to sell tickets to Atlanta at tho
same rate that they charge for passage to Al-
gusta or selma. although there are one hundred
miles of railroad travel between those cities and
| Atlanta. We instruct travellers to Augusta or
| Selma to buy their tickets To Atlanta, and the
| scalpers give them fair price for the Atlanta
coupon and 50 cheaper their travel u triiic."
can Won sell ticket5 for es.s 'rnia cheaper
| than the established rItcsf
CALlfoKSIA NOT IN ruE GAME.
"No. There is practically no competition be-
| youd -. Louis. aud ihc rate. Gust Of that point
arr i,vod up a. 10y the conlneiin, lines"
"Ihe main Hines have offered - p,r cent dis
count ON excursion tickets To the Centennial
| LFrNltl~ hAtu NtN titNs il''it hit tfNi rIflts
Of sal,-tncn Travelling through the West, out Of
| New York. They buy an excursion ticket. say.
! from Chicago, aud sell MS the return coupons.
| In This way Wa can afford TO sell ticket to Gin
cnnati for Sld: to Chicago for SlI regular price,
So and 10 n. LOU, for -. regular price, So.
| " DO You experience much opposition from the
| regular ticNrt agents -
| o. ell, not SO much as formerly. They must
| see that We can beat them every time as long a.
long road sells tichetS A. low as 4 short one. |
| often do them good turn. IL fifteen or twenty
men come To me to get them better rates for an
| excursion to some Western city, the regular
| agents sometimes allow me commission for
steering the party over their road. That OK
cursion business, 10y the way. often furnishes the
| sc,lpcr with an opportunity to make a few dol
| lars. II Boston Masonic lodge wants To take
| an excursion to New York. the roads generally
| allow them a considerable discount on estah-
lished rates. We step In and buy ~ or 10 Of the
| tickets, and We find no difficulty In selling them
again at profit
"Whom do YOU derive most custom fromf"
"Salesinen. both travelling and stationary, are
| our best customers. The former enable Us TO
| get the tickets cheap. The latter find IL gives
| them strong hold ON their Western customers
| to be able - save them a dollar or two ON rail-
| way fares. The merchant may spend $40 during
| his stay In New York on billiards and wine, bat
he takes great comfort in knowing how to travel
! chvaply ON railroads"