Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1877-05-02
The Railway Directive Department.

other. There are the waiting-room
loiterers, who walk of with passengers
luggage that doesn't belong to them
and sometimes our own men go wrong,
and we have to run them in, or get a
creep "a warranty to search their
houses. There's one fellow now who
used to be in the company's service who
is'wanted.' And then there's the public
who make claims for goods they never
lost, and sometimes ask for compensa-
tion for accidents they never were in" f"
"And so you have regular staff who
do the detective business cf your COM
pany?"
"Not very regular staff" he re-
piled, smiling; ''for I'm afraid they
are rather irregular in their ways and
words, and even appearance. But they
do their work all the better for that,
you know"
''Well, 1 suppose so," l answered.
"And 1 suppose your men find them
selves in rather odd circumstances some
times?"
"Why, yes. We have had man lie
under heap of straw three days and
nights waiting to see who would come
and fetch away a roll of cloth that had
been hidden there. And we've had
another ride on truck sheeted down
all the way from London to Glasgow ;
and what with the shunting and shak-
ing he had rather ba,ldish time of it
before he had done. In fact, he sIf-
fered so much that we don't often do
that now; but we have had holes bored
i'm the front and back of the covered
goods trucks, so that men inside can
see forrard and aft, as the sailors say"
The existence of detective depart
ment" in a railway company may seem
at first sight to the uninitiated strange
and anomalous institution. Yet, when
we remember that there are twenty,
thirty or forty thousand servants in the
employment of great railway; that
the property intrusted TO their care is
of every conceivable kind, of the value
of incalculable millions of money ;
that certain amount of police supervi-
sion has to be exercised over the mill
lions of travellers, and that claims and
depredations of every kind are prac-
ticed upon the companies by certain
classes of the public themselves, it is
not to be wondered at that the railways
have to adopt every precaution for
their own protection.
Perhaps the chief difficulty in the
prevention of offenses of this kind
arises from the false code of honor
which exists among railway wortmen
"a code, unhappily, found also else
where-which hinders them from ac-
lively repressing crimes which they
would not themselves commit, or even,
perhaps, countenance, but which they
will not expose.
"You'll do that once too often, mate" :"
they will say to an offender; but be-
yond a mild remonstrance they will
seldom or ever 60, and should inquiries
be made in regard to thefts which they
must have seen, their powers Of obser-
walton will be found to have been singu-
larly circumscribed, and their men,
ories singularly treacherous. The cul-
prits are thus, If not encouraged, yet
connived at, and perhaps go on from
bad to worse, till they are ruined; their
companions are suspected and COM
promised, AMI perhaps demoralized;
their employers are robbed, and no one
is really benefited by acts which, if
the honest workman would simply re-
solve at all costs should not be done,
would not be done.
Even when thieves have run all the
hazards of their craft, and have securely
possessed themselves of the property of
others, they are seldom really enriched.
1t is "easy come, easy go' with those
who rob railways. They prey upon
others; but others prey upon them.
Many an illustration might be given,
but one will suffice. A certain railway
porter had stolen roll of ribbed trouser
cloth, and fearing to keep it in his pos
session, resolved to dispose of it to a
Jew tailor, who was known not to be
unwilling to purchase such articles at
low figure. On entering the shop
with his bundle he was cordially re-
ceived by the clothier, who guessed the
nature of his errand. "And vaat can
do for you my tear?" the man of busi-
ness tenderly inquired. "Well, you
see-I'm porter, and I've got bit of
cloth, you know, that came lucky by"
"a technical term). 'Quite right. my
tear; and ow mootch have you got? !?
and Ow mootch do you want for it?"
"Well, l don't know" replied the
porter, "you see L haven't measured
it, but | want the most can get for it. ]"
"All right" said the Jew, and then
looking sideways through his shop
window down tL, street, he suddenly
exclaimed: 81 say, man, koot, koot!'
"what do you men?" urged the I'M
pressed vender. "Koot your stick, :"
continued the Jew, Through my back
door, and run your hardest, the police
are coming" and he lifted up the
movable lid of his counter to facilitate
the escape of the porter, who, leaving
his ill-gotton wealth upon the counter.
was not slow to avail himself of the ad-
vice given, and who felt considerable
relief when, having passed through the
kitchen and yard of the clOthier, he
found himself in another street, safe
out of harms way, and no policeman
in sight.
Next day, nothing doubling, the
the porter called again, and after pass
ing and repassing to make sure the Jew
was within, entered the shop.
"Good morning." said the porter.
"Good morning, young man." re-
turned the Jew, with little reserve of
manner, Swat can do for your"
"Oh, called about that bit of stuff,