The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-09-05
Moffcft BcIl-PuHc1ses and Other
Devices.
IScieEI;iic American

/ Inc exceedingly ingenious ulecHalllci
devices often found among the tools o.
burglars and saie-breakers are in them
selves sufficient to demonstrate the fac
that all the inventive ingenuity is by ne
means confined to honest people; and it /:
scarcely necessary to say to any one con
ycrSant with that peculiar instinct of tho
| inventor which causes him to regard almost
any mechanical obstacle as a challenge tc
his abilities that in the bell-punch and
similar apparatus OF machine honesty .
! the desire to overcome the difficulty /:
added to the ncfarious incentive. Hence
a.tcmpts to "bcat" the machine, as the
crime is vulgarly termed. are not uncom'
mon nor vet unsuccessful, although the
perpetrators are usually in the end found
| out. The use OF this apparatus began in
this city about two years ago, when 1t was
discovered that stage~driyers and car-con'
| ductors were in the constant habit OF sup
plemcntins their Scanty earnings with drafts
on the fares collected. Accordingly that
ingenious contrivancc known as tht
bcll-punch was largely introduced. Re
ccipts Of the companies at once increased
and it was hoped that the evil was pre-
vented. The bell-punch perforatcs slip
and the piece punched out is retained III 8
| receptacle in the machine. At the same
time bell is sounded and a hidden indi'
Gator moved on dial. Hence the fares
collected are shown, first, by the number OF
holes in the slip; second, by the number OF
pieces punched out; and, third, by the in
| dcator: while placard in the vehicle
warns the passenger to listen for the ring
when his fare is collected. Hardly had
punches come in use when frauds were de-
tcctcd. \ smart mechanic drove a thriving
business by making neat little bells, which
| were inserted in the conductors coat-slecve.
The latter would on collecting a fare pre-
tend to punch hole in the slip covering,
however, q hole already madc-and at the
| same time, by pressing his arm against his
BODY, would sound his concealed bell, and
so satisfy the passenger. This, by the em-
porment OF detectives. was soon stopped
but the ingenious conductor still managed
to t'keep ahead Of the punch !" by simply
neglecting to use it when the cars. as is often
the case. were so packed as to render close
observation OF their movements impossible.
Several city car lines eventually abandoned
the device for apparatus much more simple,
to which we shall refer further on. Re-
| Gently, however. another detection Of bell
punch frauds has been made, and regular
conspiracy has been revealed between sun.
| dry ingenious scamps who showed the con-
ductors how to pick the locks OF their
punches and set back the indicators, for
| the consideration of one dollar per day,
the conductor, Of course, making up this
amount and rs much more as he safely could
by theft. ,..s. ..i.,- .,.. ....a.
There are various other devices analo-
gous to the bel-punch now in use on our
city car lines. None OF them, however,
punch slips. One il metal box sls-
I.l 9,n ba
breast. On receiving fare he is required
to move Il catch which sounds bell and
changes a number indicating the quantity OF
fares received, which appears OH the front
OF the box. Another machine displays no
number, but simply rings bell and moves
an indicator locked up inside. Some Of
these machines were constructed at hrst tc
register a certain number OF fares-SaJ
| 1,0O0-and then to return to the naughl
| point. The conductors soon discovered
this, and after collecting the money they
would ring the bell upto o its limit, help them
selves to the amount Of money they wished
and then register anew fares to correspond
with the amount they left for their cnl'
ployers. .c. .",..g E.-.- ...
1t will be observed that the tendency OF
all these machines is to make the passenger
a policeman over the conductor to keep him
in the path OF rectitude, and it is curious to
notice that the more Of these devices there
are invented the more is the duty imposed
on the passenger. The largest ;street-rail.
road line in this city (that on Third avenue
has abandoned the beilpunch for simple
dial in the car, with which is connected g
square rod which trayerses the length OF the
vehicle near the roof. In" order to turn
this rod, and so sound. the bell anG
| +ho ;,Ia II
tor is required to do on the receipt
of each fare, a wrench must be used, and
OF course, the arm lifted high above tho
head. This compels the conductor to take 6
noticeable position, and as the rod is accessi
bic only while lie is on the vehicle, the con
| ductor cannot, as with the bellpunch ol
other portable device, pretend to register
| fares while temporarily Oft his car. The
movement OF the dial-hand attracts atten
| ton, and thus the watchfulness OF the pas
| sengcr is still further enlisted.
There are two devices, however, which
| advance considerably further in. this same
direction. One is the fare-box, by the use
OF which the railroad company tacltly as
| serts that it prefers to trust to the honesty
OF the public in general than to that OF lts
employees, and the other Is i most ingenious
apparatus, OF which we shall presently
speak, and which literally compels the pas
senger to look after the employees to keeI
himself from being swindled. Z ~
| The tare-box is, however, fast becoming
bone OF contention. 1t is simply box
| into which the passenger is invited to place
the correct fare. The driver--there is nc
conductor in such cases-is not allowed to
receive or put in money, and the extent OF
his pecuniary duty consists in handing back
1 change for small bills, said change being
previously sealed up in envelopes, md as
| the driver aforesaid has, always to return
the amount he starts OUT with be cannot
conveniently steal any. When the passen
| ger puts in his money the driver can SEE
and count 1t, and that done he moves
slide which dumps ft' into n locked
| box below. whence it is removed by
an official at the terminus. The: box, W.
have stated, is source OF ,agsraYa
ton 70 the sovereign public, first, because
one set OF unthinking individuals are con
stantly throwing in too much and clamor
ing for change after the money is enguifet
in-the locked receptacle, when removal L
| impossible; and second, because perverst
people decline, to be ordered to do any
thing by the railroad company, and demant
that u their fares are wanted somebody
must come and get them. The latter have
| multiplied OF late, and are vigorously assert