The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-04-12
CHECKS ON THIEvING EMPLOYEES.
The New Beu Ringing. Resisterina Appa-
ratus Used by Hotels snd Railways.

The company manufacturing the check
register. now in use in frst-cass hotels and
restaurants. have Just completed an elabo-
rate and ingenious machine for the regu-
laton OF the sale OF tickets the New York
Elevated Railroad at the South ferry station.
II Is OF the same general pattern rs their ma
chimes now in use in many of the leading bars,
restaurants, and hotels. Externally 1t looks
like very pretty soda fountain made In black
walnut The nickel plated shields on its front
bcnr numbers, and the silvcrcd shoppers be-
meath spill out nickel checks instead Of syrups.
Two small doors conceal beneath glass covers,
dinls. upon which are registered exactly all the
checks drawn from the interior Of the machine.
An internal view OF the thing. obta ned by
opening its back. reveals what resembles the
rudimentary. parts OF small -, orchrstron;
IAN Tho 'cie"ks The ciockw"rk drnls them out
as required and registers tho fact OF having
done SO. Tho contrivancc IL unqu'stionahy ac-
curate and no ingenuity can nilec, a ialse regis
tration. II checks TO the amount 81 81 900. or
my other sum. are put in II and sold out, there
II no nrithmctcal reason why the sgller is not
responsible for that exact amount Two che'ks
cannot hn pulled out together so as to cgusc
false registration nor can a check withdrawn
be- srt down ON the dial for ANYTHING less than
its full value. With this contrivnncc in tho Of
flee and n keeper ut the gate to tai Ike the checks.
there can be no need Tor conductor. and no
fcar oi the road Carrying passcnsefs without
Grttlng vnluG rs@eived., ppnnH Sup'rlh,rnuent OF
nmineGthc completed apparatus and was thor
oughly satisfied with IT, Mr.. Louis Won Hoven
Is the patentee OF the invention.
This register differs from the one sold 10
hotels and bars only in that tho Inter, instead
~ registering upon dial. drops duplicate
ch"oks in compartments prepared to receive
them. simultaneously with its delivery OF the
check which II to he presented to the barkecper.
II Is not possible to get check out for prrsenta-
tion Ia n customer without putting correspond
ing one 10y. MS voucher for the proprietor's in
spcction. A proprietor having nlled the tubes
With checks and closed the safe lock which So
curcs them from being tempered with, may ab-
sent himself from the place for days aud weeks.
How important n confederation this IL proprie-
tors Of saioons and restaurants well know. II
was recently confessed by an old harkceper in
the cashier together. by a system Of pockcting
and returning checks. Knocked down from $50
ter Thcnlching OF from S. to $40 II day in that
manner is not uncommon.
MOI long ago. one e ihe finest saloons in Chi
cago was kept by Billy h. a good fellow.
popular. and doing thriving trade, but who,
nevertheless. fell into financial difficulties and
was sold out; The purchaser OF his place was
some kindly feeling for his unfort innate ex-cm-
ployer hired him, to tend bar. Billy worked
along steadily In Nj now position without com
plant against his hard fortune for about nine
months. Then JACK. in his turn. fell into difll-
rchahilitated In the possess ION Of funds. bought
back his old place, and Jack. OF course. loo kod
her bnr But B SAID y pace %S
there has been enough Of this swopping. Tho
game closes right here. I've dealt II. and I've
sides I choose 10 shut down on II now"
since then Billy has been his own harkeeper.
and has had no fears ofthe Sheriff without 40
much experience as he had. various New York
proprirlors have learned enough TO be willing
to pay almost any price for such security ns the
check register affords against the rnsrality Of
employees. Drlmonico has one of these ma
chimes at ~ Broadway ] leo. Stewart two. one
There are two in Earle's Hotel They are also
N use "a the Gils"y liouse. N the Wcstch"ster.
ham Palace. Windsor Hotel. and many other
places Of popular resort here. The knowledge
Of them has travelled abroad, although taey
have only very recently been brought out. aud
already they are an use nj the Girar' House md
G,ion'inGntal Hotel. phlladelEhia; N,sTraeansct,
elsewhere j. D. snellng, the bclmoriro Of
Richmond, Va. and President Of the Liquor
i nhralcrs AsiGcin,on lhcrc uses Them gloriilr,s
ali csoncernea. instead Of The MofSett hall punch.
chine, To be offered 10 the Legislatures Of this
and other States. as the perfect liquor tax regis
ter, which will secure 10 the State absolute con
| troll oi the retail liquor traffic. thoroughly pro-
tect the liquor dealer against the dishonesty OF
o tax SaTnS by S po sss % Of 'n marx
AMI sprituous beverages How II will do all
this the inventors are. for evident reasons
somewhat chAry OF making public IN detail be-
| fore they have their apparatus ready 10 exhibit.
| Tint Will. however. be within a few days. In
nsmuch MS the admirably perfect check register
offers The basis for tho now invention. il may
rcas' nahy be expected that an apparatus intl-
nitey more complete than the Moifctt punch
| Will be- developed. The MoGett punch con
si-ts simple OF ~ small shaft. turned by u
| crank at one end. tue other end % which is at
! tnchcd tga registering dial like that OF gas
meter Each revolution Of tho Drank records
| one on the dial. and mt the same time rings u
| bell. But the MdfTeit register gives no protec-
ton 10 the proprietor who sells drinks at differ
cnt prices, SO far rs his employees IRE con-
| cerned. II the barkeeper sells forty cent
| brandy. the Moffett punch makes no distinction
| between that beverage and new rum ut ton
| cents. That leaves margin for the harkeeper.
| Again. the Moffett punch Is very easily put out
| OF order. simple ms II looks. and the great num-
| her Of those little machines constantly returned
| 10 Richmond for repairs. proves that liquor
sellers find 20 their interest 10 damage them
and send them To headquarters TO be- put N or
| der. and escape the tax while they are being
tnkered Furthermore the Moffett punch SIM
! ply records how much tax the liquor seller
should pay. but does not make him pay II.