St. Landry democrat., 1882-02-18
A Veteran Conductors Confession.

A Veteran Conductors Confession.
A reporter met an old railroad con-
ductor yesterday, and was surprised to
hear that he had been discharged.
YES he said, the old man side
tracked me-
"What for?'
"Well, l suppose he thought had
too much money"
Yours OF his?'' And he laughed,
"You remember | began working
for the X. Q. Road in 1865, at the
close of the wa. From $50 month |
was gradually raised to $780, The
other day the old man. (the Super
intendent) found out that I owned and
was paying taxes on $4,000 or $4,000
worth of property. So he kicked.
He offered to keep me ii | would 'resti-
tute,' but said guessed L had rail
roaded about long enough. y
Chow did you save all that money
in fifteen years from a salary Of $500
increased gradually to $1,000 year?"
And he laughed again.
GAS I'm out of the business now
and kind O. like railroad companies, l
don't mind explaining the conundrum.
I'll hold up my hand. though, and
swear | always accounted for every pas
senger ever carried. But | watered
'em-watered the company like its Di-
rectors water the stock. And [ did i:
this way: You see, every year the
President and general officers issue an
fnI ,,f
Some of these are in exchange with
other railroads, but most of them are
to high-cock- Congressman,
and members of the Legislature. al
ways made it my business when one Of
those fellows took my train to pipe
him off'-that is, get in conversation
with him, find out where he lived, and
what his business was. You know,
passengers always like civil treatment
from a conductor; it seems odd like.
With this acquaintance l used him.
fused him?''
Eyes, used him. Knowing about
how often his business required him to
travel, | travelled for him. Do you
catch on? When he DIDN'T travel, 1
just deducted that much from my cash
receipts and credited the annual bum
mer with one trip. My division cash
fare was a little less than seven dollars,
and it was poor run for me if didn't
turn in two or three old DIFFERS
"Ah, 1 see. You robbed Peter to pay
Paul2"
"No, robbed the annual passholder
to pay myself. But my best holt was in
catching the passholder who wanted to
rob the company. There's where /
made the most of my money. You see,
the average member of the Legislature
not only thinks the company should
carry him free, but all his friends. So
he loans his pass to Tom, Dick and
Harry, his neighbors. I made it my
business to identify every Legislative
passholder. Every two or three weeks
a man would get on my train and show
up that pass. 1 would give him his
check, 60 on through the train, do my
work, and then come back and sit down
by him. would say, Let me look at
your pass again.? He would hand it out.
[ would then turn to my memorandum
book and read: Archimedes Skruben-
dixie, TALL dark hair, thirty years old;
annual, O197.' Then I would turn to
the rooster, and say, why, you're not
Archimedes Skrubendike; you've no
right to ride on this pass. Read the
conditions ON the back-Not transfera-
ble.' And then the fellow would go all
to pieces. He would beg, and plead,
and offer to pay fare, but l was too fly.
When had him bad enough scared, 1
would say: I'm sorry, and l hope this
thing will never occur again. Now, I'll
tell you what I'll do. I'll not take up
this pass, as am instructed to do. for
Skrubendike is good friend of the rail
roads, and I wouldn't have him get into
trouble for anything in the world. You
give me ten dollars, and I will let you
keep the pass to give back to him, only
you must promise never to tell him you
got caught And the fellow would
snatch out ten dollars quieker'n wink.
It's an honest fact, in one year I worked
one old Skrubendike for more'n $500.
The old duffer even loaned his pass to
women"
Anything else?"
"Well, if these two rackets don't ac-
count for what L We gotit's no use buzzing
to a biankety-blank newspaper fool"
Chicago Tribune.
E.n,,,loJ., z, l.. 1.