San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-03-16
A Conductors Confession.

A Conductors Confession.
A Tribune reporter met an old rail
road conductor yesterday, and was sur.
prised to hear that he had been dis
charged.
Eyes" said he, "the old man side
tracked me-"
"What for?"
well, 1 supsose he thought had
too much money"
"Yours or his?" And he laughed
"You remember began working for
the X. Q. Road in 1865, at the close of
the war. From $50 a. month 1 was
gradually raised to 500. The other
day the old man (the Superintendent
found out that L owned and was paying
taxes on $4,000 or $4,000 worth of
property. So he kicked. He offered
to keep me if 1 would 'restitute,' but
l said 1 guessed had railroaded about
long enough"
"How did you save all that money in
fifteen years from a salary of 5000 in
creased gradually to $1,000 a year?"
And he laughed again.
"As I'm out of the business now and
like railroad companies, l don't mind
explaining the conundrum. I'll hold
up my hand, though, and swear / al
ways accounted for every passenger I
ever carried. But I watered M
watered the Company like it's Directors
water the stock. And did it in this
way: You see, every year the Presi-
dent and general officers issue unlimit-
ed numbers of annual passes. Some
of these are in exchange with other
railroads, but most of them are to high
cock a-lorums-C ongressme and mem
bers of the Legislature. I always
made it my business when one of those
fellows took the 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 con-
acquaintance used him."
used him?"
"Yes, used him. Knowing about
how often his business required him to
travel L travelled for him. Do you
catch onP When he didn't travel I Just
deducted that much from my cash re-
cepts, and credited the annual hummer
with one trip. My division cash fare
was little less than ST., and it was a
poor run for me if didn't turn in
two or three old buffers"
"Ah, see. You robbed Peter to
pay Paul"
"No, robbed the annual pass-holder
to pay myself. But my best hold was
in catching the pass polder who wanted
to rob the company, There's where 1
made the most of my money. You
see, the average member of the Legis-
lature 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. 1 |
made it my business TO identify every |
Legislative pass-holder. Every two or
three weeks a man would get on my
train and show up that pass. L would |
give him his check, go on through the |
tain, de my work, and then come back |
and sit down by him. L would say. |
Let nae look at your pass again He |
would hand 1t out L would then turn |
to my memorandum book and read;
'Archimedes Skrubendike, tall, dark |
thirty years old; annual, O197.' Then
/ would turn to the rooster and say
why, you're not Archimedes Shrub
endike you've no right to ride on this
pass. Read the conditions in the back
not transferable. And then the fol- |
low would go all to pieces. He would
beg and plead and effer to pay fare, but
1 was too fly. When 1 had him bad
enough scared, / would say: I'm
sorry and hope this thing will never
occur again. Now, I'll tell you what
I'll do. I'll not take up this pass, as
L am instructed to do, for Skrubendike I
is q good friend Of the railroads, ard /
wouldn't have him get into trouble for /
anything IN the world You give me /
$40, and / will let you keep the pass to /
give back TO him, only You must pro- /
mise never to tell him you got caught
And the fellow would snatch out slO /
quicker than a wink. It's an honest /
fact, in one year I worked Skrubendike 1
for nore'n 500. Chicago Tribune. !