Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-11-02
Aancaster :9nteligencer.
BEATING BELL PUNCHES.

THURSDAY EVENING, NOV. q. 1852.
BEATING BELL PUNCHES.
How Boston Conductor Added to Their |
Little Income.
Boston Herald.
eyes" observed the worthy function |
ary, ssit is about dozen years since the
musical ring of the virtuous bell-punch
was first heard in our street cars and after
al! the problem still remains unsolved !:
How can the road get all it earns?' Of
course, before the tlty wore off every
passenger's eye was fixed on the musical
pepper box, and every ear was on the
alert to catch the tinkle of the concealed
bell. This close watch, however, soon
came to be as embarrassing to the passen-
ger as to the conductor, by whom the
former was apt to be regarded as
spotter,' and it seemed to be the general
feeling among tho patrons of the
road that being obliged to wear the
punch suspended from the neck by strap,
was sufficiently hum'l:ating to men OF
spirit without the additional espionage OF
every passenger who paid a fare. There
is no use denying that much of the so
called demonstration of conductors is due
to the punch, when on its leather strap
hung from their necks az badge of sus-
piciOn and distrust. 1t was not long, at
all events, ere the riding public ceased to
take any special interest in the matter.
Neither was it very long before what are
generally known as little jokers began
to be used upon the road, and the devices
manipulated by the 'Hy' conductors were
as clever as they were numerous. The
one most commonly used consisted Of .
tiny brass bell, with a tongue attached to
a short rod, after the manner of an ordi-
nary call-bel!. This device was small
enough to be carried in tho hand and COM
plctely hidden from sight and, as its tone
closely resembled that Of the company's
bell punch, there was little chance
of the detection Of q dishonest con-
ductor It has been no uncom-
mon thing for discouraged conductors to
"glve the whole snap;'' and while the
officers of tho road scout tho idea of such
wholesale stealing under their extensive
detective system, the truth is that not un-
frequently whole carloads Of passengers
have been ruug in" by these little joker,
and every fare has gone into the pocket
began to DO "lost - and, though dill
kCuOby sCotCACO IVA, CuV hSSSA
turaed up again. 1t is safe to hazard the
opinion that these punchers were ''though
lost to sight, to memory dear," at least 80
far as r egards the officials to whom the
'tshorts'' and "overs'' were usually report
ed, aud more than one raid was planned
and executed by the street officers of the
road, aided by state detectives, in the vain
attempt to capture these etray punches
Yet all the while they werc snugly repos-
ing in the pockets cf such of the boys as
felt inclined to take chances and pay
for their use the sum of S. per week. 1t
has since transp;red that most, if not all,
the stolen punches found their way into
the hands of one man-an ex-cOnductOr-
by whom they were let out in this way.
Judging from the cut of this tenterprising
fellows garments and the pattern of his
gold watch aud chain, life was to him any
thing but burden. Strange as it may
seem, though strongly suspected of being
crooked, this man was for years retained
in the service of the road, he having been
SO foxy that no points could be made
against him sufficiently specific to warrant
his arrest. 1t is needless to remark that
the punches thus fraudulently used had
been relieved of their perforator so thai
all the motions Of punching every ticket
and ringing on the trip slips Tor every
cash fare could he gone through with by /:
conductor Of nerve with scarcely a chanct
of detection. The use of the 'little jokers
first mentioned became after Z
while unpopular because of the annoy
ance of having to tumble about for change
with one hand closed over the bogus in
strument, and other Instruments for beat
ing the punch were resorted to by those
ingeniously and dishonesty inclined. A
favorite trick was to fssten little joker OF
gong, inside the vest in such way as to
prevent too much deadening of the sound
and to ring it by means of a string at
tached to one Of the vest buttons-an in
nocent looking but very effective instru-
ment Tor reducing tho dividends of th'
srspender and rung by a bit of cord care
fully concealed. And while these e.Gevice
were being used by the more cautious an'
fly of the weak-wristed' fraternity, th'
cars were being worked by another clas
OF conductors-men not OF cheek but 0
unlimited gall, who carried only tn
straight punch, yet who would some
times steal more fares in single trip tina
those who depended upon the dummies
would in whole day, punching ticke
Or slip now and then by way of divert
ing suspicion, aud pocketing tine rest with
out SO much as a motion Of the punch O.
the movement of q muscle. These fellow
know when to punch and when to tax
the chances, and can spot 'spctter a
sight"