Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-01-31
A. UONDUOfORs CONFESSION
The Way He Euchred the X. q.
Railway for Fifteen Years

Chicago Tribuns.l W..
A Tribune reporter met an old rail.
road conductor yesterday, and was
surprised to hear that he had been
discharged.
"Yes," he said, "the old man side
tracked me"
What fort"
well, EsuppOse he thought | bad
too much money NJ HAl fnl
Yours or his?" And he laughed.
You remember | began working
for the X. Q. road in 1866, at the close
of the war. From $50 a month l
gradually raised to 500. The other
day the old man (the Superintendent
found out that | owned and was pay
ing taxes on $4,000 or $4,000 worth
of property. So be kicked. He offered
to keep me if | would 'restitute, but |
said / guessed | had railroaded about
long enough"
How did you save all that money
in fifteen years from a salary of 5000
increased gradually to $1,000 a year,"
And he laughed again,
"As 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
passenger | ever carried. But | wa
tered 'cm-watered the company like
its directors water the stock. And |
did it in this way: You see. every
year the President and general officers
issue an unlimited number of annual
passes. Some of these are in exchange
with other railroads, but most of them
are to high cockalorums, Congress-
men and members Of the Legislature.
| always made it my business when
one Of these fellows took my train TO
pipe him off THAT is, get in CONVEX
sation 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 |
used him"
Used him?"
"Yes, used him. Knowing about
how often his business required him
to travel, | travelled for him. Do you
catch on2 When he didn't travel /
Just deducted that much from my
cash receipts and credited the annual
hummer with one trip. My division
cash fare was little less than seven
dollars, and it was a poorrun for me if
| didn't turn in two or three old
buffers"
"Ah, see. You robbed Peter to
pay Paul?"
mo, ] robbed the annual passholder
to pay myself. But my best hold 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, bis neighbors. 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. | would give him his
check, go 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?' lie would
hand i, out. | would then turn to
my memorandum book, and read:
Archimedes Skrubendike, tall, dark
hair, thirty years old; annual, Ol97'
Then would turn to to the rooster
and say: Why, you're not Ar
chimedes Skrubendike; you We no right
to ride on this pass. Read the
conditions on the back-'Not trans
ferable. And then the fellow would
go all to pieces. He would beg, and
plead, and offer to pay fare, but [ was
too fly, When had him bad enough
scared. | would say: Pm sorry, and |
hope this thing will never occur again,
Now, I'll tell you what I'll do. III not
take up this pass, as | am instructed
to do, for Skrubendike is good friend
of the railroads, and l wouldn't have
him get into trouble for anything in
the world. You give me ten dollars
and | 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 quicker'n a wink. It's an
honest fact, in one year | worked one
old Skrubendike for moren $500. The
old duffer even loaned his pass tC
women.
Anything olse?l
Well, if these two rackets don
account for what I've got it's no ust
buzzing to a blankety-blan newspapet