The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1883-10-24
Dlrhone.t conauotor's Methods.

D'rhohtst SohauctOr hcthOub.
A News reporter last evening asked
a prominent railway conductor from
the east, a member of the conductors
excursion party, what truth there is in
the popular belief that conductors are
in the habit of dividing the profits OF
the railroads with the bloated bond
holders who own the roads.
There is little ground for belief out
side the wild imaginations of people
who believe all men are thieves provi-
ded they have the opportunity. Con-
ductors are selected in the first place
because they are honest. 1t is a fact
that scarcely requires proof to men of
common sense that a majority of men
ale honest, and when a special effort is
made to secure men who do not steal,
and when they are watched as we are
it is not to be presumed that there
would be anything like general dishon-
esty among us. AS a matter of fact,
quite the contrary is the rule, and L
doubt if there is any class with such
opportunities as these who do so little
of it.
"What is there besides the honesty
of the conductor to keep him from
stealing?"
son many roads nothing, and on
hone of them what might be called alb
solute prevention. On some roads
roads there are greater difficulties
placed in the way of cribbing, but on
all where the conductors are so mind
ed, they are able to get around
the means intended to pre-
vent them from robbing the
roads. Most railroads now prevent
passengers from entering the trains at
large stations until they have shown
their tickets, and there ia very little
stealing done on through fares. On.
fares from way stations this is not the
case always, and where the way passen-
ger pays the conductor the latter is, as
a rule, the judge of whether he will pay
the company or keep the fare. OF
SOoIo olOAtCAo ~ ChlplO1Cu, u lI6
conductor, if an experienced hand, is
generally eble to pick one of these out
and acts accordingly. On way tickets,
it sometimes happens that the conduc-
tors and station agents enter into a
conspiracy to defraud the company by
The conductor taking up the tickets and
returning them to the station agent
who sold them so that he can use them
or sell them a number of times again
during the mouth, it being necessary
on most roads for the station agent to
make weekly or monthly reports, gen-
orally the latter"
us much stealing done in this wayp"
"Where it is practicable this is the
system generally followed. 1t is not so
easily detected rs direct stealing, and
seldom leaks out unless the conductor
when short of cash deals with a scalper,
and the matter is accidentally found
out in that way, or the railroad COM
pany becomes alarmed on account of
the decrease in its revenues, and sets
detectives to work the matter up.
When "A discovery of this kind is made
a clean sweep of the conductors follows.
Some railroads have tried to prosecute
the dishonest employees, but this so in
variably proved a failure that the plan
has been abandoned. The bell punch
as is generally known. has proved a
have settled down to the belief that the
only way to do is to employ honest con
ductors and watch them well.
Sour-kiout and brad wurst at Pioneer