Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-11-24
Tie Sc0lpers at Work.


The scalpers and the railroad men look
ed yesterday like nest of cells struck by
lightning, and the general impression,
seemed to be that there is trouble eli
around; and with one execution all the
scalpers did not hesitate to say that the
entertainment would commerce imme-
diately. The one that constituted the ex-
oeption thought it was rather too late in
the season fer the war TO be much of an
affair. If it was early in the spring or IN
the midst of the summer travel there might
be some reason to think the
trouble would be serious, but
as the bulk of travel is over it would not
bs worth while to make fight on the win
ter business. One railroad man on being
asked what he thought of the situation
said he did not know what to think. There
WAS good deal OF smoke in the air, and
he could not tell which way it would blow.
All the circus performers, he said, were in
the dressing room turning somerseults
and getting ready for the grand entry.
When they all get into the ring then you
will see fun, and it will not be long either.
THE NEW MOVE.
The agreement entered into some time
ago by the local ticket agents of the Chica-
go, Milwaukee & st. Paul road, the Chicago,
Minneapolis Il Omaha and the Albert Lea
route, has been frequently explained in
these columns. The object of this agree
ment was to prevent all cutting of rates,
by fixing penalty for every infraction.
This agreement which included some of
the scalpers, has been continually violated,
and it seems to be beyond the ingenuity of
man to devise an agreement that railroads
and scalpers cannot defeat by secret ways.
The commotion yesterday was caused by
the withdrawal from the agreement OF W.
A. Miller, L. A. Peters and +. z. Johnson,
tnree we'll known brokers in tickets, known
as scalpers. The fact that they had
Withdrawn disturbed the rail
road men and set outsiders
especially railroad people at work to learn,
first, the cause of the withdrawal, and, sec
ord, what the effect was Likely to be. The
cause of the withdrawal could not be-
learned from anybody, railroad men or
scalpers, and it was just as difficult to learn
what the result was going to be. The
natural conclusion is that the scalpers
Withdrew from the agreement for the
reason that they could make more money
by being free from it than they conld by
staying in it. The scslpets were all jubi-
liant and do Kot hesitate to declare that the
railways have all been violating tho agree
ment right along by selling tickets below
the schedule prices. Grammar claims
that he has not sold single ticket for
cent less than the schedule price, notwith-
standing he was not included In the agree
ment, and that the reason he nsvigated his
passengers over the Albert Lea route was
simply bessuse Mr.. Whitaker had done
him several personal favors. He predicts
that the ball has been opened and that
tickets to Chicrgo will be sold very much
cheaper than they now are, and that in q
day or two the soalpers will all be by the
eaFs, and the public will be able to buy
tickets good deal cheaper than they now
can. MIR. Peters is sharp aud evidently
knows his business. He expresses the
opinion that the soslpers in st. Paul take
in moro money for tickets sold than is
taken in at the union depot for the same
purpose. 1t is q bigger bust
ness, he thinks, than people
generally think it is, and just as legiti.
mate business as is that of buying and
selling groceries. He also maintains that
it Is governed by the same principles.
Competition is the life of il, bat where
the money is made is in getting monop-
that the railroads must be necessarily in
volyed in the officially referred TO. All
they have to do is to keep still and allow
the scalpers to 6Eht it out in their own
way Then 1t will follow that the scalper
who has the most money will survive. As
he tersely expressed it, the longest pole
will knock of the persimmons. He wants
&c be let alone and bankers after free,
stand up fight. He is kind of a follow
er of Darwin, and believes in tbs sur
yival of the fttest.
The railroad men were disturbed not
withstsnding they endesvored to put on
an appearance of indifference. They GER
tainly thought it looked squally and sever
al conferences were held. Though none of
them could DO induced to tell what was
done or said at these meetings. it was as
certained that strenuous efforts would be
made to prevent the railroads from selling
tickets for less than the schedule price
agreed upon some time ago by the gener-
al managers, sDd adopted by the local
ticket agents. II this is done tbs scalpers
will have the light Gil to themselves. This