Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-12-19
A Conductors Point of View.

From the Chicago Tribune.
One has no idea of the many tricks that are
resorted to in order TO beat the company out OF
paltry nickle. For instance, We viii leave
down town in the evening with such heavy
load that the car is several blocks on the north
side Of the river before the conductor can get
through the car and to the rear platform to col
lect the fares there. When the car had started
from the South Side terminus this platform had
been SO filed that it was almost impossible to
obtain foOthOld, but when the conductor sings
out Fares, please" there are only half dozen
remaining. Another dodge is to get on the car
from the front platform about the time il reaches
the bridge and the conductor has reached the
rear end in collecting. This class of beats open
the front door and step inside, trusting to luck
not to be noticed by either conductor or driver
Frequently these parties will insist on being
asked, that they have paid their fares. and as a
rule the conductor is in such doubt that they re-
ceive the benefit.
But OF cOurse,in these schemes 1t is the COM
pany that suffers" continued the conductor,
land people think it is no particular concern to
the employees but in the majority of cases the SER
want Is Just as indignant at the tricks the corpor-
alton giving him employment. But they don't stop
with attempts to detraud the company-the con-
ductor frequently suffers at their hands | had
an instance in coming down the other night An
old gentleman-nO. that's not the word for such
thing as him-whO Is worth cool 800 900,
got on my car. 1t was fairly we'll crowded The
old man sat next to a well-known attorney.
When | collected his fare he handed me IS
bill. | gave him the exact change counting it
twice, as I always do, to prevent a mistake.
Then l collected another fare and was about to
go back to the rear platform, when the Old man
stopped me.
Here. conductor" says he, II am an old
man and can't see very good, but can't make
make out the right change here, and think it,
quarter short"
81 gave the right change, 1 am sure" said I.
"Well, count this for yourself" said he.
you'll find it as have stated
SO l counted it over, and. sure enough. the
Old man was apparently right. l said something
about 1t being strange. and about that time the
Old fellow clustered up and wanted to know If
the North Side company paid its conductors to
cheat people. and intimated that he would see
that the matter went to headquarters. We'll. a
poor man witha family on his hands can't always
do as he pleaSeS, even in this land of the free
and was about to hand him over another quar-
ter when the attorney, who afterward remem-
bered had been fdgeting around uneasily all the
time, said:
Don't you do anything of the kind. The old
man Is lying and he knows it. He has slipped
that piece Of money on the seat beneath him.
and he knows it,
At first the old man was disposed to resent
these plain-spoken words, but the lawyer was
determined, and [ became more courageous
when | found | had friend. So we Induced
the old man to get up, and there, sure enough,
was the missing coin. The old wretch made a
vain effort to show surprise and was anxious to
smooth matters over, but neither the lawyer nor
for him, and at the next street he alghted from
the car. On several occasions since then he has
been about to get on my car, but on seeing me,
would sneak away and wait for another.