The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-04-09
TICKET sCALPING.
The Dcn,oraiizlng Effect on Railroad EN-.
ployes of this Objectionable business.


rhe Jeveio, meu,s ~ the recent trial. o
railway cnndcctOib in Pniltdelphis aud
elsew here for em b, zzlement briug t. light
q new feature IN tn 10 call d business al
,icket scalp'Rg, ard eSplsil very cl-nily
one of the priucip pal reasons f1r tho cruaHu
, vi ilh Is heing waged by the railroad com.
pani.e against tue gentry whose boast IL i-
hat they eau discount the standsrd rates OF
he companies. There vas tor 8 long time
an element oi Misery in this peculiar I.i-
fc. which was p~rtitlY disptlled when the
M, b DDS OF the scsiIer wers ventilated in
tne courts md BY ito clear expeditions oil
ra laoy clio rs On the subject.
/, Is app-reut that the scaiper derives
sone OF his support from sons Of the va
rious Inks, large abd small, Of the lDnger
lines nstwee, distant p0ilt As matter
u cOurse, rates by the va -i0us hes between
important ceuires must oe uniform, aad the
longer lines by reason Of their v eater
length and time OF transit, could not, and
very properly so, nope 20 btain bpy c,rsid-
erabls proportion OF the through traffic,
save by the operations OF the scsiper, who
huys for the inieniii & traveller who falls
into his hands n regular ticket by enc OF
ths Longer routes. sells Il to him for dol.
lar or 80 les, tnan 1t cost, collecting bonus
from several OF the abort lines ComposiRg
this route us q reward for divertiDg the
traveller iron, more direct lines, aud pocket
ing a lair pr fit on the transaction, al
though the passenger may MT be 30 fo,ta.
nate, 40 tho greater length OF time consumed
on ths hin, snd consequent increase In cost
OF meals aud lseping &C onm d atoms. NAV
more than cover the saving Ia the cost OF
the ,icks,, and the traveller ha, no compe
sa,ion for his lost time.
But This aud other operations which the
scnlper 10 wont to o jnsider as Legitimate, 4"
would scarcely explain tho magnitude
which his PR Il a must assume 70 maintain
him in the traffic. aud these late trials fur.
n,sh tho iniJrU alton necessary o con- plste
q 8. luton Of the nv stery. The tes'im my
showed that he roll way employees retained
the tickets collected from PASSENGERS snd
sold them NJ nominal raus 10 the sei pers
who reiold them G, travellers ut q dusount
from standard rates, the oim oanios nus
carry lag tso OK more passengers on the
same ticket.
These disclosures emphss'I, with painful
clearnpss the mor,l character OF tins scalp.
ing Ell tsrprise. For years past IL has beea
the aim of r.irond companies 80 to adjust
their rules and regulations ~ o relieve COO
duc,ors from even Ihs slighiest imputa ion
of di.honesty. Whether this has been rom
motives OF self terest or not IL INN aferlai
to the point II issue. The result hos been
apparent In tina esprit cu corrs' aud the
morale of their employees. The ferlipg
that, in view ot tho safeguards thrown
around tben, they were above su.p,ci,n,
hss wrought remarkable cnange In this
class OF employee, and has mad. the posi-
ton OF rsil wsy COZ ductor u highly honor.
able, &c II Is n r.spOnsiols and txs'tlDg
calling But just rs this condition OF thing
hiss been so happily contaminated, new
,lsment o. evil arisis aud It Is not strange
that. amongst such a host OF ernIl yes
some should be found willing to listen g.
the temptings OF the scalpur, and b,c ms
eventually his vii ling but guilty toos.
In the Cause Of morality and In hehsH II
Of an important and deserving class of rsl.
way employees, ge can cordially endorse t,e
Efforts OF the tr~nspo { 81 n | mes II Il 'eJy
sb ,!ish this tr ific, which has long he r a
misfemesnor In this state, and we earnestly
20 tnnt the various shtss will spt edlv
take cogn zanoe OF the growing evil snd oy
q atute similar t. our own. put the ecsll.r
under tho ban OF the law. aud comps rsl
road companies t. redeem, Tor c,sh, from
passengers their unused or psr,iary u,st
ticket. In the meantime the Traveller vii
do well to consider wnttner he can csniCi-
entiously ard the scaiper or Incur the hss
Il riding on a stolen ticket Pniladelpt
PfesI.