Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-06-20

THE SLICK SCHEME BY WHICH SLEEPING CAR
CREWS FLEECE THE COMPANY.
From the louisville Courier-Journal
Il tell you this for a fact" said an ex-con-
ductor to a JOu7sd, reporter. An honest man
cannot be success as a sleeping car condu ctor.
Fully ninety per cent of those engaged in the
business are 'on the make The porters are
i'm league with them. and when a new con-
ductor Is put on, unless he joins the ring, he
is sure to incur their dispeasure to such an
extent as to render his position unsafe. You
see was put on a run on the Union Pacific
from Omaha west to Ogden. IL Is a long trip
and on my first run had a crowded coach the
first day, On the second day there was also a
good deal OIL travel with me. and took I'm COLI
siderable money. That evening, when was
George, the colored porter, sat down be-
side me and asked me if wasn't going to
he and thine Ee eeed asked ss ms e and T .aa
that if didn't give him his share he'd
s sa1IIoa on Sar me WHY said he every
nice thing ont of it over and above his
salary At first l thought he was tempting
me TO default Oh the money had received for
the company, and told him that Ididnt want
any more OF that kind of talk from him. Then
he tried TO pass il off joke, and let il go for
that, but noticed that he changed of on the
run back, and his place was taken by another
porter, a very glib talking fellow who
afterwards learned was cunning rascal.
Woods would manage to be sent out with him
on a change off. But I'll tell you his tactics
with me. First he began to talk about George,
He swore he was a rascal, always wanting con-
ductors to knock down and divide with him.
OF course told him how he tried to work me-
and then he asked me il he told me of his plans
l answered In the negative, and then Woods
uniOlded.
THE ONLY CHECK
the sleeping car company has on q conductor
Is the linen furnished the porter. Each berth is
furnished with a set OF sheets and pillow cases
for each night of the trip. II ten sets OF soiled
linen are turned in, the conductor Is expected
to turn in the tickets or money for ten passen-
gers-$3O, or the equivalent But the con-
ductOr and porter are each allowed a
set OF linen, and by dispensing with ii and
then reporting Its use, they can knock down the
equivalent, 80. On q long trip, too, they can
make passenger use the same set OF linen for
more than one night, and there they are ahead
again: Of course, there has TO be an under
standing and fair 'divvy between the con-
ductor and portor. Sometimes, too there are
day passenSers, and they represent Just so
much clear gain TO the conductor and porter
woods further told me that all the conduo-
tors were In the ring and that the honest con-
ductor who stood out were always prosecuted,
because they feared II might attract attention
II one conductor turned In Q bigger average
than another"
al afterwards OWNED that Wood was sent
with me 70 sound me and put me on to the
after running one month, threw up my job,
and, with the recommendation and assistance
OF the superintendent OF the com pany, secured
work with the Wells Fargo Express company,
ana am now going out on the Northern Pa ci6c
tor them"