St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1885-06-27
CUPID AND CUT RATES.
a New York Scalper's Romantic
Love Story.
THE scALpER's NARRATION.

THE SCALPEk , NARkAlION.
They say that ''all is fair in love and
war. The railroad companies have
found out that there is a good deal that
is not fair in.this war of cut rates. You
may think this is a joke If you've got
any such foolish idea as that into your
head, just tackle the first stockholder
you meet and see if he don't tell you it's
cold, hard truth. This sort of funny
business between the trunk lines you
cut my throat and cut yours, so to
speak-has made it lively for us. Too
lively, to be honest with you, when we
come to figure up the profits. I'd rather
see less people here in my Broadway
office and more money. Don't you see
for yourself that it is less wear and tear
on the nerves, not to speak of the furni-
ture, to sell twenty tickets a day at
clean commission Of three dollars a
ticket, than to sell hundred on a
fifty-cent margin, not to speak of hav-
inc to turn ourselves inside out as
universal railway guide and bureau of
information for two hundred more peo-
pie, who finally 60 to some other fellows
shop to buy their tickets?
The theory of our side of the railroad
business and the basis of our success
when we have any-is that half the
world wants to get something for moth
ing, something for less than it is worth,
something cheaper than the market
price. So you see, we don't have any
very altitudinous opinion of the class of
folks who mostly patronize us. Our
best customers are fellows who could
just as well afford to pay full rates and
never know the difference. Of course,
though, q good many poor people come
here, and in helping them save dollar
or two dollars, fee! as though we are
regular out and out, died-in- the-Wool
philanthropists
Funny customers? Do we have anyP
Do we have anything elseP | would
like to ask you. Some of them are reg
ular, but mostly transient. I'll tell you
about one of my regular customers if
You'll keep it to yourself. If it should
get out the bows would have the grand
laugh on me, from Canal street to the
Astor House. 1t was about six weeks
aeo-iust six weeks ago to-day if you
young woman came in and asked:
What does ticket to Chicago
cost?''
Seventeen dollars, I said.
Without another word she walked
out-except, / believe, she did say:
ssThank you'' in very low tone.
The next day she came again and
asked the same question and got the
same answer. The third time she came,
which was the day following, | noticed
her more closely. She was very plain
" dressed, but somehow her dry goods
looked better than some that cost a pile
of money. She knew how to wear
things like 3 lady. She might have
been a salesWoman or a schoolteacher
or anything of that sort that a lady
might be who was down in her luck.
She looked pale and sad, but there was
something brave in her eyes that made
a fellow respect her. At any rate, 1t
made me pull off my hat and lay my
cigar down and there are mighty few
folks / ever do either for in business
hours.
..What is the price of a Chicago tick
ct to-day?o
Sixteen dollars I said
There was just little glad streak
came into her tired face at the drop of
dollar that made me wonder how glad
she would look if the tumble had been
five times as large. But she only said
'sThank YOU, and walked quietly away
as before. I wondered if she would
come again, but the next day she was
here at about the same time Prices
had stiffened up again, and felt like q
brute when had to say Seventeen