Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-05-02
RUNNING DOWN PATRONS.
HOW sHRgWD RAILWAY AGENTS MAN
AGE TO SECURE PASSENGERS.


ton Of , Stranger@Results.
People who travel much run up aeairs
many strange experiences Not the least O
these are the curious ways adopted by tn
trunk lines running west from this city to s.
cure PASSENGER It is an experience that on,
has only in . very few other cities in the coun
try. In Chicago, St Louis and New Orlean.
virtually the same methods are pursued, but
tina experience can be had in no other eastern
city than New Yerk The strange experience
all comes about in this way: A resident Of
Chicago, for example, tired Of the wheat
speculative business. and the continued swag
GER about how much greater the Lake City il
than is St Louis, decides to leave there and
come 10 New York to got some idea Of wha.
the great world is Ike, and what real bust
ness Is,
THE TRAIN OF CIRCUMSTANCES
BE goes to local Office Of, say, the x Y
& z road in that city and buys a ticket for
New York He wonders, perhaps, why the
ticket agent is 50 suave, why he is so anxious
about his patrons health, and why he asks 30
politely his name, when be is to return west,
and perhaps at what hotel he is to stop when
In New York. He wouldn't wonder If be
knew all the inns and outs Of the railway
passenger business. He learns something Of
them before he gets back to Chicago. It is
learned by reason Of train circumstances
which he has unconsciously set in motion
when he talked to that suave ticket agent in
Chicago. That ticket agent, having secured
the money for the passage east, wants
another whack at that pocketbook when the
passenger comes back home. So, in the case
cited, the ticket agent would sit down and
write to the local agent Of X Y. & 2. here,
Mr. James Buckley, something like this:
CHICAGO, Jan Joseph n. Thompson
left here to-day on ticket No. 137, 423 over
our line. He is going to spend week in
New York, and will probably stop at the
Metropolitan hotel Catch him for the return
trip. Travels first class and sleeper
@KETCHUM & SELLUM"
Mr.. Thompson does arrive here, and one Of
the K Y. & rs men who daily scans the list
Of hotel arrivals for old patrons of the road
finds that Mr.. Thompson is reported in the
daily hotel paper as guest at the Metropoli-
tan Mr.. Thompson takes in the town in the
most approved style, perhaps, and finds out
that Chicago isn't much of a town after all
MIR. Thompson has about finished business or
when he is met either in the
lobby Of the hotel or the bar-room by spruce
yonng man who would be offended at being
called a runner But he is a runner all the
anne. The two fall into conversation natur-
ally, take drink or a smoke together natur-
ally, and Thompson is led to tell the day on
which he is going TO start home. This last is
done unwittinsly. Then the young man asks
Thompson how he came east, and Thompson
NY he came by way Of the X Y&Z.
And you are going back by the same route,
suppose, because they always treat one so
well on the x Y & z" remarks the Young
man casually.
He isn't stunned a particle when Thompson
replies: Il thought I'd try another road
going back SO as TO take in the scenery The
runner had met such people before and mad
talked them out Of the scenery theory
People who make such experiments usually
regret them, he remarks, .because, you see.
hey miss the much more romantic scenery on
he K. Y. & z. Take a train back over the
anne route, Thompson" he advises, .and see
he country you missed seeing coming on
ast. You see you were asleep when You |
'assed through the most picturesque territory |
N the route. That's misfortune that east |
'ound passengers have to be subjected to- !" |
And the runner looks as il he actually be- |
ieved the fiction he relates, and signs over |
What Thompson missed in the way Of scenery |
oming east And it costs s1.5o more to go |
y way OF the other route, too adds the |
prucs rallroad man THAT pays for two
meals" With this shot, which touches tho
side Of the wild westcrner, who |
cells that during his visit here lie has "blown
a. little more money than he ought to have
one, the runner leaves him The shot has
truck and the spruce young man goes his
ray
The next morning, when Thompson comes
own to get his cocktail-so as to save 10
ent TIP TO boy to bring it up to his room
9 finds letter in his box That letter draws
ttention to the fact that the X Y. & z.
oed continues to be picturesque, continues to
$l.O cheapt' in its rate for tickets than
be other route, continues to furnish meals
Or % cents each-two meals for the S1.50
aved-and continues to have sleeping coaches
nd various other things for the comfort and
onvenience OF Its patrons 1t also gently,
ut firmly indicates that trains leave accord
,s to the inclosed schedule, and that its Off
b are plainly designated on that schedule.
thompson always reads, commonly figures up
IS finances, generally yields to the combined
= way of the Y. Y. z. road
There are other ways in which these visit
IS east are unconsciously roped in, so to
,cak, by the shrewd local agents or by the