The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-09-11
TALES OF STREET CARS.
EoW FARES ARE HELD UP BY The
CoNSCIEN CELESS PUBLIC.

THE Twenty-Dollar Bill Racket and
the "Iv'e-Been Touched" Method
How Women Cheat.
From, the Chicago Mait.
An old gentleman, shabby, stoop-shoul-
dered, and with long, tobacco-stained
-ybiskers, wildly hailed a South Halsted
street car. He climbed upon the rear plat
Form and nervously took hold of the con-
ductor's buttonhole.
Didn't ride with you last Monday"
mo. don't believe you did"
~ had plenty Of money them" he re-
marked. abstractedly, and with a sigh.
Ticket pleased" said the conductor, per-
emptoriy.
Didn't give you IS gold piece for a
nickel on that occasion" neekly inquired
the old man.
well, scarcely! 1 never received SIS
pold piece for a nickel in my life, and what's
,nore I never saw you before"
II had plenty of money Them repeated
-be old gentleman. as he attempted to run
his fingers through his matted beard.
'Blowed if | care whether We had or not.
All wants your fare now"
'Will YOU let me have a dime for little
somethin' to drink-coffee, mean"
"Ting!" Just one ring. The car stopped
and as it moved off the old gentleman was
in the street, shaking his fist menacingIy at
tbe conductor, and shouting that 'he had
plenty of money then"
Two, please" -
SMALLEST you've gota" asked the surprised
conductor as he looked at the $50 bill He
vent forward and collected from the other
passengers.
'"Fraid you'll get caught this time,n said
the companion of the first speaker. Both
we're HASTILY dressed and hailed from Indian
apolis.
Don't you worry" was the reply. 1--WE
travelled all over Chicago during the past
two DAYS and it hasn't cost me a cent. This
is the out run, and he won't rob himself of
all his change"
The conductor returned and began to dive
into his leather bound pockets. He began
with a s. bill then came five silver
dollars. then four halves; twelve quarters
followed, and the remainder of the changs
was thirty dimes, twenty nickels, and nine
ty coppers.
The conductor smiled gri1nly as he
turned away, while the little dudes pockets
we're bullying as if they'd burst. To add to
his chagrin number Of the passengers OBJ
served the transaction, and there was gen
eral laugh.
He and his friend vacated their seats at
the next crossing.
"a fellow the other day tried to play the
grandfather of all the gags to beat the con-
ductor on me-" said Randolph street man.
Il rather like to have new racket sprung
on me, but an old back number makes me
feel as if | wanted to get down and take the
place of one of the horses.
The other evening rather natty-looking
Young man got on at the fremont house. 1t
was the i'm run He had an evening paper
and buried his nose in the folds Of it. Up
near the bridge had all the fares collected
and had come to him. He was on the last
seat.
Ticket said 1.
OH! said he, surprised like. He raised
his eyebrows and looked as innocent as an
angel. He began to go through his pockets.
1t seemed as il he had dozen of 'em. Then
he made the round of 'em back again. He
took his time to it, too. By this time we
had got as far as Halsted street. In min
ute he sprung up, wildly excited, and slap
ping himself all over where pocket might
be supposed to hide itself, shouted out:
1--we been touched by gad.'
Touched, is it, said L. We'll, if you
don't get off this car quicker'n quick I'll
touch your pants with the toe of my boot,
and you'll feel it, too
He got off, but do you know what he
dido He ran up flight of handsome stone
steps. walked in without ringing, and gave
lived there Talk about iron enterin'
mans soul-by the way, didn't you forget
little matterm
Tickets Oh, yes, by George. Well,
really, !"
Don't mention it." and the man with the
register looked at the reporter with his sus-
picious off eye.
''But the ladies are the most successful at
obtainging free rides" said the same bell
ringer.
Theirs is also an old scheme, but l rare
" see it fail. And it is usually played by
the well-dressed and apparently able-to-pay
people. Besides, the woman who gets on
the car with the intention of beating her
fare is usually good looking. She founces
upon the car, Jostles everybody, plants her
self as if she owned the road, and takes up
space enough for two When | reach her
she searches her pocket and porte-monnaie,
Just like the man who said he'd been
touched, and then looks up in bewildered
way and stammers out between bushes that
she had left her pocket-book on the dressing
case-how awkward
"'Yes'm,' says; 1T is rather bad or
somethin' like that.
She fumbles little more and by this
time some gentleman has observed the whole
prOceedings-She always plays the game in
the presence of male passengers. She casts
an appealing glance about and then looking
up at me says:
well, presume I'd better get off and
go back
"Yes'm,' says 'That'd be the right
thing to do
Then one of the gentlemen comes to the
front and says: Excuse me, miss Don t
60 TO any inconvenience. Allow me to pay
your fare
"Seel She's won what she played for.
She smiles on him. He's happy and that
settles it. Great racket.
Il can bear all kinds, sorts, aud sizes of
abuse" said the man on the stock yards
line. II get it and | must put up with it.
man may cuss me until he's black i'll the
face and won't turn hair. But | posi-
lively object to being taken for machine.
The other night / was bringing in the
late car and number got on who had been
downtown taking too much whisky in their
water. One of them was a big raw-boned
fellow from Texas He wore high-heeled
boots, with his pants stuffed into them, and
acol of rope round his broad-brimmed
white hat de was doubled up in a corner
and pretty full. got my fare, when pres
entity he was aroused by the ringing of the
oel. / was then on The rear platform.
Staggering back through tho car he came
out and began fumbling with the registef.
was afraid he'd ring up an extra fare or
TWO on me and asked him what he wanted.
I-hic-I jist--hic-wanted to put a
nlckel-hic-in the slot--hic ter see how