The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-07-30
THE WAY m WHICH WORKMEN ARE
WATCHED DAY AND NIGHT.

] veiIlancc-Ihe Police No Exception.
in one Of the police courts the other
day young man giving an assumed
name was arraigned on a charge OF
lettering, and a suggestion Of suspicious
character" was also made to the judge.
who imposed a fine Of SO upon learning
that the young man was employed by
one Of the big surface railway companies
as "spotter," and he claimed that lott
ering on street corners was part Of his
unenviable calling.
The hatred displayed by the conductors
for these monitors in their affairs needs
little proyocation, and is only equaled
by the anger Of a bartender when the
proprietor Of a saloon buys one Of those
automatic check writers and registering
machines. As rule the conductors get
to know tho men who are watching
them, and they are mighty careful to
ring up every fare received when the
spy is around, and they generally keep
well posted regarding their movements
one conductor telling another Of the
proximity Of the dreaded Individual as
he moves along the lines.
0N TIE STREET CARS.
The spottor who appeared at court
prisoner was searched, and in one Of his
pockets was found number of blanks
on which he keeps his memoranda. The
/ spaces to be filled i'm report the day Of the
month. year and the exact time Of the
day mt which car is boarded and in
which direction the car is going. Then
follow the number Of fares recorded by
the dial in the car and the number of
fares received by tho conductor in his
presence The report goes OH further TO
state: Was the conductor polite; Was
he carclcss2 Was he watchfuI as to as
sisting ladies and children on and oil OF
his car? Was the driver careful with his
! team,
The simple mention Of the word spot
ter is enough TO bring out a storm of in
dignation from the ordinary railway en-
ploye. Every time ] hear of one of
these fellows" said q conductor Of
cross town car the other day, lit makes
me think that my employers think that
wo are all dishonest. The bell punch
is looked upon by the conductors as "a
badge of dishon0r and, as far as beating
! the punch, why it is just as easy to for
/ yet 90 ring il as it is 10 fail TO pull the
strap ON the big dial indicator
"lfa man wants TO bedish oncst no bell
/ punch on dial can prevent him from do
ing so could point out spoilers, any
number of them, who are laughed at by
the men ON this road. Some Of the dirty
Worl, is done bv women who pretend to
be reading q book. but who, in reality
/ arc keeping cases on the unsuspcctlng
conductor. Ii man ia our business is
/ disposed TO ho dishonest and is not
fool. an the spoilers in Christendom
can't catch him. The crowded cars are
/ his best field, for who can tell whether
he rings mp for every passenger or slips
one here and there. At night he viii
have few more nckels in his jeans
than he is obliged to turn in, but the
company is none the worse for il.
I've run ON this road now for two
years." said another conductor on the
same line. and l think in that time ]
have seen about fifty different spoilers
/ know thcm thc minute they get on the
car. The first thing they do is TO size
YOU up: and every time you pull the
strap they look at the dial to see If II
registers correctly. They are unlike the
ordinary passenger, insomuch rs they
wear an air of assumption that gives
| them dead away"
The 81" roads have spoilers also
| but not TO watch the train hands. These
persons are called inspectors" and they
prowl around from station to station at
the most unseemly hours, just to catch
tho drowsv agent or ticket chopper
asleep on his post or neglecting his
business in any way.
EVERYBODY WATCHING.
The policeman breads his roundsman.
for he knows that officer is appointed to
spy upon him and report any failure to
perform his duty. And yet what would
! the police force amount to if there was
no such officer TO watch the policeman:
The Railways would be the sleeping place
for some and the drinking saloons the
/ rendezvous for others.
"No man who is honest at heart, said
well known police official the other
day. "nceds any watching A policeman
+ ought to be the last man TO object to be
ing watched, for he is in turn only hav-
in, done to him what he does to the
public-looking for delinquents. In the
one case he is looking for lawbreakers'
in the other he is being watched so that
he will not commit breach Of police
rules. And so il is in all cases where one
man is employed TO watch another.
1T is not our desire to be good in many
cases that keeps US from doing wrong
but our fear Of punishment either by
fines. Imprisonment or the dread OF hell
fire. II we don't have some one over US
10 remind us Of this punishment coca
sionaily we poor weak mortals are liable
to err"
The day laborer is hourly under The
eve of tho boss" the boss is watched
low the contractor, the contractor 10y the
architect and the whole crowd by tn
city's building Inspector
The ciearmaker is watched by the fore
man; the factory girl who works on small
articles that could be easily carried away
is under the surveillance Of the forSiady'
The girl in the candy store by shecashier,
and the respectable customer in any OF
the biz stores is under the watchfuI
eve OF tho floor walker. The cashier Is
watched by the bookkeeper, the shipping
F., clerk by the superintendent, and in many
! casts the partners in a business watch
each others methods There is no end TO
| the watching and spying upon business
neople. and the ouly one who escapes II
! i the journalist. New York Star
4 row occurred on the incoming ac'
lcommodation train. at winchester
-, -, ..:,,bf kaf,vpen number Oh