The sun., 1889-12-22

How They Signal Across the Trachs-Free
Passes for Mistaken Persons.

TICKET CHOPPERS JHJEGHAPdI'
How They SIGNAL Across the Traehs-Fres
Passes for Mistaken Perpons.
Curious travellers on the elevated roads
have sometimes noticed queer actions on tho
part OF tho men who chop tickets ut the differ-
ont stations. the exact nature OF which varies
according to the station. but the general pur-
pose or lack OF purpose OF which seems to be
similar. At most Of the stations, those where
the ticket choppers on the up and the down
sides sit directly opposite each other. tho
operation ia comparatively simple. One chop
per will suddenly stand up. look toward the
other, and shout:
"Hnyl Twop at the same time holding up
two fingers. Then ne will sit down again with
the nir Of man who has done his duty.
At some stations the operation is moro In
tricate. At Eighth street, on Sixth avenue, for
instance. where the uptown station is a block
further down than the down. town ono, and the
ticket choppers are n good distance apart, one
OF them will occasionally be seen to pick up
big wooden club, like half stick OF cord wood,
and walking out 10 the nearest OF the small
iron pillars supporting the roof OF tho platform.
to hit 1t n resoundinR whack with tho club.
When assured by q motion Of some sort that
tho other chopper has heard tho bang. the
chopper with the cordwood hauls off again and
gives the unofrendng post from ono to three
or four more whacks. according to his pleasure.
striking the blows very deliberately, 80 that
each separate bang can easily be counted.
Then he looks again ut the other chopper. mods
his head and sits down by his choppng box.
At 125th street, on the west side, where the
two stations are In line with each other be-
tween tho tracks and 1t is impossible for the
choppers to see each other, one OF the men will
sometimes be seen to take u small whistle from
his pocket, and, lenning to tho open window
near his box, blow shrill blast upon 1t out into
tho open air. Then he listens. and, when ho
hears an answering toot from the other chop
per. he whistles again, one, two, three. or moro
times. making each blast distinct and separate.
as II 1t wore to DO counted. Then he listens
again, agar and. Il no hears no answer seems to
Such Eoings on az this are very mysterious
the country often stand and stare at the ticket !
choppers on such occasions as II they were
witnessing some mysterious incantations or
tho rites OF some secret society of railroad en-
ployees that might be going to tie up the whole
system and stop all the trains with three
whistles. or got an increase OF wages with two.
1t is all very simple though, when explained.
and 1t is the country folks who are chiefly the
sake OF city folks pride It may be better TO law
When the elevated roads were first started
form when they wanted 10. take an up-track
train; and didn't discover. their blunder until
lhob Ilou ulOpIleu tuolE llChSlo lnlu IHc DDA,
used to be out 5 cents each. There were lots of
such people. and the ticket chopper used to
such the % mechanism ism Of the e choppine @ box and
demonstrating The utter fmpossibility Of get
ting out a ticket that had once gone in; Tho
people concerned did not always take tho eX-
tested desire to punch the ticket chopper for
they did it. That was unpleasant for tho
ticket chopper. Sometimes they vented their
qA hs
men for being, punched and the dislike
there has grown up tacitly.a custom by which
people who drop their tickets into the wrong
about it, can get admittance through the gates
on the other side Of the track without dropping
his % tho box he
Is on the wrong side of the track and tells tho
chopper about it, the latter tells him to go
right, and then, the chopper. by calling out
one" by whacking post once with club. by
other understood way informs tho chopper
at the other station that he is to pass one per-
box II there is % more than % one me- person @ this this
way at time. tho number Of whacks or toots
indicates how many. When zen the person comes es
ticket being In the other box; the chopper cuts
him 2, short s With M a wave Of the hand and SAYS
and credulity OF the chopper. This is much bet
Ter inc chopper tuuu Doing puncD6Q, ana lL
saves wear and tear OF ticket boxes for tho |
company. 1t also saves the passengers the |
hye cents they used TO lose every time such
thing occurred.
1t would scarcely be believed how common a |
thing 1t Is for passengers to got on the wrong |
platform. Literally hundreds OF people do It |
eyery day in New York. The strangers proba- |
bly, do 1t oitener than others, but II is pretty |
nearly as likely to DO born and bred New |
Yorkor who has been riding on the roads ever |
since they were built. A person who Is accus-
line is peculiarly apt to get turned around In |
this way whenever he starts to take n trip q |
little out Of his usual routine as TO time or |
upon q line on the other side OF the city from |
that on which ho generally travels. Often |
parties OF four or five will march up to the |
down station in the evening when they want to |
go home alter the theatre without one of |
them noticing anything wrong until all the |
tickets are dropped into the box. Very often |
themselves that they say nothing to the chop |
per about it, but wait on the platform until a |
train comes In and then walk out through the |
gate with the passengers who get of. and so |
get across to tho right station they hope. with
out their mistake having been noticed. The |
choppers haye q good deal OF quiet fun out of |
such folks. 1t Is not part of the choppers |
duty to go out OF his way to inform such par
ties that they can save five cents a head by |
Yhack post with club once for each head. |
Probably II he did do 30 no would be scowled |
at, and the party would actually take wrong |
train and get Off to make the change ut the |
next station rather than acknowledge that |
they had made such n mistake.
HER SWIFT REYENGE