Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-26
WAR ON. THE SCALPER.
Roads Centering in Chicago to Make
an Attack on the Brokers.
THE GREAT PROFITS SECURED
By Those Successful in Opposition to the
Regular Agents.
RAILWAYS SECRETLY BACKING THEN

CHICAGO, July 25.-There is talk in the
air of an organized war on the scalpers of
Chicago by the railways centering in Chi
cago. The immediate occasion for it is the
suit by which Ed Mulford is seeking to pre-
vent the other scalpers from depriving him
of his membership in the American Asso-
citation of Ticket Brokers.
Mulford, as everybody knows, gaveup his
business as scalper in Chicago to enter the
service of the railway people and
assist in the work of breaking up
the system of scalping. He soon became
disguised with his new surroundings, and
threw up the job. Then he tried to resume
business at the old stand as a scalper, but
his brother scalpers would have none OF
him, and, in order to preserve his rights as a
member of the association, he has been COM
PEELED to resort to suit in equity.
PROFITABLE BUSINESS.
His case has called attention of all rail-
way people and of the public to the fact that
the scalpcr business is an enormously profit
able one, and to the fact that
it is in this State an illegal
business, punishable with much seyerer
penalties than selling liquor without a Ii
cense. For in this State, as in Pennsylva-
mia, statute is in force making it unlawful
for any person but an authorized agent, with
a certificate under the seal of the company
appointing him hung up in his Office, to deal
in a railway or steamboat ticket, and pun
ishes the terrible offense with fine of not ex-
ceeding $500 and Imprisonment not exceed
ing one year, either or both, in the discre-
tion OF the court.
The point that the Ticket Scalpers' Associa-
tion is an illegal organization in the State
Of Illinois, and that, therefore, Mulford's
suit must fail, will doubtless be made before
his suit has progressed very far, but that is
not what the talk of the railway people
above referred to is about. A sentiment Is
gradually developing among them that the
business of ticket scalping should be cut up
in its entirety bv the roots and completely
destroyed. And they argue that it would
be not only to their interest that this should
be done, but to the interest as well of the
general public.
THINK IT IS ROBBERY.
For, they say, every dollar made by the
scalper is dollar taken out of the fund
which should 60 to support this railway-to
keep up its way, maintain its rolling stock,
and pay dividends to its stockholders. As
Me tull-rate paying travellers have to sup
ply this und, it is they upon whom the loss
eventually falls, and 1t is in their interest
that it should be stopped.
The greatest difficulty in the way seems
to be in the camp of the railroad companies
themselves. They all, to greater or less
extent, have been occasionally using the
scalpers as catspaw to draw traffic.
When passenger travel fell off for some
unaccountable reason, the general passenger
agent turned over block OF tickets to the
scslper to sell on commission, and all his
rivals were obliged to follow suit. This has
been habitually done for manv years, it is
said, by a, certain railway leading
from Pittsburg's northern suburb to Chicago,
ana many dollar in commissions has been
earned from it by an enterprising scalper ON
Fifth avenue, near Wood street.
MUST DENY THEMSELVES.
IF the Chicago railways can make up
their minds to abstain from this pastime in
the scalper would be sealed. Certainly the
railroad men have all the Flaw" they need,
for, in addition to the statute referred to,
there is the Interstate commerce law, which
prohibits the giving of commissions to
scalpers when it enjoins the sale of tickets
to all persons on equal terms.
An old railway man, In a reminiscent
mood, this evening said that the business of
ticket scalping had its origin in Pittsburg.
Its father was man with the poetical name
of Motherspaugh' The through rates to
Western competitive points, such as Chicago
st. Louis and. Cincinnati, were vastly less
than the passenger would have to pay if he
had taken a ticket to Pittsburg and
had there bought tickets for the
balance of the route. Motherspaugh
started to buying up the cou pons from Pitts
burg to Western points, and made big
money by it. and gave birth to the business
which in the course of years ripened into a
reputable calling.
A MILLION A YEAR.
It is estimated that in the city of Chicago
alone ten scalpers draw $1,000, 900 year
from the revenues of the railroad compa-
nies centering here, Edward Muliord
went into the business poor and
worked up trade to point which justified
him in paying S12, 900 to S15, 900 per year
clerk hire. He lives like lord on the
Northside, drives fast horses, owns valuable |
real estate and always has plenty of money.
Eustus v. Lansing, of New York, made
a round million in scalping. Harry c. |
Maeder, of Louisville and Cincinnati, has
made liberal fortune. So has P. M Ward, |
of Toledo, and so has Charlie Kimball, of |
st. Paul. though the latter has since parted |
with much of it in unlucky mining ventures. |