The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-06-11
NoTARAIT For ROBBERS.
An Old Railroad Man Tells Why Pay
Trains Are Never Held Up.

"Why is it that train-robbers never
plunder pay-train?"
Because they know their reward
would be too insignificant"
That is the way an eX-railroad man
put it last night to Savannah NeaCS
reporter.
LESS money" he added, sis carried
on pay-train than any other kind of
train. Some folk imagine that the
pay of the employees of the two great
systems terminating here, aggregating
hundreds of thousands monthly, is
piled away in the cars and is hauled
over the road"
Isn't that the case?"
''Great Scott! no. Trains would be
robbed before they got we'll out of
Savannah. Besides, who would be
able to keep up with a carload of
money? 1t is largely silver and the
ten-cent pieces and the nickels and the
coppers would run away with things"
''How is the business conducted,
then?"
Easily enough. In fact, there is but
one way to properly carry it on. That
way is to draw on the banks at each
city for enough to pay off until the
next city is reached. For instance, in
leaving Savannah over either the
Savannah. Florida & Western railroad
or the Central railroad just enough
money is taken to pay off employees, in
cluding agents, track-hands, operators,
and others, at each of the stations.
This amount is not very large. The
largest amounts are paid out in the
cities. For instance, in Macon the
engineers, fremen, conductors, and
yard-hands and others of the Savannah
& Western railroad are paid off; in
Augusta the employees of the South
Carolina division of the Central are
paid off; the same is true with the
Savannah, Florida & Western railway.
By this means the largest sums paid out
amount to little more than a transfer
of money procured from the bank:
| through the paymaster of the railroads
to the employees. The sums paid ou
on the line between the headquarter:
of each division are small compared tc
the amounts paid out in the cities
| None of the engineers or tiremen OF
conductors or brakemen are paid off a
| points along the line. They are the
employees that get the largest pay"
The railroad man related an inciden
which took place several years ago
which he said put matters in baC
light and made the pay-train tempting
to train-robbers. A newspaper reporte
on one of the dailies of a western tow
wrote a long article stating how mucl
money it required to pay off the EN-
ployes of the road, and concluded b,
saying it was singular that the robber
seldom held up pay-trains. The figure
the newspaper man gave were correct
and the article attracted widespread
attention. Several officials of the roa,
went to the general manager about tn
matter and began to suggest remed,
for what they considered very ba'
practice.
The general manager explained t
them that tile amount of money carrie'
on pay-trains was small compared t
what is carried on a regular mail ant
express train, but the matter was no
settled until the newspaper man pull
lished an interview with the genera
manager. giving the facts and Stain
the manner in which business was con
Quoted on pay-trains. The railroade
said, however, that the danger of pay
train robbery is very slight. The roll
bers have posted themselves about thes
matters.