Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-26
PASSES ON THE RAILWAY.
Some People Who Ask for Them and no,
They Are Given the ShnLa

Some People Who Ask for Them and How
They Are Given the Shake.
s. NONGRESSMEN SELDOM ASK US FOR
~ free passes" said a railway man to q
STAR reporter. "On the other hand the clerks
attached to committee rooms and the private
secretaries Of prominent men are most fire.
quent among our petitioners. Do they get
them2 Not usually. You see, in dispensing
such favors We consider chiefly the question
whether the applicant 10 able to do the road
any service.
1T is very funny to observe how general the
impression seems to be among applicants for
passes that they are able to be Of servic to us.
You would imagine from the way they talk that
most of them are the very pillars Of the road.
They declare very often that they individually
throw into our hands thousands Of dollars
worth of passenger traffc::and on the strength
of that plea they demand free transportation
for themselves. Such persons - these are to
be found lurking by dozens around the hotel
corridors.
I'VE find very many applicants Of this sort
among the people in the departments. Once
having got pass they have acquired taste
for travelling free Of charge, and they do not
like the notion Of paying their way any more.
40 &c soAeniliS ~" Tue uapit OF gourneylng
by rail gratis grows upon the individual. I
knew Philadelphia man once upon Q time
who had an annual pass between Philadelphia
and Harrisburg. Having little occasion to
travel he did not use his privilege at all until
the week before his document expired: but
during that week he did nothing but travel
back and forth between Harrisburg and Phila-
delphla, just for the sake Of the feeling that he
was getting something for nothing.
"Iramps used to apply TO us very often, but
our way to get rid Of them has always been to
send them to the sanitary Office. That office. az
you are aware, has an arrangement with the
railways for sending out Of the District anv
persons who desire to get away, preferriup TO
do this rather than permit them to become a
charge upon the community. Such people we
grant half rates. Among the impecunious un-
fortnnates who ask for passes are numerous
candidates for situations in the government
service who have failed to secure places. They
have come here perhaps comfortably supplied
with money, but have gradually expended Il
while vainly pursuing the official wlll-o' the
wisp. Finally they get dead broke and
make Q plea for transportation on the
ground OF the presumptive benevo-
lence Of the corporation. To show them that
this il q mistake on their part We steer them to
the channel afforded all pennies strangers for
getting out Of town.
"Women, II they are given Q chance will
work the pass system for ell it Il worth. and
more, too. We choke them OF whenever Il d
possible. To Sisters Of Charity railways ordi-
narily grant low uniform rate. Newspaper
men, Notwithstanding the opinion TO the con-
trary commonly held, travel ON passes COM
paratively rarely. On the whole, they pay
their way - we'll - other people do. Crsnks
sometimes apply, but We have various wsys Of
getting rid Of them, depending upon their
character"