Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-09-21
HAD TO GO AND He WENT.
RODE TO DENVER ON A WOMAN'S
TICKET AND STRUCK LUCK.
How Ticket ScaIper Helped a Nan Along
on the Road and incidentally Saved
Himself Fifteen Dollars.


ticket was worth fifteen dollars, and in two
days he received it by mail. Casually
CHANGING at it with his customary method
ral business habits, he Immediately sent
fifteen dollars to the seller. In rounding
mp the days business, however, and taking
account of stock he discovered that his
Denver ticket was issued to woman
Mrs. Alice B!ackwood.
Now here WAS d 90. Women never called
TT his Office 20 buy tickets, and it was al
most impossible to find a woman who
would consent to use a scalper's ticket.
On the day on which the ticket expired
q lean, !ank, double jointed, unsophisti-
Gated young man entered his Office and
said: Friend. have you got anything to
Denverf"
Yes, I've got ticket to Denver, stran-
ger, but you can't Use it; it's for woman"
The visitor calmly replied: Friend, can
use anything. Pm bound to go to Denver,
and if can't get a ticket start to walk
this very night" Tie ticket broker re-
euested the stranger to write the name,
Alice Blackwooi, to correspond with tho
name upon the ticket and was Mortified to
See the man turu his head to one side and
stick out his tongue in an effort to write
hand him the paper with the name written
thereon. The characters, as they appeared
10 the scalper, would have suliiced to OBJ
tain n bundle from any Chinese laundry,
and the hope of getting fifteen dollars for
the Denver ticket sank ont of sight.
Stranger" said he, you won't do; you
can never use that ticket"
Friend, can use anything; | must go
fo nar.,.a- - "a +r-3y-nler
Now, the scalpcr had young man in his
Office who was an expert penman, apd en-
couragad Dy the man candor and the hope
of saving that fifteen dollars, he put him
10 work. and in ii few minutes the name on
the ticket was changed to read from Mrs
Alice BachwOod" to Mr. Alico Black
wood"
The ticket had to be countersigned and
stamped AZ the general Office at the depot
before it could he used, and this had to be
done d:screetly or detection would follow.
The expert pcnInan wrote the name Alice
BlacHwool on the back of the ticket to
CORE, pond with the name on the face
thereof. and the stranger was told to go to
tue depot, watch the arrival of an eastern
train, and, when the crowd should gather
about the ticket Office, to have the ticket
b,o,ter and pretend TO write, and then get
IN fuss with somebody by pretending
that they had tramped on his toes. At the
same time he was instructed to demand
that his ticket lie stamped lie was told
he must get up some kind OF excitement to
attract the attention Of the ticket agent
from too close scrutiny OF the changed
ticket.
Tta liu-pnal 9++ar,Yiya1- Otsl cir live
ing: Friend, can do anything. for Eve
got to get to Denver" took the ticket and
departed for the depot. Little hope had
the scalper that the ticket rs changed
would pass muster, yet lie slipped across
the street and had half dozen business
cards written, reading, "Alico BlGcllwood,
attorney at law" In the course of two
hours the man returned from the depot,
having successfully obtained the general
Office stamp on the back of the ticket,
greatly to the surprise of the broker
The Traveller was then given the business
cards and advised to be on his dignity, and
If the conductor offered to put him off the
train To take two or three Of the passen-
gers names, hand the conductor one of the
cards with the remark, You will hear
from me later, sir" and to make the con-
said the scalper. and you may perhaps get
to De.ver on that ticket, but | would not
give you five cents for your chance. The
is that you VIII be put off the
train before it gets five miles. Now you
can go! won't charge you cent for the
ticket, bur if you get 10 Denver all right
want you to send ne fifteen dollars"
Friend, all right, you have done me a
&C. oil Ia
stranger said. rs he pocketed his business
cards aud walked away. The broker, in
he good nature, felt sorry for the man.
He had no idea that he would get beyond
the shadow of the depot cns the Changed
ticket, and almost regretted that he had
given 1t TO him Months passed No
fews came from the ticket and the Incl
dent had almost slipped from the scalpers
mind, when one day lie received a letter
"A crisp ten dollar bill, which
read as follows:
Tin Cur, Colo.
"FEIEND-You did me big favor, and
rot to Denver 0. X on that ticket.
Things are picking up with me. and send
lou ten dollars on account.
JOHN SMITH"
Several months again rolled round, when
mother letter c4me to the broker as fol
Ows:
TIN CUP, Colo.
"FEIEND-Things are coming my way,
IND send you ten dollars for balance on
dat Denver ticket: the extra five dollars is
or your trouble aid for interest.
JOHN SMITH,
Attorney at Law. Collections a specially"
To say that the scalper was surprised by
Ihe second letter. in finding out that his
II ranger and gaunt friend had hung out
bls shingie, and was attorney at law at
lin Cup Colo, but family expressed his
feelings. d
Time rolled on, and again the incident Of
Tie Denver ticket had escaped the scalper's
rliEd. when one day one of the most prom
inent business men in Kansas City visited
MS Office and wanted ticket for Tin Cup,
Colo. He and the scalper were old acquaint-
InceS, and the former bewailed his fate in
having TO make the trip. He said that he
mad large property interests at Tin Cup,
iul that he was having great trouble with
- agent, who failed TO collect, remit, or
correspond with him; that he was greatly
pressed by business affairs at home, and
nd not have the time 20 make the trip to
Colorado, and expressed desire to have
lome good Man to look out for his interests
there.
AT this juncture the scalper happened to
think of John Smith, attorney ut law.
collections speciality" and told his visitor
Inc story Of the Mrs. Alice Blackwood
ticket. Correspondence was opened be
tween the Kansas City man and John
Smith, attorney at law, which resulted in
The latter being made sole agent and man
Fn- h.a 10