The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-10-25
SOME TRICKS
OF THE TRADE.
Local Agents Are Again at Their
Old Schemes.
Dummy" Passenger Visits Several of the
Railroad Agencies and Is Promised Sub
stantial Rebate.on Two Boston Tickets.

IF there is any way to prevent ra e. ut
| ting among the passenger agents of COM
| peting lines the gentlemen at the head of the
| great transportation companies have not
| discovered it yet. The problem is one of
| great moment, as may be readily seen from
| the attention it receives from associations
| composed of men whose duty it is to regu-
| late this class of traffic. In all the history
! of passenger business out of California
never has rate-cutting been practiced SO
| openly as at the present time.
| The local agents are at their old tricks.
regardless of consequences, for the lnyest-
| cations, edicts, pains and penalties of the
| TrauScontinental Association have lost their
| terror, and even the supposed check of inter-
| state law fails TO do the work in the face OF
| schemes that are dark and ways that are
| devious.
! In past years the agents have been re-
stricted in a measure by local agreements,
which imposed for violation severe fines,
| but since the compact of January l, 1891.
| was buried they have been foot-free, so to
speak, and are now revelng in the delights
| of a gO-as-you-please race. for trafilc. AS
| an example OF what is being done, the
Stockton wrangle may be cited.
A few weeks since Sells circus divided at
this point, and a party of fifty employees
| wanted to go Ea st. A representative OF
| every line handling business out OF San
| Francisco was at once dispatched 10 Stock
| ton with instructions to offer rebate, rang
| ing from s. to S15 on each ticket, the latter
| figure beinSgiven by the line securing tile
| travelers-the Santa Fe.
GENERAL DECENTRALIZATION EXISTS.
Other instances might be given to prove
| the general decentralization in rates now eX-
| listing. A fay0rite method Is found in pre-
| Senting the passenger with Tree sleeping
car tickets and another aud more dangerous
nj il n OnhnlV offer cash commission.
ranging from So to SIS, always given, how
ever, to the purchaser through third party,
the agent thus avoiding the odium attached
| to direct payne Mt and at the same time an
| outrage to his conscience.
As test of the actual state of affairs, and
the methods now being so openly practiced.
| dummy" was employed yesterday to Visit
several OF the agencies on Market aud Mont
| gOmery streets, with the ayOwed Intention
| of purchasing two tickets to Boston. He
was furnished with list Of offices, and in
structed to pose as a prospective traveller, Ill
a big hurry to reach his Eastern home.
He called first ct the Santa Fe. where he
encountered Mccarthy, the curly-pated
| European, representing the system. After
allowing himself 10 smile very sweetly the
agent proceeded to explain to the passenger
the advantages of his road its fast time,
splendid scenery Especially at Mojave). IL
lustratng his remarks meanwhile by point
ing to the fire on canvass" with which the
did effort did not move the passenger to
tears as Mccarthy expected, and after few
minutes he metkly ASKED the price OF
ticket to Boston.
HE WATCHED HIS VICTIM.
The agent quoted him rate of SGT and
watched his victim carefully to note the eff
feet. TIE dummy" sho TX his head. Too
high" he said m0urnfully. 81 can do bet-
ter down the street" Mccarthy talked and
the traveller listened, but it was OF no use.
At this junctuTe the sidewalk man was
called in and directed to take the passenger
to Ottinger's, where rate to suit would
be given"-a Santa Fe rate, of course, but
done by a third party.
Once inside the Office the dummy" left
his escort suddenly without any explanation
and drifted into the Baltimore and Ohio.
Peter Harvey was behind the counter and
saw in his caller sure thing" Ticket
to Boston? On yes? Going alone? When
do you leave? The price? $50 80" After
long talk the passenger about made up his
mind to purchase, but before doing SO he
asked the question::
"What line shall | 60 OveT?"
ANY line you choose" was the reply.
"Can ! go over the Union Pacifc?"
The agent hesitated, but finally was
forced to admit that the S62 30 rate applied
to the Northern route" The passenger
did not quite understand the Northern
route" and when pressed further Harvey
acknowledged that he had quoted the Cana
dian Pacific differential rate, which was
tacit admission of another method Of rate
cutting.
The next Office visited was the Texas
Pacific. Mike Welch was found at the
desk with his usual urDanity-which, by the
way, was carefully concealed. He used
every argument to persuade the traveller to
buy at tariff rates and VIXEN he found that
1t was of no use advanced cheaper propo-
sltion. I'VE may be able" said ne. to do
something for you down below. Go down
to our branch Office with my assistant and
we will make rate to suit you" The
passenger went as requested and was taken
to the Chicago and Alton, where the
dazzling Mr.. Meyers preSides.
AGAIN THE THIRD PARTY.
Movers started of with ate OF SGT, but
finally impaired the Information that COM
mission Of So on a ticket would be paid.
The dummy" again saw the third party
scheme" and promised 20 return In an hour
and take ticket for Boston. Just outside
the Alton Office lie was accosted by two
solicitors, one of whom he recognized as
Santa Fe man.
They Induced him to 90 with them to OF
finger. the Santa Fe's rate-maker. Here he
was offered fiat rate of SCI, via the Santa
Fe to Boston. His next stopping place was
at the Union Pacific, where the unearthiy
vsage of Billy Vice at first frightened him
exceedingly, but being treasured by the
kind words of Acting Superior Burke lie
the ticket counter.
Here also lie was offered a cut rate, pro-
yiding the commission should be paid to
him by q third party. Crossing the street
the traveller passed into the Denver and Rio
Grande, but received little attention from
the young man in charge, who was busy in
supplying tickets to outside rate-cutterS.
The Erie office was then given call. Cen
eral Agent Mccall was engaged in growing
gray and trying to appear happy. He was
finally aroused, however, and promised the
visitor a substantial rebate, with the same
old song of a third party.
TOM MKAY WAS NOT IN
At the Burlington. Ticket Agent Madgett,
the hero of recent chariot race Mt Stock
ton, was found. The dummy" had been
told to ask for Tom Mckay at this Office
and did so, but learned that Tom was ex-
ploring San Francisco Bay on United
States revenue cutter with Varney Gaskill
looking for Australian tramp steamers.
So the traveller did business with Madgett,
who readily agreed to heavy commission.
Perhaps" continued the agent, you had
better wait until Tom comes down, as he
attends to such matters" The man agreed
to this and went to the Rock Island. Jones
was on deck, while Waugh slept soundly in
the back office. Ticket business is dull"
explained Jones" "and not what it used to
be. Going to Boston, Ell? Do you know
many people in Boston?" and in less than
ten minutes the fluent agent had convinced
the prosp octive traveller that his line ran
direct from San Francisco 10 Boston With
out change.
When Jones offered a free sleeper the
dummy" opened his eyes and looked I'M
easy II was afraid" said the man in max
ing his report, aftcrward. that he would
offer me a free ticket through to Boston and
e.. 70 nav INV hno r1 "a N rOutp "