St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-01-16
PINCHINC A NICKEL
The Great Variety Of Small
Things People Do to Save
a Street Car Fare.
Sleek, Well Fed Citizens Come
Down Town Daily on a
Square Bluff Game.
One G0od-Looking Girl Who
Gives Conductors a Great
Deal Of Trouble.
The Fun Of Beating Ones Way
Worth More Than the Five
Cents Involved.
"Fare. please. !"


hear. or, if he did, he obviously thought
that the demand was meant for SONS
one else. He was a well-dressed. mid
dle-aged man, slightly inclined to cor
pulence. His face wore benevolent
expression. but at the time he was sit
ting in the car there was nervous
twitehing about the corners of his
mouth, as though he was undergoing &
severe mental struggle. From his looks
he must have been well-to-do business
or professional man, says the Chicago
Times.
The conductor stood for a moment
awaiting movement from the delIn'
qUent patron of the railway, but the far
away expression deepened into look
of abstract melancholy and the nervous
twitching increased.
Pay your fare, please" again re-
peated the conductor. touching the man
on the sleeve in a respectable manner.
The elderly gentleman turned with a
start, appeared puzzled and amuZed for
a moment, then said with the greatest
| assurance:
How many fares do you want to col
| lect for one ride?"
Il don't remember having collected
your fare. SIR returned the conductor,
| glancing suspiciously at the man.
Your memory will lead you into a
| serious mistake some day, then" was
| the response, FOR have already paid
my fare"
! Excuse me, sir" simply, half apollo
| getically answered the man or fares, as
he returned to the rear platform Of the
| car with puzzled, half-dOubtful look.
| As he resumed his station Oil the rear
| of the car one of the smokers in Il back
seat remarked:
THAT man just got on; he hasn't paid
! his fare"
Il thought So" resignedly returned
| the conductor as he tingled his bell and
took nickel from his own pocket, ''yet
| there is no redress. / couldn't put that
| man off. He is regular patron of the
line, and, perhaps. thought that he had
| already paid his fare, though douot it,
| IF had put him off or insisted on
| collecting his fare he would have filed
| complaint at headquarters and l would
| have lost my job. There are lots of
men ready to fill my place, and it
| wouldn't take long to find some one to
succeed me.
| You see it doesn't take much for US
to lose our jobs. A complaint or a sus-
| plcion is sufficient, and off goes our
heads, sometimes without even hear
| luGg as TIC 10 guns ~ SOI
its patrons down on it; no. not by a
good deal.
| ''People file complaints for the most
| trivial causes. and if a man isn't fired
upon the first complaint made against
him record is kept Of his conduct and
his popularity or unpopularity with the
| people who ride on the street cars. If
| two or three complaints are registered
| against him his tenure Of Office is sure
| to be brief.
| There was one poor fellow who was
| complained of regularly about once a
| week by an old maid living on Ada
street. In her first 'kick" she said
that he had neglected her in order to
assist good-lOOking young woman Off
| the car. She next declared that he
| pinehed her arm one day when he was
helping her to alight.
| "GrOWing more VenOmOuS, she said
| that he failed twice or thrice to register
| her fare, hence, she surmised, he peck
eted the nickels. As these libels-for
do not believe the old girp was telling
the truth-had no effect, her dislike for
| the obnoxious conductor increased.
| Every time she rode in his car she let
the company know by protest against
! his 'unmannerly conduct
LAT last the poor fellow was fred, and
| the old maid was in glow of high spir-
| its at her triumph. She ceased her COM
| plants after the conductors dismissal,
| and l suppose the men at headquarters
| were glad to sacrifice good man in
| order to get rid of a nuisance. The man
| who lost his job was married and had a
large family, but l don't suppose the
old maid cared for that, just SO she in
! jured the man against whom she had
| conceived an insane prejudice.
| ssRut I IyacnJt faIkinr of fhQ IL
| and trlbulations' of the conductors, but
of the mean devices to which some peo-
pie resort to cheat the company out of a
nickel. The amount is not what they
| consider; it is the pleasure of getting
something without having to pay for it.
''Most of the people who ride Oh the
| cars are well enough off to pay their
fares and not feel it. They care nothing
for the nickel itself. truly believe, but
| oh, can't understand their motives.
For my part, | should pay my fare
| and enjoy the ride. but there are many
| persons of a different turn of mind.
They are never happier, SO far as my
| observations go, than when stealing a
ride I say stealing ride, because
| there are more ways of stealing rides
than by hanging on behind in the small
| boy fashion. And / mean stealing a
ride, for these people go in for that pur-
pose. Though it Is theft on small
scale, still 1t is theft.
"Just imagine we'll dressed man
and woman sitting bolt upright on a
front seat in the car, with their faces
turned sternly to the front, not daring
to glance 10 either side or to the rear for
fear of attracting the attention of the
conductor.
"Tbey must be agitated with intense
emotions of hope and fear all along the
route, and when they arrive at their
| destinations they no doubt heave sigh
of deep relief. How absurd it all is
Fancy stout, dignified, elderly man,
| perhaps a little pompous in manners
and appearance, standing on street cor
ner, while car after car passes him. until
he sees one on which the conductor is
engaged in some occupation which pre-
/ vents him seeing the rubleund pirate
| spring on TO the car.
painting and out of breath the portly
| Individual hastily takes a vacant seat,
and while the perspiration pOurS down
mis- cheek he does not bulge He does
| not use his handkerchief through fear
of attracting the conductors attention,
| and remains oh needles until he gets to
where he is going.
''Yet that man, for there is just such
man, has plenty of money and could
tnOlu IOll III d plifdtC COupC W lIS
| business if he SO desired. To see him
sweat and roll his eyes is drolI sight
lone could laugh at it if it was not
so disgustingly ridiculous. Why men
of means will thus lower themselves is
profound mystery to me.
'srhere is demure-looking little miss,
with great, Innocent blue eyes, who gets
on at Ann street. All, she's a terror. l
| don't believe she pays fare once a
month, and l don't think | exaggerate
it in the least"
The conductor was frequently inter-
| rupted i'll his narration when it was nee
essary to assist lady from the car or to
| collect fares. but as he was in talka-
tive mood he did not let these matters
| disturb him.
We'll, that little girl. for she wasn't