Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-29
bow Sharp Passenger Agents Boom
the Railway Business.
OF THE 33D DEGREE.
The Entire Country is Their Field
of Labor.
THE TRAVELLERS FRIEND.

tive to q thirty third degree Mason. They
are undoubtedly head and shoulders above
their brethren OF other vocations. both as
regards hustling propensities and financial
returns. 1t Is only the younger members
that will accept a regular salary, ana q
years experience will make them put in a
claim for salary with commissions. and
strange as 1t may appear to the untutored.
they are always successful In having their
petition approved.
1t would do the heart Of an unsuccessful
candidate for civil service honors a world
Of good to see how the members Of this ex-
allied degree of drummers could handle the
seemingly perplexing geographical ques-
tons OF the commission. 1t Is not a very
strong assertion to make when 1t is said
that there Is hardly hamlet in the United
that they are not familiar with. They cun
tell Its exact location. its numerical popu-
lation and the different roads by which 1t
mess in Montreal and the next Is guiding a
car load Of tourists through the sandy
plains OF Arizona. He possesses the gift OF
above the ordinary. His rowing commits
sion makes him a human encyclopedia, and
q good disposition places him on a friendly
parently works for nothing, but hardly a
word escapes his lips that is not weighted
with gold. and months afterward returns
the way OF excursions that will use the
cars of the particular road he represents.
me eastern states are his most profitable
held. but were 1t necessary he would inter-
view an Esouimau In Alaska or q
greaser'' in Mexico.
Seventeen After Ono Party.
To Illustrate how passenger agents hustle
for business for their respective roads. the
following story was told by one Of the local
agents to an Evening Star reporter recent
ly. He said:
Some time since a builder in the state
ealeuated that It Would ss cheaper ss to hire
eastern mechanics at eastern prices for the
winter and pay. their fares both ways;
wanted In Baltimore They numbered
nearly seventy-lve. I knew nothing Of his.
but some other business took me t. Ralti.
to start on their far western trip. On the
way over / ran across another agent. We
more street and handed in our cards, as we
generally do. The agent looked at them
and broke into hearty laugh. He put
them In the rack beside those OF fifteen
These are todays Callers he said:
pointing to the cards. There are fifteen OF
seventeen. The others are all Cuc after the
WASHINGTON tomorrow; don't believe |
could fire gun in Baltimore today without
hitting one OF your profession
1T would appear impossible to any one
not acquainted with our mode Of business"
agents should be after these men. who
could start from Baltimore by three routes.
and chesapeake en and " Ohio. But Viii a ex
plain the reason for the focking together
Of SO many members of my profession.
Either one Of the roads mentioned could
have carried the men west far as Chi
cago without a break. From Chicago to
Kansas City there are five roads. and. Of
tickets might read either by way Of Omaha
or st. Paul. Denver and Salt Lake City.
From Kansas City to st. Paul there are
calling for ten more agents. So the posi-
bilities increase all the way across the con-
understand. has its eastern agents watch
ing for Just such cases. The agent at Bal
timore would sell tickets feading by way Of
ference to him which. 1t was the business
of each of those fifteen agents to secure
that party Of seventy-hve mechanics for his
own particular road. but some Of them had
to be disappointed as they could use only
one route without breaking up into couples
Working for Fair Tourists.
The worlds fair has caused the work Of
these agents to increase to a tremendous de-
gree and their ranks have been augmented
by some of the best drummers OF other
lines Of business. Many people going to
Chicago from the west or east become dis
satisfied with the road they started on to
that city, and upon their return wish to
take q different route. Here Is where the
great hustling is required. The big hotels
IN the windy city are crowded with agents
OF the different roads and they are on IA
miliar terms with the clerks therein. Should
the luckless traveller by the slightest insin-
uation intimate his dissatisfaction with the
road that brought him to Chicago the clerk
will deity notify several of the agents that
stand highest in his estimation. and as a
result the traveller will be surrounded in an
instant with men who will sympathize with
his tale Of woe. but who will ultimately
ship him to his home by way Of a road that
Is 80 per cent worse than the one on which
he started for the great White City. 1t is
not always the case that the best roads
have the best agents.
ferent roads of the country for the MAIN
tanning of rates to Chicago during the fair
is carried out strictly to the letter wise
Judges Of such matters will be surprised
The large, reputable roads are all right,
but the little roads are the ones that cause
trouble. II a break should come the tray-
cling agent will be in his glory They are
generally given free rein as to rates, and
where competition is brisk the public can
be depended upon to be benefited. The
adoption of the one fare charge for the
round trip between the eastern cities and
Chicago is not as likely to prove pop
ular as was generally supposed 1t would
To secure this reduction the passenger
must travel only on trains which are made
up solely of passenger coaches.
These cheap trains are not allowed to
cover the distance between Washington
and Chicago in less than thirty hours
and during all that time the passenger
chair cars are allowed on the train One
Of the big New York roads secured the as
signment of one of the first excursions
and the agent for the road soon had
enough tickets sold to FIJI the train In
about ten hours the enthusiasm Of the
eXcursionists wore off, and for the remain
der of the trip considerable suffering re-
suited. Then came the little break that
AFFORDED the ticket agents great pleasure
Seeing the mistake made in the first ex-
cursion the road that secured the second
assignment added little conveniences to
their train in the way Of wash rooms and
new cars. and each succeeding excursion
was handled better than the previous one
These little conveniences give the agents
a chance to laud their respective roads.
ana where they can offer substantial in
ducenents the traveller generally sue
curnbs to their Establishments
well-known agent told The Star man a
Few days ago that he believed the reduced
rate was not going to be SO much OF n
beneht as was generally supposed, as the
hardships that went with 1t were too great
He was OF the opinion that something bet
ter In the way of accommoda tons would
have to be provided and If there couli NOT
oe sleeper attached to these trains there
should at least be a chair car which would
at ieast give the passengers chance to
rest their heads. W
ArduOus and Varied Duties
f1rst-class agents duties are as ar1uous
and varied as there are days In the month.
| On Sunday he must attend church to prove
| that the railroads set good examine IN
| the community. Monday night he noust
| take party of ticket agents to the theatsr
nd n in