Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-29

are secret society men. If there is a Sc
cret society worthy of the name that these
men do not belong to. the offender must In:
never heard the story Of how Jerry VII
kins" always came out ahead of his broth
er agents in the rush for patrons.
fixed financially and was known from the
Pacific coast to the Atlantic seaboard. All
that was necessary was for Jerry to Sc
templated taking an excursion to New
York. Chicago or San Francisco and the
game was already his. Numerous agents
the matter of securing secret society ex-
cursions, but they had to retire in disgust.
II not awe. at ''Jerry's" great pull. Time
his envfous brothers as to the foundation
OF his success. but a clam could talk bet
ter on such occasions.
innocent ticket seller located somewhere
N Indiana and as a result every passen-
ger agent IN the country today can give
cieties now In existence.
Jerry Viking Plan.
"Jerry's" plan was to Join everything,
from the Knights Of the Whirling Wheel
up to the Scottish Rite Masons. Every
town he stopped in he made it his business
! 10 nun' up the secretary OF the different
Iooges, make himself agreeable and i,ti-
mating that any future time II they should
con mi e,,, taking jaunt to wire him
ana ne Il would Sa, take them over the best
cheapest rates. Every six months his pri-
vate card could be found in the mail OF
try and in this way he was never forgot
ten. Secret society members will 20 a long
s way a 59 AZ errI brother favor and the re-
parent. At present it is a case Of first come
first served In this line Of business
.. AZ is on record that In only one case was
mission in connection with society octet e' sx-
cursion. He and friend named Robinson.
also also th passenger agent heard Of an exeur-
for Atlantic City at about the same time.
Now there are at least four Goldsbor-
oughs IN the keystone state and Jerry
for once missed the town. His friend
mlttee having the excursion In charge that
Jerry was ~ and wouldn't be able to
s son5 20 snets wants But he Robn
could get them good rates, and as a result
he captured the prize. 1t Is said Of Jerry
that he covered the state In hot haste. but
his lucky star was under a cloud at that
time and that the right town was reached
but few days before the excursion was to
agent likes to secure for his road 10 the
large theatrical troupes. Several Of the
agents a,; make a speciality of this business.
as the old adage. don't fool with the
Snowman" still holds good. They know
every theatrical company in the country,
properties. where It is. where It Is going
ana when II Will close its season. II It
is already in New York. Boston or Chi
out on tour and where 1t is going. He Is
more or less intimate with every theatre
cal manager in the country. BY a Judi
cious course Of pumping he learns whether
there is money in the treasury. II there
is he will sell them a round trip ticket for
the whole journey and If there is not-and
generally there Is not-he sells them q
ticket for the first stage.
The Regular summer Tourist.
The regular summer tourist Is known to
the passenger agent through previous trips
over his or opposition roads. and before the
snow melts in the spring he will have
flooded him with time tables and pretty
books. in which the attractions Of his par
ticular road are set off to great advantage.
One might suppose that solitary indi-
accosted by these shrewd gentlemen of the
road. and so he can II he will take the
pains to keep the fact Of his contemplated
she win tell friendly nelghbor. and In this
way 1t will eventually float down to the
local ticket agents Office and he will
ternity Of the facts. II the trip be a short
one perhaps only one or two agents will
CALL but should he think Of inspecting the
beauties Of the Yosemite valley or the won
ders of Alaska the chances are that a full
dozen will be on his heels before he. has
thought the idea Of his trip has gotten be-
yond the walls Of his own home.
When the first agent calls the unsophisti-
Gated traveller Will no doubt feel fattered
but when his life becomes a burden through
the interrogations of a score Of these gen
tiemen he will decide in the future to take
council with himself and set out upon a
trip the idea Of which has apparently
sprung up In a night. This Is the line fol-
lowed out by the thoroughbred tourist, He
talkS to no one about taking a trip, and
nearly n takes ones breath away by shaking
him BY the hand and telling him he leaves
In an hour for Alaska as II he was going 10
New York or Atlantic City
Inc humorous part Of these trips is to
see the race OF one of these passenger
agents as the tourist steps up to the tick ct
seller and buys his ticket The outlay ID
perhaps couple hundred dollars. and the
thinks. "0
Washington. comparatively speaking has
very few travelling statesmen. but what there
are. are known to the local passenger
agents. and are well taken care of. In
other cities the hat salesman has his sea
SO SON n, as has also the dry goods men, the
passenger agent takes care OF them all. He
Is acquainted in all the big establishment
that employ large numbers Of drummers,
and at the proper time makes them a visit
He makes himself popular with the men.
not alone because he Is sociable fellow
but because he is doing them frequent IA
vors He cannot reduce the rates. as they
are fixed by his superiors, but he can, in a
hundred ways. favor them while on the
road.
To illustrate. One of the local statesmen
starts south on a business trip. and pur-
chases round trip ticket to Charleston,
$. c. While jumping about from the little
inland towns on the branch roads to the
larger cities his trunk or satchel becomes
mixed up in the shuttle and he arrives at
his destination minus that very necessary
adjunct 1t would cost him a mint to tele-
graph inquiries over the country he has
lust come In from about his lost property
and besides speed is necessary. Then he
thinks Of his friend. the passenger agent
the shortest possible time that gentleman
has the wires humming with instructions
as II costs him nothing. The same evening
or the next morning, in plenty time to dc
business, the lost property turns up, and
the passenger agent has made a friend and
secured customer for life. Small favors
count big sometimes and no one knows II
better than he.
About the largest transaction In ticket.
ever recorded is said to have been brought
about by n Washington passenger agent
and aptly illustrates the fact that he IL
continually on the lookout for his little
commission, although In this case his divi
dend was something pretty The time OF
the sale was Immediately after the compile
ton of the Baltimore and Potomac road
between Baltimore and Washington. A cu
the roads would carry you from city to city
for about what good cigar would cost
At any rate the fare had gotten down tc
so cents one way between Washington anC
Baltimore and IS cents for the round trip
The Baltimore and Potomac, 1t Is said
wanted the war stopped and decided or
effective measures. The agent in question