Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-08-10
STEALING THAT is NOT A CRIME.
Passengers Who Resort to All Sorts OF
Tricks to Ride Free.

Tricks to Ride Free.
1T has to be very pious man who went
steal a ride when he gets the chance" af
hrmed the conductor on the suburban train
TO reporter, who asked whether he ever
had any difficulty in collecting fares from
the passengers.
1t is both amusing and interesting to
watch the delight most people take i'll get
ting a free ride. The conductor passes
through the car saying, Tickets, please"
and turning from side to side, trying to
pick out all the new passengers aboard. The
majority of course have their tickets ready
and hold them out so that he cannot possibly
fall to see them, but there are great num-
Der of people also, who from the time they
enter car begin reading the newspapers,
and the conductor might mildly say, Tick
cts, please" till the dawn of doomsday be-
fore he succeeded in attracting the atten-
ton of these earnest readers.
If he is sure he hasn't punched the ticket,
he stops fairly in front of the passenger,
holds out his hand in positive fashion and
sharply says, "Ticketr' Then the negligent
passenger will unbutton his coat and from
fiat pocketbook stored away in his vest
will slowly produce a ticket. y conductor
has to be positive in his demeanor, too, for
let timid, mot sure glance betray to the
willy passenger that he is not going to have
his ticket demanded of him, and he will at
once put on bold front and unconcernedly
watch the man next to him handing over
his fare to the puzzled conductor without
once changing color.
THE women? Well, they may wear their
little silver crosses; they may even be go
ing to church on Sunday with their Bibles
with en- said another conductor, but
they will sneak ride every time" And it
seems to be true. The reporter watched,
and pretty soon a rather pretty woman
boarded the train at Thirty ninth street.
From her watch chain hung the King
Daughters badge-a little silver cross. She
sat dowa, and soon the conductor came
along. He was not a hardened veteran,
and he seemed half afraid of making mis-
take, so he said in an undecided tone,
"Tickets!' But, oh, that questioning tone
and doubtful glance He passed the little
lady by, and she let him do it, just as if she
hadn't been Daughter of the King. At
the next station he again came into the car
with the same expression and the same
| question. He noticed her this time-just
| stopped and looked at her as he took up a
| ticket from a man who sat next to her, and
| she?-well, she kept on reading. Now, is
| it possible that she didn't congratulate her
self upon being one ride ahead? Of course
she did, and she'd make that one ticket of
hers last forever if the conductors would
| only let her.
Another passenger, well dressed and
| gentlemanly, allowed the conductor to 90
by without giving up his ticket, and when
the official passed through the car again he
looked hard at the man and said, Ticket
But the Interrogation in his voice settled
it. The man stared over the top of his paper
| quite unconcerned The conductor didn't
insist, and when he turned his back Mr.
Gentleman smiled audibly, and those who
sat near him decided at once that he was Q
most dishonest person, though they'd al
been there before many time, many 8
time. Chicago Journal.