Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-09-09

3f&24yfAA~ lance. the "spotter"
g n mo %asis' how rsi s'Sssi
1W$4S- empoye 49, breach the
LG8s% subject o: spoilers
W. and you can set him
uH going. He can tell
< 8&N- ~ you stories by the
dozen. but strange to say the conductor, or
employe in other positions, il always the
innocent sufferer.
While the detective is assigned the duty
OF watching the conductor, the other en-
pioyes cannot transgress the rules Of the
ROAD under the detectives eye without being
reported. For this reason all the efficient
and trustworthy employees endeavor to
obey their instructions to the letter and
then II they are wrongfully reported fight
IT out before the tribunal Of railroad off,
Gals. who are always willing to give them
hearing.
A new conductor is the especial game of
the detective. He may show characters
Tics In other capacities that have led to his
promotion under the idea that he was fully
ntted Tor the advance. but when once in
1ne conductors uniform be a rank failure.
Inis is the error of self-importance. The
the monthly check should make no one
think he Is the president of the road and
that the transportation Of passengers will
cease should ne send in his resignation.
Felt Uncomfortable.
Many Of the new ticket collectors are af-
hicted with stage fright One of the latter
class. speaking to Star reporter recently
on the subject, said:
The first collection 1 ever made comes
back to mind like horrible nightmare. I
knew there were one or two detectives on
the Tram watching me- but being a green
sI thelr races We're not familiar. The uni
a aOlm was strange to me and / imagined
saylng me. l went through the car
der a! didn't miss half the tickets and
get assigned to my old position of baggage
master. l felt like bubble of air about 10
noat into space. while the passengers APP
peared to be angels holding out their hands
70 me. ! hnally got over it. and 1 don't
care now, but really the first trips / made
were absolutely painful. resulting from the
new uniform. fear OF the detectives and
4esre TO perform my duty We'll"
~, Ohe OF the hardest tasks that confronts
ene CONDUCTOR Is tie one OF remembering
whlch passengers have given up their tick
ets. On through trains this task Goes not
materiaiize. but on local trains the work is
nj IAr mind reader. And, OF course, it is
on these trains that the spoilers can
almost invariably be found The con-
ouctors nave no way in particular to locate
passenger who desires to beat his way,
recognize every one who has paid he can
spot one from whom he has not received
ticket at once. Then If he is in doubt. a
sharp look usually does the business. Most
people would like to have the collector skip
tnem but they are SO impressed with the
ldea tnat the conductors know they have
not paid that a sharp look acts like q Lode
stone to draw out the cash.
The lady detective is far more dangerous
tnan the member Of the same profession OF
the sterner sea- The sweet smile and her
pretty brown eyes are only the masks of
her occupation. While the one is employed
In an effort to bewitch the company's en-
ploye, the other would be actively engaged
In watching his every movement and taking
down an accurate account Of everything
he did during her stay on his train. Even
though the careful conductor may not break
the company's rules in a single respect IL
Is no sure thing that he will not receive a
letter from headquarters at the end Of the
week calling his attention to the fact that
on certain day ne used bad language in
addressing his brakeman, or that he failed
TO collect the proper fare from some passen-
ger, or that he passed friend free or that
he did something or other that he should
not have done.
He may have been innocent In every re-
spect, and the chances are that he was.
put ne well knows that he is watched at
every turn, and that he Is liable to removal
at any moment. but this makes little Diff
ference to strong, decisive disposition
The detective knows that he or she have
nothing to detect their occupation is gone,
SO, IN many cases. they will not hesitate
to manufacture transgresSion in order to
make 1t a basis for a report
Not Long Term.
The detective system Is about as perfect
as any department Of a railroad, and hun
dreds of thousands of dollars are annually
expended In the "spotting' of employees
The ''spotter's' term of usefulness is not a
ono for "a
in placing his identity. A conductor de-
tects pair of eyes watching him a little
too intently, and his suspicious are at once
aroused. He. too. does a little Watching
and If there Is really "spotter' on his
trail 1t is almost sure thing that he will
| find 1t out.
The word is passed along from one train
crew to another and 1t is only a matter Of
very few days when that ''spotter's'
usefulness is thing of the past. Another
Is employed to take his place on that road
and ne passes to another. and SO the pro-
erosion continues. Old railroad men be-
movements and get so they look upon 1t as
matter Of course. But a new man, one
before whom the opportunity to be dishon-
| est Is suddenly thrown. is very apt to re-
| sent the idea, and II he discovers the spy
there is every likelihood of trouble or
course the spying is not always going on.
| its employees believe that they are never
| out of the so-called special agents sight
AS a matter Of fact there is very little on
| portunity for the employees to steal from
their employers. on account Of the many
| safeguards having been devised
Most of the cash is handled at the rta-
tions. where the agents have to account
| for every ticket they sell, and they are
| compelled to make daily returns of their
| receipts. Then most Of the tickets are
| punched before the holders are permitted to
board train by the gatemen, and so there
| is no chance for the conductor to return an
unpunched ticket to the agent to be sold
over again. Still there never yet has been
devised a system SO perfect that it could
| not be beaten in some way or other: and so
| the fight goes on. the company ever alert
to put new checks upon it's men. and the
latter always on the lookout for a scheme
| to beat the game.
On the trains between Washington ar d
Baltimore there is almost O perfect system
of surveillance. as the Communication tickets
sold each month by the two roads amount
away up in the thousands Who these
| spoilers are Is a hard matter to decide
as everybody travels on q monthly ticket
and for this reason the conductors reyer
| make friends with these regulars.
Using Commuters.
The usual mode of procedure in the mat
ter Of selecting these special agents is for
one of the higher railroad officials 10 ascer-
| tain the name of a certain commuter arl
call upon him with a proposition that his
| monthly ticket will be furnished gratis If
| he will keep his eye open while travelling
backward and forward between the two CIT