The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-08-29
Cheering BAGGAGE.
A REVOLUTION TAKING PLACE IN
MOVING IMPLEMENTS.
Why the Pastsboard Check is psp'ae'"s
tho Common Brass Ones Dinicnisies OF
TRACING Lost baggage Under the Old
xfcthod-Baggsge Frauds.

Mcthod--Baggsge Frauds.
The DAYS Of the brass baggage check are
numbered. For the past two years the
nasteboard check has been gradually crowd
Inc IL out Of use until brass checks are
now employed only for local checking ana
for that purpose solely because each com
many has large stock of them on hand.
An bat three OF the railroads entering this
cIty stlli use brass checks for local business,
but through baggage Is checked on the
printed and written cards.
Thus an American institution which has
long been a source Of admiration TO Euro
pean visitors is reegaicd TO AN obsolete
custom. The old system was Objectionable
for several reasons An immigrant VINO
oouId not speak the English language might
come ON 20 this city while his baggage
would be checked only 70 Cincinnati. Ihis
involved a tedious delay while the baggage
was being traced by mai! and telegraph
from New York. Again. busy or absent
minded travelling man might ask Tor
CHECK, Vandalia" II check should nap
pen 20 be given TO Vandala station, the
man might go on TO Pittsburg or Chicago
before discovering that his baggage was
sstray. There was nothing whatever on the
brass check TO denote whence or by which
line the baggage had been forwarded. But
now as soon ms lac looks at his check he can
see the point TO which it was forwarded.
The new paper checks" as they are
called. are designed TO and do obviate these
difficulties, which have long been a night
mare TO baggage agents Each road has It's
Own system OF pasteboard checks, printed
IN different styles and on different colored
cardboard. When travel between certain
cities Is heavy, name of the destination, as
well as the originating point, Is printed. In
some cases the routing is also printed. But
on general checks, which may thus at once
be issued for any place on any railroad IN the
United States. blanks arc left for the des-
tinadon aud the names OF the connecting
roads over which the baggage is TO pass.
These checks are numbered consecutively
pnd are kept for limited time after the
baggage has been claimed, when they are
destroyed The check issued TO the pas
senger S. therefore, an exact duplicate OF
the strap check, which contains full and
explicit information, and missing baggage
can therefore be quickly located by means
of the detaiia printed or written Ia.
The difficulty of tracing baggage is less
sned In another way. A brass check
might DO received here ia the morning,
used to Kansas City at night and sent out
from there the next day But a paper
check" can be used only once.
Baggage agents in large terminal cities
have TO be eternally Oh guard against
frauds A baggage room Is regarded by
many as desirable object for plumber, and
new schemes to beat it are being con-
SANITY evolved. Some years ago man
applied to have big sample case checked
10 Memphis When one Of the employees
demurred and said that the applicant did
not look like commercial traveller, the
man replied that he was machinist and
that much travelling had broken his chest,
compelling him 10 use strong sample
case The baggage was accordingly
kheoked to Memphis, but the rightful
owner appeared in time to prevent the
theft of the sample case, which contained
about 5000 worth Of jewelry.
To prevent similar frauds system of
"claim checks" was devised II transfer
company calls for trunk at hotel or pri-
vate residence and the owner Is not present,
but will return, a "claim check" is left for
him, which is duplicate Of that attached
70 the trunk If he has gone to the depot.
the baggage man will not receive the trunk
unless the transfer company accepts a
''elaim check" from them. Then when
passenger directs his baggage To be
checked, he is told to call at the Office of
the transfer company and get his "claim
check" This simple means of Identified
ton has been found to work effectively.
A favorite method OF doing crooked work
~ baggage rooms was To steal somewhere
number Of pairs Of checks. Then while the
baggageman was looking for the trunk
bearing the number corresponding to that
Oh the bogus check rendered, the crook
would cleverly remove the strap check
from any trunk OF which he desired posses
sion and substitute therefor strap check
from his pocket. Hence it is that all out
siders aro regarded with suspicion in Il bag
gage room, although this plan of robbery
Is no longer practicable with thenew paper
checks"
When asked II, in view OF the develop
ments Of the past few days, 1t was not as
easy To counterfeit Il pasteboard baggage
check as a railroad ticket. Baggage Agent
William Nj. Steele replied that he thoughtit
was not.
Each road has u different style and diff
ferent color of check, said he, "and the
matter that 10 written in must be- in the
same handwriting Everything on either
check must De Identical with parallel in-
formation GU the other, instead of only the
number and name of the road being re-
Quired TO correspond, ~ under the work
ings Of the old brass check system. Even
though a man had u lot Of blank forms cor
rectly printed, he would be compelled TO
inspect the baggage he desired 10 steal,
memorize the number and written informa-
tioD and then 20 away and prepare his false
check In the identical manner and hand
writing indicated on the strap check. Mis-
takes would very often be made by him.
which would instantly expose his game.
The plan Of substituting prepared strap
check 10 so old that IL is rarely attempted
successfully almost never, for we ase con-
tinualiy Oh the look out for sharpers and
suspicious oilers We are at times very
busy here, but never 40 busy that we don't
keep an eye on every man in the room who
II not en employee"
The origin of the paper check" dates back
few years TO the commencement OF the
era Of railway consolidation, when changes
IN routings were so frequent that the brass
checks were found inadequate for the work.
st. LOUIS GloSe Democrat.
stfl Unsettled.
An English traveller In Manitoba met five
youths who were discussing the latitude of