Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-06-30
TICK EFT SCALPERS.
HOW THE BUSINESS HAS GROWN IN
THIS AND OTHER CITIES.
How One Can Travel Chesp-Tbc Interstate
Commerce Commission Down ON
Them-what They Say About II.
Washington starr

1
Washington starr
When you and wish to buy a railroad
| ticket, we 10 TO one OF the regular ticket
Offices on the avenue. where the gold let
ters on the windows, indicting various in
termediate and terminal points give an
assurance Of responsibility. but when the
| fellow around the corner wants to buy 4
ticket, he goes and gets II OF a ticket-brO-
ker. or. more popularity, OF a ticket
"scalper." because he can get 1t cheaper.
He can. in fact, get It very much cheaper.
and the business is now conducted in such
a way that there is no particular lack OF
responsibility.
The trade in railroad tickets Is grow
| ing one. and It is engaged in by very
large number Of agents in all Of the great
cities. Statistics gathered by the Inter-
state Commerce Commission and pub
| lished in the annual report as far back
as 1890 show that the expenses OF ticket
scalpers for merely rental and clerk hire
10 Chicago, New York. Cincinnati, and
| hdUsdH lily dinOuhAtA III WV
year to nearly $4,000.
| In this city there are a dozen or so
brokers' offices. almost all of them dong
a thriving business. They are on the
north side Of the avenue mostly between
/ Sixth and -Four and Half streets l"o
or three OF these offices are close 10 sixth
/ street. toward Seventh. These offices for
! the most part, consist Of desk ana
Gfa or
| some other purpose. The signs outside
/ are usually blue, with white lettering, an
| indication almost as general as the pawn
| brokers' three balls.
CHEAP TICKETS.
The tickets most commonly sold by
"scaIpers" from this city are to New
York or intermediate points. The regu'
lar fare to New York is $3.50, and the
| broker will send you there for 500, win
a regular ticket as good as the one you
| would get at the railroad office. That IL,
he Will give you good one II you watch
him. In this business, as In others ther'
| are dealers and dealers. There are ticKe'
| brokers on the avenue who would not
| sell a .icket which had run out or was
| for any reason void. There are others
| whom IT would be as well as watch.
| Ordinarily the "scalper' will be able 70
provide you with the return halt OF
round-trip ticket from New YORK, but
| should he be out of these tickets ne VIII
| stu make you the rate If you are Willie
| TO invest $3.50, and take rebate OF 90
| pavable in New York at the Office OF MS
| correspondent. You buy a round-trlp
ticket to New York, for which you pay
| SO and you pay the agent here % cents
| 10 give YOU an order on his correspondent
| I'm New York. The New York correspond
on, buvs the unused half OF your ticket
at 81 and YOU have saved 81 on your
fare Had YOU cared TO risk 1t, you might
have ignored the agent in thls city'
hunted up a scalpor on Broadway IN
New York. and sold him your ticket,
probably for S. thus saving % cents or
one agents commission. 1t should DE
said also. that the railroad company
would pay you $3.50 for your return
coupon in New York IT, for any reason.
YOU had bought "A round-trip ticket ana
| did not wish to return.
II YOU are going to Chicago ana want
To buy your ticket in the regular way u
yin cost g7. The ticket broker has Il
regular rate Of S1f50, which he Is almost
olwavs ready to offer. and when luck
runs his way in the shape of return
tickets which he can buy cheap he VIII
| a usual second-cass rate OF Sl3 To chi
cago. which Is s. cheaper than the regu-
lar fare The brokers' rate TO Memphis
Tenn. is $50 g cheaper than the regu-
lar rate These are examples OF ue
| average cut. The broker Will send YOU
| I'm some way or another. 10 almost any
place YOU want to so. If he can DO no
| better he will farm out mileage ucket
| to you at 2is cents a mile.
In times Of peace. as it were the dozen
or so broker Offices referred TO make up
the total Of the "scalpng' business in
mis- civ but at the times Of Inaugural
lions. or when there is any particular
| ceremony or celebration here. the offices
spring up like mushrooms all along the
avenue and everywhere In the vicinity or
the railroad Offices. Where they come
| from or where they disappear to no.
| body knows, and nobody cares for mat
matter.
1t Is an interesting fact that In New
York there are no scalpers doing business
| ia the immediate vicinity Of the Grand
| central depot. The land is owned by
| the Vanderbilts. who refuse 10 rent for
| such PURPOSES. In Canada Il license Is
required Of all agents selling tickets, and
| the scalping traffic Is thus suppressed,
no licenses being granted except 10 reeu-
| larry authorized agents Of railroad COM
| panies. ..
DOWN on THE SCALPER.
Although the scalper's traffic has a
! simple and guileless look. and might even
| he REGARDED as a means OF economy, II
| has been regarded with a great deal OF
| SUSPICION and even open hostility by those
| who were looking To purify the railroad
| system in this country. The matter was
early taken up by the Interstate Com
| mcrce Commission, which recommended
| 10 Congress the passage Of law 50
framed as to send the "scalper' out OF
| business. Congress was not as much dis
| turbed as the commission and failed To
pass the law. but the remarks made in
| tne commissions report still stand as an
| Indictment against the broker. The com
| mission pointed out that the scaper was
| merely a iObber between the railroad
companv and the prospective passenger,
| and that while 1t would appear on the
| face of II that a portion Of the public
was benefited. 1t was. in fact. true that
| In order to meet the drain the railroad
| companies raised all rates OF fare and
| that the public actually paid the expenses
| and profits of the scalpers.
In concluding its report on the subject
| the commission. In 1890. said
The business is largely sustained by the
| direct encouragement and cooperation OF
railroad companies themselves, in the
payment of commissions 10 scalpers, II
placing with them blocks Of tickets II
| times of rate wars, and In frequently
| turning over to them the return portion
Of round-trip tickets. The absence OF
| Good faith between rival companies opens
| n door for the employment of the broker
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