The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1895-01-31
F'rom Fridays Daily9
WAR ON PURCHASING AGENTS.
The Railroad About to Get Into Trouble
over IT'S Stand

The Railroad About TO Get Into Trouble
over IT'S Stand.
The war being carried on by the G.
q NV. railroad against the thirty
| five purchasing agents who do business
| for various people in the cities from
which they severally hail is being car
ried to a point that will mean a stiff
legal battle between the two factions
ere long. The agents have been
obliged to club their packages together
and express them from Chicago at the
rate of 90 cents per 100 pounds. Of
course, if their packages reach more
than 100 pounds, there is more expense
and trouble connected with this than in
the former way.
Some of the agents have been asking
friends who are on the way up from
Chicago to take some of the packages.
The railroad people soon caught OH to
this method Of evading them and now
try to bar the agents themselves. One
OF the agents recently caught on to the
scheme of getting on to the train by
way of Kinzie street instead of going
through the gates. But he was caught
too. The agents when caught in
schemes of this sort are threatened with
refusal to sell these parties another in
dividual ticket. In case a man had
some one else buy all individual ticket,
the railroad company could make
trouble, as the sixty ride tickets are for
the use of the purchaser only.
The railroads side of the question is
a sound one. They sell to the express
companies the privilege to carry pack
ages, and if they allow others to COM
pete with the express companies, the
latter are not getting what they have
paid for. Also, the railroad company,
to reduce expenses, has been running
trains with fewer coaches, so that they
need every seat for passengers instead
Of packages. The companies Say tie
passengers and conductors complain,
so there you have it.
The only safe way for the agents to
do is to express their goods at the 100
pound rate.
The railroad men pursue the agents
into the cars. Wednesday evening one
Of these fellows saw two or three pack
ages laid on a seat in coach. He en-
quired of all the people roundabout
concerning the ownership of the pack
ages and not readily finding the man
the bundles were picked up and taken
off the train. The owner was playing
a game of cinch at the end of the car
and did not notice that his packages
were gone until he got to his destna-
ton. He was not a purchasing agent
and will now bring suit for damages
against the company.
L S. Vinegar says he has been care
fully questioned as to what he has and
what business he has with these pack
ages. Some of these have been taken
from him and the company refuses to
check trunk in which he has articles.
After paying for his transportation he
argues that he has q right to SO much
baggage and the company has abso-
lutely no right to inquire either into his
business or what his baggage consists
Of He has consulted a prominent Chi
cago attorney and has convinced him
self that he has a sure case for dam
ages against the company and he
thinks of sueing. Since getting legal
advice he has been following the course
laid out by the lawyer and will demand
his rights at all hazards or will know
why he can't have them.