Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-28

The messengers on the railroad cars are
the ones that really do the most hustling,
although their opportunities are better for
sleep. Their responsibilities are greater, as
sometimes their cars contain fabulous sums.
And. besides, their risks of injury are big.
Cooped up, as they are, between walls of
merchandise of all description, it does not
take tremendous jolt to bury them under
the mass, and genuine collision almost
invariably places their names on the list of
killed in the newspapers.
Few people realize the amount of valu-
ables that have been transported by the ex-
press companies during the past month. No
one knows better than an express messenger
the truthfulness of the old saying that the
most valuable goods are found in small
packages, but seldom indeed does a package
so astray. And money! They frequently
handle money packages that would permit
man to spend the remainder of his DAYS in
luxury If his property.
While waiting for overdue train at the
9th street depot during the past week, a
Star reporter became engaged in CONVEX
satlon with messenger who expected to go
south on the incoming trains southern con-
nectons. The subject of the holiday bust
ness was discussed especially the feature
relating to the transportation of large sums
OF money. The reporter suggested that the
temptation to do wrong must be strong at
such times, especially as there was a fair
chance of getting off clear.
Because They Are Honest.
The messenger said: Men have gone
astray with far less opportunities but mes
sengers are honest and faithful in the dis
charge of their duties. If they We're not so
the companies would suffer many financial
losses. and am not throwing bouquets at
The boys when make this statement.
1.-The mere fact" continued the messen-
ger. that a man is bonded for few thou
sand dollars is not going to prevent him
from stealing if he desires to- is it? 1t is
The honesty of the man, not the bond that
keeps him in the straight path. We are al
ways on the alert for the slightest indica-
lions of dishonesty or treachery in others
and that fact, together with the arduous
work and the ever present fear of acct
dents on the rail, causes a constant strain
upon mans physical and mental powers
ours is a life of watchfulness care and ex-
posture to danger.
Il once had three ribs broken by a COLI
sion, and once L received a shaking up
mat disabled me from work for two
months But my family and | We're treated
royalty during the lay off, and | can't COM
rlain. Our train jumped switch. run into
an engine on side track, and then went
oyer an embankment. and they dug me out
u the wreck a subject for the hospital.
You remember the accident? II wasn't far
rom Washington, and two mail clerks
Aere ushered into eternity in the twinkle
Of an eye.
Numerous scares have come my way.
such as close calls for collisions and at
tempted train wrecking. but | was about
IS badly frightened over money package
Gnce as l ever was in my life. ] had sign
ed for some freight and money way bills
at a station, and the agent handed me
some letters with the money packages. l
placed the latter in my safe. and l tossed
the letters in the pigeon hole over my desk.
After l had checked my freight / turned
my attention to the money run, when, to
my horror, l was short Il thousand-dollar
package.
Yielded to Temptation.
frightened? 1 was paralyzed. The
closest search did not reveal the missin.,
package. and just as 1 had decided to tele-
graph back 70 the agent and ascertain If
he had neglected to give me the money /
happened to look at the pigeon hole Like
a drowning man catching hold of a straw,
l thought perhaps my salvation Law there
1t did, sure enough In some manner l had
shuftled that package in with the letters
and there it lay, an innocent cause of my
terror. Even now it makes the chills chase
down my back to think of it. You can rest
assured that taught me lesson to be more
careful in the future about handling letters
and packages of money together"
"One of the most remarkable cases that
has come to my notice was one in which an
agent named Huber figured some years
back. He was locn ted at a large mining
town up On the Erie road. He had worked
his way up from delivery messenger, and
was held in high esteem by the company
that employed him. One night a train
came in having two safes. One was empty
and unsealed. and the other, it was
thought, contained nearly hundred thou
sand dollars, to be paid out the next day
to the miners. The messenger that brought
them in got his receipt, and the next day
|. the safe containing the money was turned
over to the company, with the, seal still
untouched.
when the safe was opened at the min