The herald., 1895-05-12
Secrecy Not Maintained in
Transmitting Messages
WHERE IS THE LEAKAGE?
One Of the Fraternity Unloads Himself
Of q Story
Western Union Telegraph Wires Pass Through
Train Dispstcher's Office-.chino
News and Other Notes

A certain railroad ticket broker of this
| city, whose name need not be mentioned,
having great big kick to register against
the Southern Pacific railroad company.
or the Western Union Telegraph COM
pany. or both. and seeing representative
of the Herald. called him to one side and
told him this story:
During its life as a commonwealth
the great state of Kentucky has been the
mother of many incorporated companies.
Among them was the Southern Pacific
company. Another one was the Ameri-
can Ticket Brokers' association. Now
these two incorporated companies. both
| born OF law and each having an equal
right to existence and the pursuit. of hap
piness, at times do not dwell together in
unity.
l want to tell you of something that
is raising the mischief with a small por-
tion of our business-but we'll block the
move Just as sure as you live. 1t is Civ
ing us temporary annoyance that will
soon be remedied. But the something
that makes this temporary trouble possi-
bic is the attractive part of the story. In
brief, that something is this: The con-
tents of kilograms sent over the Western
Union wires and addressed to mem bers of
our association are known to the South
ern Pacific people as soon as we ourselves
know them!
Think of it. man. Look at this fact in
its wider sense. If the contents of our
kilograms are known to the Southern Pa
citic, why are not the contents of every
telegram that passes over the Western
Union wires Known to them? The con-
tents of a telegram are supposed to be
reserved for the receiver of it osly. bnt it
seems that if telegram containing news
al hat ha
Western Union wires its officers know
that news, ana are thus Immediately on
guard to protect its own interests.
Quite recently | received a telegram
from station in Arizona advising me
that upon the arrival of certain train
good from this city to San Francisco.
Such tickets. as you doubtless know are
good only on the train which leaves here
for the north forty five minutes after the
arrival of the train for Arizona. Well, at
the time the tram got in at the Arcade
station a spotter planted himself IN my
doorway and staid there until the two
tickets were presented for sale and pur
chased. OF course. | had sold the tickets
ahead to persons who boarded the train
little later. only to find that they were
dishonored by the conductor.
81 had to stand the loss. Our bushes
is perfectly legitimate one and is so
recogniz ed by states, counties and munic-
ipalities, and pay tax to the city of
Los Angeles for the privilege OF carrying
on my business. The courts hold that the
secrecy of teiegraphc messages must be
maintained by the company which
undertakes to transmit them, yet I have
suffered by the contents of telegram
having become the property of persons
other than the one to whom that telegram
was addressed.
AT first, and | think naturally, | was
under the impression that there was
leak in the Western Union offices, but
Mr.. ea:dsley, the manager, informed
me that such was not the case and on
further conversation told me that the
Western Union wres-or some OF them at
least-passed through the Southern Pa
cific train dispatcher's office at theIdepot.'
The scalper lost sight of the fact that
the Western Union has the right to use
the railroad wires on all of the railways
:nreabouts, if need be. AThe Santa Fes
les are often used for news and COM
mercial messages by the Western Uaion.
and in the case of ether road with but
little or no cause for complaint. All rail-
way companies seek to protect them
selves from the scalpers. and in the case
referred to. many OF the officials may have
got their tip from entirely other sources
than the telegram sent to the broker.