Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-12-14

state. and It may not be out OF place
TO suggest that steps are being taken
TO bring some OF the Offenders 10 aS-
count
The principal complaint IL concerning
the fraudulent use OF mileage through
the sale and transfer OF that issueu
to the fraternity in exchange ior hu-
yertising, a great deal OF which Is turn
ing up in the hands OF men 10 Whoh IL
was not issued.
one OF the greatest sufferers In this
respect appears TO be the ROCK Is
land This road is comparatively
recent acquisition to Texas, and It's
officials are laboring under the disaa-
vantage OF being strangers. The pol
lev OF the Rock Island toward the
press OF the entire state has been an
extremely liberal one. and there are
but few country papers In Texas when
do not contain an advertisement or
"the great Rock IslanG route"
As the Rock Islands mileage In Tex
as ID short the bulk of the transporta-
ton issued to tho press has been 10
Chicago and outside points. when
renders the use of such favors almost
valueless to the average country edi-
tor unless he has the time and means
to take an occasional pleasure trip.
1t seems that some OF the brethren
who have not had time to indulge In
these pleasures have seen 1T TO transfer
them to others for. as Uriah Heep
would say, "a consideration" Some of
these transfers have doubtless been
made innocently, while others have
been with malice aforethought." But
in either event, the transfer Is direct
violation of the terms Of the contract
entered into between tho newspaper
and the railway company, and forfeits
the value Of the ticket or mileage issu-
i - .fa Heel lVA al
poser thereof with the railway COM
pany.
Tho Rock Island Is not the only
sufferer from this abuse Of confidence
by any means. and Il would surprise
any man to gee the list OF transgres-
sors kept in the general offices OF any
ana all railways.
The Gazette man yesterday saw n
letter from II North Texas editor to u
passenger official attempting to explain
why he had recently sold round trip
transportation Issued him by promin-
ent line. The railway people had
caught on to the fact and proceeded
to call him down. His reply was that
he did not notice the ticket was not
| transferable" and he thought the rail-
| way people were unduly squeamish
about a little thing like that" 1t Is
needless to add that tho railway peo-
| pie Will be "squcainish" about extend
Ing any further cOurtesles to that gem
| tleman
Nor Is this all Scelpers have habit
| OF addressing confidential communica-
| lions to newspaper men proposing TO
| buy any unused transportation they
may have on hand or are able to OBJ
| tain. II was In answer to one OF these
! communications that Texas newspap-
er man forwarded q round trip pass
| TO q scalper through a Fort Worth
| bank with q sight draft attached to II.
OF course the railway people caught
on, and that particular pass was "bul-
| letlncd'
In pleasing contrast to this occur
renee, however. was the action of a
Decatur newspaper man. who upon the
receipt OF one OF these scalper commun-
ications forwarded II TO tho railway
company which had issued him trans
portation, with the explanation that
he wanted them to catch on to some OF
the temptations to which the average
country editor is exposed. That man
| Is made or the proper material.
The frequency with which these
abuses of confidence have turned up
occasion SO much annoyance to rail
ways that steps are now being taken
to tighten the lines. A passenger of.
iicial remarked yesterday that he had
been imposed on to such an extent
IN this direction that he almost felt
TEMPTED to make no advertising con.
tracts for the ensuing year except In
mediums of known value and entirely
upon a cash basis. In any event 1t Is
quite plain that he seriously contem-
plates curtalling Ms list for next year
and some applicants Will be dlsap-
pointed,
II may be that the method OF cor.
rectlon will visit some OF the iniquitie,
OF the guilty upon the innocent. but
there exists a determination to put d
stop as far as possible to these abuses
OF a courtesy which no railway has
over objected to extend to reputable
members of the press. And II Is right
too, taat they should be protected.