The morning times., 1896-11-22

system that there was an occasional rogue
among the inspectors, ard the experience
with these individuals justified the cuDClu-
sion that the birds Of n feather flockcd
together The losses To the company
had t. aggregate enough for the extras
10 both conductor and his guard every time
tie two We're together on the same train.
Another class of company slenths is made
up Of men whose real Occpation is not
known to even their most Intimate friends,
and they rank as detectives They make
themselves popular by assOCiatng faInil-
iarly with all classes. They are charged
with the duty Of working a case, hut
seldom make an arrest for the wrong-doing
discovered.
A confederate Is nearly always necessary
to the success Of a detective. and these twu
lay their facts before county or city author
tiles scon as their claim is complete.
Usually there is hut little defense against
the charge.
Detectives are skilled in all branches
of rairCad work, the majority of them
being capable of filling any position where
the services of lCUrneynan IN mechanic Is
not required. They can brake. fire. flag.
serve as porter. freight conductor, track
hand, engine wiper in a roundhousc, or
truokman in a freight depot.
HARD LINES FOR DETECTIVES.
The detectives job is no sinecurc. He
expects ali sorts Of hardships AMI is not
appointed-Sumetimcs sleeping and cat
iRg for days in a sealed boXcar TO discover
the Culprit WHO steals merchandise: again,
working with pick and shovel in the gang
on the gravel train. tn learn who steals
tools and scrap iron for the money they
bring: at times running over the hupprrs
OF a train as brakeman, 10 locate the
responsibility for the short weight i'll
coal. and often filling the post of clerk at
Il station where CrUokc.!nc>s is suspected.
If he is brakeman on n passenger
train, his business Is to watch the cen
| ductnr. and be ready at the end Of any
| gwen period with tnctS ana figures to eX-
| plain why the company exCh"quer is not
supplied with the full amount OF the fares
| en- rusted to the keeping II that conductor.
Petty thcvings from railroads is by no
means uncommon. and while in tiIc summer
IL may lie fruits or provisions which attract
the plfercr, in the winter season IL is quite
aS likely 10 lie coal dumped. possibly, by a
brakeman AT given points to he gathered up
bv his aeneiiciari'S, or by regular Gu 81, InerS
, who make small money contributions To the
man WHO supplies the fuel. II Is a cheap
er source of warmth than can be provided
in any u;her manLcr, and Is appreciated
accordingly
There is never any Squealing. Ii is n sort
of happy Eu-lucky method, the delivcrer
OF the goods having no kick coming to
him. If he never gets his pay. and the de-
tective must. therefore, Interfere. Neces-
sariy his business requires that he shall be
always on the road, without choice as to
location, and he is as likely to sleep in a
box car as in Il hotel bed.
The street railway men call their over.
seers 'spotters.' They know no other ncuie
which fits so well. and it sticks. Some
| times the spotter is himself spotted by the
fro h,tt bp oh
without discovery. His duty is 90 count the
| passengers, watch the register and leave no
trace.
If depletion in receipts is very marked a
man is sent out to investigate the suspected
| line, and upon his showing depends the re-
| tention Of the conductors there.
IN TIE QUAKER CITY.
Thcfts from street railways in Phila-
delphia are alleged To have become so
common n few days ago as to seriously V
| endanger the stability of the companies
| When the detectives began operating the
| conductors took the brakeInen into the
| pool and reduced the pcculaions to such
| a system that the srotting was Il rank
| failure. \ certain form of punch was then
| introduced, which was declared To hc Il
sure tell-talc. each puncture made for IL
| fare bcing accurately registered and count
| ed. The conductors learned the combina-
| THO and defied the punch. II resulted i'm
wholesale dsmissals upon suspicion with
| out facts.
| 1t was of one of these Philadelphia con-
| ductors that the story was told which has
| go often done duty as an 'illusJraton.''
| 1t runs this way: A president of one of
| the companies hal IL handsome brick resi-
| dence pointed out to him as the property
| of one Of his conductors. He demanded
| to know Of his subordinate if he had not
| bought the house from his stcalings, and
| the reply was in the affirmative.
| "But l would advise you not tn dis
| charge me-" added the conductor. Il have
| bought my home and am satisfied. If YOU
put a man in my place the company win