The morning times., 1896-11-22
SPOTTERS AND THEIR WORK
Regular System Of Spies Maintained by
Big Corporations.
WATCH OVER CONDUCTORS
In Spite of PrOtestatio ions the Honest
Employees Are Obliged to submit
TO the Same surveillance as Is EX-
ercisod Over Those Less Honora-
ble-Spotter'S Job Is Hard.

Rig corporations. in imitation Of that
larger monopoly known as the United
States government, employ agents a
check upon other agents, and pay large
salaries 10 men whose mission is TO Keep
tab on men of smaller salaries. as a means
of enforcing an i:oneSt accounting.
The railways are examples. The trav-
cling audi or IF a Iailroad company, like
the United States bank examiner or the
poStUfiice Inspector, drops down upon an
agent at small station at an unexpected
moment. Il inspect the books. and IL will
Ice qUi we'll, If Lot little letter. for
the minor official to keen bis vouchers on Il
convenient hook, ready for any possible
emergency.
Tie travelling auditor is. however, n mong
the minor ills With which the railway Of
ficiaI has Ia do, and it is not alone tie
agent wi" mas to 'icoEOLt for himself
The surveillance maintained over the cen
GGctor Is Of a much more rigorous desrrip-
ton. and quite dS SySlrTatiC in detail. Nor
Is the conductor on the steam railway the
only one in his ire of business whose acts
are under the scrutiny of the man whose
business II lS To ''iCI Tie ar"p On hIIi.
The street car man is strictly IN it, as well
The tire was. and not so long ago. when
no: train writ out from Ba 'timorc. nor
fIom The end Of any other division, with
O.t Its 'sp,fter.' III tine the 'Spottcr''
l,av' wav'o the ticket Inspector whosa "
every ticket before the conductor received
II, and witness. i the collection of every ca Sh
fare ana knew lis amount. He carried the
lantern. walked backward in front of the
regular conductor and SCrutIni2cd each
paS.e toard aS II was turned over from
!hc passenger.
An old raiirOader. whose service to the
Baltimore and ONO dates back almost to
the beginning Ct its history. recalled to a
nood, the experiences of the conductors
in those days when the employment Of the
inspectors WAS Part of the system. aud
commented upon il with no little ''niC-
ton i'll his tone.
lit WAS "A great trial 10 most Of us
lie said: IAN advertisement. ill fact. that
some one among us had been 'kuockin.
Down the cash fares. In the eye of the
public al had been guilty; for who could
discriminate?
ON THE JUST AND UNJUST.
There were rogrcS in the business,
DOUBTLESS. here and there, and th" penalty
descended upon the upright as upon the
black sheep
Ibid kick Aye: l Swore would not
tolerate a spy, even If liz did c.ritc out in
the open. clothed with authority. But
what could l do? To refuse To 90 out
with him was susceptible of urfavOrable
Interpretation IL WIS Il IOiItSSlbn tldI
had been crooked
We used to have long runs in those
days through trains from Baltimore TO
Wheeling. 1t WAS a weary night ride You
may be sure. aud the knowledge that on"
couldn't even go to the lunch counter with
out having the eyes of his SpOttcr upon
him. made the modification w,lHigl uri-
suppoItable.
some refused poin, blank to work with
an Inspector one of the oldest conduc-
tors, whose record was above rrproach,
and who. by the way. was never for Il
moment suspected OF wronE-ioins by the
officials. walked into the office one even
ing with all the wrath of his nature I'M
bottled.
He declared he would not no. not by
n darned sight, would hc-pcrnit an in,
spcctor to go Oh his train. For that trip
lie carried his point. For several months
thereafter the company had its way. do
not know how he was brought around but
he submittcd to the inflction'
There is evidence in the history of that