Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1897-04-02
3 - !i.N-y,efe. =.
RAILWAY COUPONS.
How They Arc Ta1ren Up On tn.
Different Roads.


1oV frequently hear ito OAid." re
marked traveller on an INCOMING,
, train to his companion, shat man in
mighty ipquisitive animal; that he is
forever behind the returns in pursuit
OF knowledge, and that he is never sat-
isfied unless he can lift the cover of
things and watch the wheels go round.
That opinion is only superficial, how
ever. 1t isn't sustained by facts. tOn
'the contrary, man is universally In
different to the real processes which
produce certain results with which he
comes in contact almost every day Of
his life. - 49,
"Not long ago was obliged TO take
trip to the coast going by way of
the northern lines, through st. Paul,
and returning by the southern route
AS took out my ticket I noticed that
ON every coupon or section Of the lSng
strip appeared Their number of the ticket,
and also the initials OF each particular
line or road over which it was to carry
me. That interested me at once and 1
carefully watched every step in the
process of taking up the coupons.
When reached home again I went to
the general ticket office of the mainline
over which had bought my ticket
and there spent an hour in finding ont
what had been done with the coupons
which I had distributed over half a
continent into the hands Of various CON
ductors. There learned some very in
teresting facts.
The first coupon detached from the
ticket is handed to the conductor. who
takes it up to the ticket cashier, who
Immediately forwards it to the ticket
auditor in the general Offices of the
line of origin. Here IL is first checked
up against the report of the agent who
sold it, the report indicating over whnt
other line the ticket is sold. The audi
Tor and his clerks have division Sheets
which indicate what proportion OF the
entire amount received for the ticket
belongs to each of the interested roads.
Generally the value Of each coupon is
arbitrarily fixed and is SO indicated by
the division sheet, but of course the
original basis Of settlement is practical
~ a. pro rata arrangement. In some
instances the" clerks in the auditors
Office have to calculate the division &C.
cording to the mileage of each road.
''The different lines represented in
each ticket are credited with their share
of the total and there Is a regular inter
changing of reports between all CON
meeting roads. Settlements, which are
made by check, generally occur at CO.
day intervals.
Each one Of the connecting lines
receives from it's conductors the coupons
which have been collected, and it is by
means If these that it is able to have !
perfect check on the reports of credits
received from the road of origin as
the railroad men designate the line
which. sells the ticket.
"That practically ends the travels of
the ticket, for after. settlement each
auditor files his coupons away and pre-
serves them for q year after which they
are burned.
"Where two or more conductors d.
vide the distance covered by single
coupon it is generally the man on the
last rum who takes up the bit of paste
board. Those before him simply punch
the ticket. To this rule there Ia an ex
zceptioi where the distance is usually
great Then the first conductor tallcG
the coupon up md issues to the passen-
ger train check which is treated by the
following conductors on that division
as a. ticket. A ticket sold in New York
over the eastern line connecting with a.
western road il handled by the auditor
Of the latter as II It were originally sold
at Chicago. The frequent reports Of
tickets sold between the various con-
meeting lines are necessary in order
thSs each may make its weekly estimate
Of current earnings.
s'sThih, I ten you," concluded The
chronic investigat oF,; els a world Of sys-
teP and railfodd Offices are not q whit
behind the procession In this particu-
| Lon. ~ Chicago Post.
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