The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-01-18
\ Railway Coupon Ticket.

1 INV f-p i ISL
You frequently hear It said" remarked
traveller on an incoming train to his com
panon. that man is a mighty inquisitive
ANIMAL that he is forever behind the re
turns in pursuit of knowledge. and that he
Is never satisfied unless he can lift the
cover of things and watch the wheels go
round That opinion is only superficial
however. 1t isn't sustained by facts. on
the contrary. man is universally indiffer-
ent to the real processes which produce
certain results with which he comes in con-
tact almost every day of his life.
Not long ago | was obliged TO take a
trip TO the coast, going by way of the
Northern lines, through St. Paul. and re-
turning by the Southern route. As ! took
out my ticket I noticed that on every
coupon or section of the long strip oppear-
ed the number of the ticket and also the
Initials OF each particular line or road
over which it was to carry me, That inter
estod me at once and | carefully watched
every step in the process of taking up the
coupons. When | reached homo again
went TO the general ticket office of the
main line over which | had bought my
ticket and there spent an hour in finding
ont what had been done with the coupons
which | had distributed over half a CONT
utHl lllNb lnt ntIuS nt various tOn1Qc
tors. There | learned some very interest
ing facts
The first coupon detached from the
ticket is handed to the conductor, who
takes II up to the ticket cashier. who I'm.
mediately forwards II TO the ticket audi
tor in the general offices of The line OF
origin Here it is first checked up against
the report of the agent who sold It, the
report indicating over what other line the
tai, ,oII -.
have division sheets which indicate what
proportion of the entire amount received
for the ticket belongs 70 each Of the inter
ested lines. Generally the value of each
coupon is arbitrarily fixed and is so in
dictated by the division sheet. but of course
the original basis Of settlement is practi
cally pro rata arrangement. In some in
stances the clerks In the auditors office
have to calculate the division according
to the mileage Of each road.
THE different lines represented in each
ticket arc credited with their share OF the
total and there is regular interchange OF
reports between all connecting roads. Set
Elements. which are made by check. gen
orally occur. at sixty-day intervals.
Each one of the connecting lines re-
covCs from its conductors the coupons
which have been collected, and 1t is by
means of these that 1t Is able TO have a
perfect check on the reports Of credits re-
cevod 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 preserves them
for year, after which they are burned
Where two or more conductors divide
the distance covered ny single coupon 1t
is generally the man on the last run who
takes up the bit OF pastoboard, Those be-
fore him simply punch the ticket. To this
rule there Is an exception where the dis
lance is unusually great Then the first
conductor takes the coupon mp and issues
to ire passenger train check which Is
treated by the following conductors on That
division as a ticket. A ticket sold in New
York over an Eastern line ccnne't!ng win
u Western road is handled by the auditor
Of the latter as II II were originally sold
ut Chicago. The frequent reports of tickets
sold between the various connecting lines
are necessary in order that each may
make its weekly estimate Of current earn
nEs,
This. tell you" concluded the chronic
Investigator. "ls world OF system and
railroad offices are not a whit behind the
procession in this particular.