San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-03-20
TIE Daify tiqRt
SATURDAY, MARCH 20, 1897.
RAILWAY COUPONS.
How They Are Taken Up on the
Different Roads.
An Intricate But Necessary System
for the Correct Settlement of
Accounts Between the
Companies

lou frequently near III Sdlu, 10
marked a traveller on an incoming
train to his companion, that man is
q mighty inquisitive animal; that he is
forever behind the returns in pursuit
of knowledge, and that he is never sat-
isfed 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. On
the contrary, man is universally in
different to tho real processes which
produce certain results with which he
comes in contact 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 returning by the southern route.
As took out my ticket noticed that
on every coupon or section of the long
strip appeared the 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 went to
the general ticket Office of the main line
over which had bought my ticket
and there spent an hour in finding out
what had been done with the coupons
which had distributed over half
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
takea 1t up to the ticket cashier, who
immediately forwards it to the ticket
auditor 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 limo 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
ly 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
eceivesfromits conductors the coupons
which have been collected, and it is by
means if these that it is able to have a
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 o.
the ticket, for after settlement eact
auditor files his coupons away and pre-
serves them for a year, after which they
are burned.
where two OF more conductors di
vide the distance covered by a singh
coupon it is generally the man on tn,
lasprun' who takes up the bit of paste
board. Those before him simply puncl
the ticket. To this rule there is an ex
ceptson where the distancsi is usual.
great Then the first conductor take
the coupon up and issues to the passen
ger a train check which Is treated by tn
following conductors on that divisio
as q ticket A ticket sold m New Yor
over the eastern line connecting with
western rood is bandled6y the audfto
Of the latter as II It were originally sol
at Chicago. The frequent reports {
tickets sold between tho various Col
Meeting lines are necessary in orde
that each may make It's weekly estimat
of current earnings.
''This. I tell you" concluded Il