The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-03-18
STREET CAR TICKETS

| Has it ever occurred to you that these
ones purse with : tcs surprising rapidity
accumulate quickly atthe Central station?
| These stations might be called the Com
panies' treasures, sfur the conductors have
10 buy these strip of tickets before start
ing out on their lips. At the ending of
| the days WORK they are redeemed for their
| full value.
| In tracing these tfekets after they have
left the conductors hands, one finds they
are put in big sacks, carted into tig
/ room, where some dozen women are en-
gagged n counting them They are arranged
inbundles of twenty 81 worth-so That
! tile amount OF business is determined by
comparing the sales with the returns.
After they are counted into these bundles
and the cashier has ascertaned the amount,
| they are again put iuto the bags and taken
away Where? To some factory; reduced
TO pulp and used again. oh. no! such
ideas of economy are not in Keeping with
rapid street-car transit. They are taken
down to the furnace room and usedfor fuel,
the immense quantity serving to make heat
enough to convert a large tank Of vac
but burning themis the cleanest and quick
| est method of disposing OF them.
IL was said that the scheme or punching
the ticket when il was collected was to
prevent the conductors from supplying
their friends with transportation. Such
is not the case, since he must purchase
them at the start. Should he desire TO
present his friends with tickets he does so
entirely at his own expense. His salary
rarely admits of such distribution, how
ever much he is nlaigned regarding bis
honesty.
The annual sales of the wo largest lines
in the city amount to something over
100000, thus making an average or
nearly $4,000 a day. OF this amount 20
per cent is represented by these tickets
leaving only small per cent Tor cash
sales. The Capital Ira cTion Company claim
that the day before Inauguration their
sales amounted to $4,000, and the day
after, $4,000. On inauguration day the
sales, not withstanding the suspension OF
business during the parade, amounted 10
$1,000. This is given as an estimate OF
the business carried on which nccessitates
the handling of those little passports.
When exchanges are made az the end of
the month, the Metropolitan and Capital
Traction Company pay out large sums OF
money to the other roads, who always have
taken in more Of their tickets than make an
equal exchange, owing TO the extent OF their
business. The suburban lines gather
great many coupons especially the Wash
ington and Great Fails line, where it takes
four tickets to make the trip and return,
thus leaving but two Of the string for down
town trips.
These smaller lines tear the tickets into
halves before burning them. An ingenious
person, with no regard for the truth, could
invent plausible tales OF the tickets being
torn, where the peqfoTstUn is made near
the edge SO they are torn to prevent
these declarations Alconductor on one OF
the lines said the number of people who
tried to get free rides was positively sur
priSing, He said people as rule seemed
10 have a grudge against the street car
lines aud thought IL their duty to try and
ride without giving up their tickets.
There are thousands and thousands OF
these little passports, which cannot claim
Washington AS their birthplace, for wher-
ever they are manufactured the cheapest.
there they are purchased The large lines
get large amount of their paper from Chi
citgo and New York. Commencing at the
beginning, where they are manufactured,
which, OF course, Il great deal is done by
machinery, there is a constant passing of
these checks IL can readily he seen that
these little slips are quite impOrtantin their
way. Besides transferring the passenger
TO the different parts of the city, allowing
one the pleasure of a street car ride on
hot night, and representing large amount
Of money, they are 'commendable because
OF their size.
In this City OF Distances a bundle Of
THESE necessities makes an admirable little
gift. not because Of their value, but their
utility.
The different companies report remark
able decrease in the sales on fair days,
when wheels are put TO use. Since the
President has started the fashion Of walk
ing there will probably be another notice
able decrease. People are quick To follow
the ex ample OF the Chief Executive. who is
a famous pedestrian. So that walking viii
be fashionable, and short distances viii be
made on foot without the aid uf the street
car lines or d ticket,
FOR THE SMALL, PERSON