The Topeka state journal., 1898-02-10
NO MORE VOTING CONTESTS.
Order Issued by the I. c. Recalls a
Spirited Topeka Contest.

President Fish, of the Illinois Central,
has issued an order to the officers and
employees of the road that has caused a
good deal of surprise to the persons af-
fected. 1t is understood that other roads
will do the same thing. The order as
that no Oficer-and that means in all
departments shall hereafter accept
any present from employees, nor shall
they permit their names to be used in
voting contests for articles of value.
This order will affect church fairs.
About a year ago two officers on diff
ferent roads were opposing candidates
for popularity in a church fair, the prize
being a gOld-headed cane. The men on
both roads were assessed and there was
.cOnsiderab BILE feeling about it. The Of
ficers did not know of the assessment
or that the men were complaining of
the money they were asked to contrib
ute.-IndianapOliS News.
If the craze of voting on the most
popular railroad man in Topeka should
strike here again as it did several years
ago there are two at least who will be
heartily in favor of the Santa Fe pas
sing a rule similar to the one issued by
President Fish of the Illinois Central
These two would be Dan Cain, chief
clerk in Superintendent Of Machinery
Players office and George Elliott, fore
man of car repairerS.
Several years ago a contest was start
ed by. the now extinct Daily Press. A
watch was offered for the most popular
office emplOye of the Santa Fe and one
for the most popular mechanic. OF
course the voting blanks were printed
in the paper and2after the contest was
well under way the blanks sold like hot
cakes, not the papers Each blank con-
tanned two ballots, one for the office
emplOye and one for the mechanic. The
contest became spirited and those who
were supporting the candidates in the
different classes would trade the blanks
for Office emplOye for the blanks print
ed for the mechanic and vice versa.
Some became so interested that they
would buy papers by the thousand and
it was no uncommon sight to see q
crowd sitting pOrcheS during the
evening cutting out ballots for their IA
vOrite and writing the names in and tie
ing them together in lots of a dozen or
so. Finally the ballots were printed
one hundred on sheet and were sold
at the rate of cents apiece. Then the
crowds would cut them out and would
tie them up in packages of hundred
instead of dozens. The contest kept on
and the day and night before the con-
test closed George Elliott had four men
cutting out and stamping the tickets
for him. They ate and slept, what lit
tie they did, in the room where they
worked. When the votes were taken
before the canVassing board the night
that the contest closed they were
taken up by the hackers of Elliott in
a trunk with a heavy guard following
the bearers. When the votes We're
counted the watch offered for the most
watch offered for the most popular me-
chanic was awarded to George Elliott
who had over 123 900 votes. The total
votes were over 100000.
Nothing would hire me to enter
such a contest again. said Mr.. Elliott
AT first did not want to go into it and
for some time did not take any interest
but after a while was so wrapt up
in it that 1 worked and schemed like
regular politician. One man gave me
200 votes. I traded the blanks to be
used by the clerks for 200 more. Those
who were backing the different candi-
dates would try and find out how many
votes the opposition had and there was
all kinds of rivalry. 1 have had all Of
the voting contests I Mant.n