The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-11-14
SCALPERS.
How the Tick
ct Brokers
PLY THEIR TRADE.
Are Up to Every Trick and
Generally Make a Dollar.

There is scarcely city of any con-
siderable size in this country which
does not boast-or complain-of some
dozens of ticket brokers about it's rail-
way stations where travellers may
either sell their return coupons or
buy "scalped" tickets. In large cities
it is common to see signs stating that
the occupant of the building is a IL
censed ticket-broker and a member of
the union of ticket brokers. AT these
places return coupons are bought at 25
to so per cent of the regular cost of a
one-fare ticket, and are sold again af-
ter some necessary doctoring at prof
1t of rs to 40 per cent. In these days
of 'iron-clad'' forms and safety pap
er, the way of the ticket broker is not
SO easy, but he has kept up with the
tlmes and like Bret Harte's Chinaman:
For ways that are dark and tricks
that are vain,
Inc scalper of tickets peculiar
He knows how to forge names, to
pug holes in the ticket, to erase sig
natures when necessary, and ho knows
good thing when he sees it
For example, if a man should buy a
round-trip ticket from New York to
worcester at, say one fare, about
eight dollars, and on arriving in Wor-
cester decides to sell the return cou-
pom to broker he is offered perhaps
two dollars for his ticket. if it Be IRON
clad. An iron-clad ticket is one that
must be signed by the agent at the re-
turn office and stamped by him on the
day of return. The user Of the ticket
is also required to sign at the same
time, and this signature must cores
pond with the original signature on the
face OF the ticket The man selling the
ticket to the broker is asked by him
TO furnish something, an envelope adj
dressed to him, in order to furnish
identification for the next purchaser.
When the purchaser arrives. then
comes the time for the broker to make
use of his knowledge of the arts Mr..
Jones wants a ticket to New York, and
the only one the broker has is one
signed by Mr.. Smith. Mr. Jones
doesn't like to risk passing himself off
Tor Mr. Smith, so the broker grasses the
original signature with acids and for
ges the name of the Worcester agent,
Mr.. Jones signing his name in the place
formerly occupied by that of Mr. Smith.
The ticket is soiled, so as to hide the
marks of erasion and everything is all
right.
In case the date needs changing. it
is an easy matter for the broker to
plug the holes made by the selling
agents punch and to punch a later
date. The stamp on the back is
blurred in such manner as to deceive
the conductor. If the ticket is printed
on safety paper, which will show
marks of erasion, the buyer must take
his chances at being able to identify
himself by means of the envelopes fur
nished by the broker.
INSCRIPTIONS ket-brokers some
times resort to counterfeiting the reg
ular forms of the road, but this is al
ways dangerous, and is not often re-
sorted to.
The war has been a source of rev.
enue to the ticket scalpers. Procuring
a soldiers furlough paper, they
dressed one of their men in uniform
and sent him to the regular ticket Of
fees to buy up tickets at soldier rates
at about one-half regular fare
Some railway companies, not salts
fled with legitimate competition, have
opened ticket-broking offices, of course
purporting to be run by an individual,
where they sell "cut-rate" tickets at
a low rate to the brokers' customers,
while the customers of the road pay
full fare at the regular ticket offices.
1t is doubtful if the scalping business
helps any one but the broker. 1t GER
tainly doesn't do the road any good,
and it would seem that the travelling
public would prefer paying the regular
fare than to risk the danger accruing
from using a stolen ticket.