The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-01-17
NOT A SPOTTER.
This Conductor From New York
Was on "lhe Make"
Collected Fares but Failed to Ring Them
Up on the Register.

"Mr. Wall. will you kindly look
through the sheds and see II all car, In
your charge are there, and then see II
any OF those that have been In use today
are missing?"
In due time Mr.. Wall found everything
oil right and then went To the phone
and called up tho office OF the Unic1
Railroad Company and reported.
"All right" said Mr.. Potter, "we'Ts
N luck. +"
May / ask whyY" asked Mr. Wall.
WELL" said Mr.. Potter. ''I'll tell you
later, but you will not let Nav Yorker
get on to another car. II you do, We Will
lose II.
Such In substance was the telephone
comm unication between A lbert Il. Potter
general manager Of the Union Railroad
Company and William Wall, the fore.
man of the Cranston car sheds Saturday
evening.
A few weeks ego we'll dressed young
man walked into Mr.. Potter's Office and
applied for. n position as conductor. He
was fairly 'oaded down with rocommen-
dations. In fact, he bad SO many and .
mum Der being from Mr.. Potrer's best
friends, that he took quite an interest IN
the stranger. Two weeks ago conduc-
and at Mr.. fotter's request the young
man was given the chr. me first Uven-
ing he called Billy Hutchins, the motor
man. TO quist spot and wanted to
div" with him, but Billy, teing an
old hand and strictly honest, didn't care
to.go into the combine, and at once set
the young man down as spotter. The
new conductor was known as the New
Yorker" and soon made friends with
every body. Every body took ID the New
Yorker, but when re- had beon on day
or two all of the other conductors and
motormen set him down as n spotier aud
gave him wide berth. Not only did he
make friends with the railroad toys but
with the passengers and the many pretty
girls along the line. lie had made ar
rangements to NO tn church with one Of
the prettiest Of the girls who. by the
way, IL a sister of one of the conductors
The New Yorker ran the car two
weeks, ana IL Ia estimated tLat he missed
ringing up $3.50 worth OF fares during
that time, Ard what Is a surprise Is that
many of the passengers knew It. For "A
week or more the matter has been the
talk Of Cranston, nut II never reached the
ears of the officials until SATURDAY even
ing, when the New Yorker was fired -
saturday forspcon Mr.. Potter got into
the New Workers. car. and at tl at time
there were 10 passengers in the car. Had
MT. fOtter IOOkeu UP ne WOulu nave
found that the dial showed only six far5s
Those that know Mr.. Potter on the road
know that he and the president of tho
road always sit In the front OF the car
and look ahead through the end window
mud this Is Just what Mr.. Potter did Sat
urday lie had hardly got soats1 whe n
the New Yorker came In an SAID
fares " and then began to rattle mum
ber of nickels which he held in mis- hand
A moment later he rang up the missiny 2
four fares. All OF this time MIR. Potter Z
back was turned toward the passen1 ers.
Late Saturdav afternoon the New
Yorker was taken into the office, aud 10
was learned that he had worked" nearly
every road in the country. and at ono
city was obliged to "whacK' up with an
assistant superintendent. lie said that
was the best graft he ever bal.
The patrons of the road yesterday asked
for the Jolly New YORKER and the
and motormen are somewhat
relieved now that they have not rid OF ths
supposed spotter. A comparison OF the
receipts Of the sane oar for q two wteSs
previous TO tho young man being placed
IN charge. shows that he retained from
SS to $40 in nickeis anu how he managed
to do 10 In 30 barefaced n manner IL n
surprise to every one including the
officials.