The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-26
ANNUAL PASS Is NOW RIPE.
CHICAGO RAILROADS WILL SEND
OUT 100000 BIstORE JAN. 4.
Many Applicants Sure 10 he Disap-
pointed-Each Road Limits Its
Favors ana some Who Try to Get
Them FalI--Two Millions I'm Use.

rhVOFs umu some VINO Iry 10 Net
Them FaiI-Two Millions I'm Use.
Within the next few days something like
100000 annual passes win be sent out from
the offices Of the big railroads In this city
1t VIII be the annual distribution OF these
favors to officers. agents, and other en-
ployes of connecting and foreign roads, as
well as their own men. The labor OF get
ting out this free transportation Is gigantic
and will occupy the time Of hundreds OF
clerks up to January l. In addition to the
time Of employees. tho postage on the let
tiers inclosing the passes will amount to
5000 or 5000. and the printing Of the
credentials will involve as much more.
The issue of free yearly passes will aver
age 5000 to each OF the roads terminal here.
The modus operandi for obtaining these
passes is through applications About the
last of November of each year the different
railroads of the country get together and
agree on the number Of passes and the per-
sons to whom they will be given. Lists are
printed and sent to the roads over which
the favors are requested. 1t Is optional
with the receiving company whether II will
issue any or all OF the passes asked for In
the list. The requests OF large and impor-
tant systems are usually granted In full
while applications from small obscure rail-
roads and boat lines are refused. This re-
fusal never dismays the officers of the
little lines, for they make up and send
the same lists year after year in the hope
Of getting a percentage Of the railroads to
approve the applications.
High officers Of railroads are not the only
persons who receive ANIMALS from other
lines In fact. the smallest percentage OF
the total issue goes to the executive off,
cials. The travelling passenger and freight
agents and the numerous land and immi-
grant agents consume more of the passes
than any other class.
Usually annual passes are extended to
cover the month of January, 50 as not to
embarrass travelling agents and others who
may not receive the new ANIMALS before
New Years day. This year. however. the
Pennsylvania road gives notice that none of
its 1899 annual passes will be honored after
January 1.
Few Annual Pnsres Misused.
Though an annual pass probably, is the
easiest sort of transportation to manipu-
late. railroad officers say that few ANIMALS
are misused. Occasionally one Is lost or
stolen. and somebody gets ride or two
before the transportation Is bulletined.
Recently an annual good over g. Chicago
Buffalo line was lost. The loss was not
discovered for nearly three months, the
holder having no occasion to use It. When
1t was buletined by the railroad company
1t was found that 1t had been used for
twenty round trips between Chicago and
Buffalo The majority of ANIMALS require
no signature. which makes 1t difficult for
a conductor to ascertain whether 1t Is in
the hands of the right person.
The recent agitation to do away with all
annual passes evidently has had no effect
on the crop for 1900, since officers of many
of the local lines say that more applica-
tions for the coming year have been re-
ceved than for many years past.
Two MILLIONS of ANIMALS.
rough estimate of the total number of
ANIMALS that will be in the hands Of Amer
lean railroad men ready for use on New
Years day Is 100000. And this will not
represent all OF the ANNALS that will be
issued during the coming year. The be-
fore-New Years distribution Is about 70
per cent. of all the twelve-month passes.
the other rs per cent. Is sent out during
the year. The changes In officers, agents
and travelling men cause many passes TO
be Cancelled or "called in" Those who
are appointed to fill the vacancies must
be furnished with fresh ANIMALS.
Much time and attention Is given by
railroad officers who have charge OF the
pass department to studying UP new de-
signs to be used for printing each crop of
ANIMALS. The same plate is never used
two years. Many of these designs are
things of art and beauty. All the annual
passes are printed on the finest Of heavy,
coored cardboard, in Autograph. A few
roads insist upon the recipient signing his
name on the back of the yearly pass.
During the last two or three years there
has been sort of revolution in the word
ing of annual passes. Formerly many of
the coveted free passes were made out to
include the holder and his or her family.
For example, the wording would read:
"Pass John Jones and family between all
stations This form was found to be too
\. II At,I
a holder, II he or she were so disposed,
might carry half the universe as members
of the family. Few passes are now made
out this way. If passes are sent for men,
bers of an officers family, one Is sent to
each member. The only exception to this
is in the passes given to roadmasterS and
other officials, who are required to go
over the road q great deal, accompanied
by workmen. AS a new gang may be used,
each trip, adherence to the name prlnci-
pie would cause much unnecessary delay.
Comparatively few ANNALS are now Is
sued to other than railroad men. A presi-
dent has it in his power to send one to
whom he may see ft-friend, relative, or
whoever he may be. But this is seldom
DONE The one class, outside of employees,
that Is still quite generally favored with
ANIMALS, Is politicians: and railroad Off
GERS say that no other persons abuse the
pass privilege as much as the men with
pulls" member of state legislature
will loan his annual right and left to his
constituents. One member of the Illinois
house, from the southwestern part Of the
state, has had his pass presented on one
road several times every week for six
months, each time by different person.
Men Who 'WOrl<" Railroads.
There is a class of workers" whose
members appear to make life task of try
ing to obtain annual passes. This class must
not be confused with the class which seeks