The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1900-02-04

mind 1t looked as though everybody. could
get pass simply for the asking. On some
lines the chief of the legal department was
a most bountiful dispenser of compliment
taries.
The pass" Habit
I'm 1878 met a man in Omaha who was
heading for Chicago. He was flush with
money and was liberal slpender, but he
had mania for travelling on passes. He
told me boastfully that he seldom had to
pay for a ticket He had no claim what
ever on any line out of Omaha, but he was
bent on getting free transportation just
because 1t was the fashion. He had no
acquaintance With any OF ule railroad Of
ficials That was a small matter. He would.
cultivate the AcqAaintalllee of one of.
Them He was what would loe termed now
adays a COLLIER" The fare from Omaha
to Chicago was only about $1s The man
scheming for a pass was paying at the
rate of 81 a day at his hotel, and as he
had to wait over for five days before he
could get at the railroad official, it was
decidedly Improbable business. He spent
moreover, at least SO in entertaining the
free pass official. He got the pass but
as the above figures show 1t would have
been money dn his pocket If he had bought
a ticket and not waited for the "compli-
mentary." That was twenty years ago.
The same man might spend double the
amount today, but 1t Wouldn't get him a
pass.
Twenty-Five years ago general managers
and superintendent had pass books as
now, but THE regulat tons requiring passes
to be issued from the book were not as
strict as they are today. In fact, there
was very little red tape. Conductors often
took the liberty of passing their friends
without amy shadow of authority. Mana
gers, superintendents and other high Off
Gals would frequently meet persons on the
street who asked vait
ing TO return TO the office and issue the
transportation from a book, in due form,
they would write a pass in lead pencil
either on a scrap of paper or the back of
an envelope' L remember l called one
night on w. M. S. Dun, engineer and SUI
perintendent of the Chesapeake and Ohio
at his residence in Richmond 1t was ar-
ter midnight and the benevolent and popu-
lar official had retired and was asleep
But he walked at the ringing of the door
bell and let me in. l told him That I
wished to take am early morning train
and had come for a pass.
All right" he said. Just wait until 1
get a piece of paper.
Don't bother 1 replied. sHere is a
newspaper Write it on the Margin"
Yes; that will answer" he said.
And taking my pencil he wrote simply:
Conductor will pass William Ryan from
Richmond to Huntington and return.
w. M. 5. DUNN, Engineer and Supt."
Rather Bad Form
Such an informal way of giving q pass
would he regarded in rather bad form to-
day 1t would hardly pass" at all.
One of the few railroad officials who
didn't believe in general distribution of
passes was Maj. E. D. T. Myers, many
years superintendent of the Richmond,
Fredericksburg and Potomas railroad, now
its president One had to have peculiarly
ST ole iT1G Il linz in nd To yaf
a free ride. He never gave a personal pass
that is, a complimentary to friend
simply because he was a friend. No MEM
Der of his family was dead-headed. When
ever they travelled they bought tickets and
paid full price for them. Major Myers Is a