Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1901-02-21

pupiiC udS lung Regarded Jlem as
nuisances. 1t is reported that quite a
number of railroads, following the
example of the Alton and Lehigh Val
ley, will prohibit newsboys from rid
ing on trains, and will establish news
stands at all important stations.
The general passenger agent of
prominent line, which is generally in
advance of railway companies with
new ideas and improvements for the
betterment of the service, when inter-
viewed on the subject of news train
agents had this 20 say:
Il think the day of the news train
agent is gradually drawing to a close,
and it will not be many years, if, in
fact, it will be many months, before
they become one of the things of the
past. The privilege of selling news
papers, periodicals, candy, nuts and
various knickknacks On trains at one
time brought a handsome return to
railway companies, and naturally a
handsomer return to the news agency
controlling such privileges. For ex-
ample, this privilege 10 or Is years
ago brought us in all the way from
$4,000 to $4,000 annually, and It was
estimated that the news company
cleared for itself $4,000 to SEE, 900 on
the years business. That was before
the day of the department store, be-
fore the day of cheap literature and
when the cheapest literature was to
be had from the train agent. It was
6urinC tho hot
along the line of a railway at a num-
Der of smaller towns and cities as
sembled at the station abouts train
time, and the news agent acted for the
time being, and while the train was
at stop in the station, as the sta
TONER and bookseller for the town.
Flimflammers
They were bright, clean-cut lot of
fellows who at that time occupied the
position of train agents. They were a
better class of men altogether than
those holding similar positions today,
They were paid then as they are paid
today, on commission basis. and
good, bright train agent could make
IN commissions from $1,000 to $1,000
year, while today one cannot make
more than $500 or $500 year. The
result is that the train agent today is
not OF the responsible type. The news
companies do their best to select good
men and keep them in line. The
temptation, however, where a train
agent is working on a small margin
OF S25 or $50 month, is too great.
and very often these irresponsible
e train agents work the famfam game
on passengers, the prize package, and
the pair of gold spectacles which they
nave just found and which they are
willing to sell cheap, but at several
times their real value. The railway
company is, of course, held responsi-
BILE for these Irregularities of the news
agents, and very often a railway COM
pany makes a lasting enemy of a pro-
minent shipper and a good patron of
the passenger department, who does
not understand the railway company
is only indirectly responsible, as the
privileges are under contract to out
siders, and under the contract the
passenger may be protected if he will
OiAJ hiohC SIlcFdHCt KNOWN.
The present and the old method of
handling the news privileges on trains
is primitive; it is a dirty, shfftless
way. and unless it is closely watched
by the officers of the railway COM
pany it becomes a nuisance. These
train agents occupy with their boxes
the space which could be used to adj
vantage many times for seating four.
six or eight passengers. It would
never do to relegate the train agent to
the baggage car and give him a free
passage to and from the car. He must
have his boxes in the coach: he must
DISPLAY his wares in various ways on
the seats which he occupies with his
train boxes, as well as by taking them
through the train for sale.
No Money In 1t.
There is no money, or at least very
little money, in the business for the
rews company today. The department
stores undersell them, and the trave-
Ter of today usually provides himself
or herself with all the reading matter
and other articles which go to make
up days pleasure on a passenger
train before they leave on their Jour
ney. They can make these purchases
in department store a little more
cheaply than they can make them on
the train.
There are a few old mossbacks
who may miss the train agent. but
they may be accommodated by what
appears to be more modern, and
certainly more satisfactory way of
handling these news privileges in con.
nection with the passenger train SER
vice of railway line. The withdraw
ing Of the train agents from our pas
senger trains short time since was
done as much in the interest Of the
news company as in our own interest,
and was not due to any dissatisfaction
under our contract with the news
company. In the place of the train
agent we establish the station news