The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-04-22

other DireCtiOB-Sm mall fibs Told.
Fares. please
\ conductor on an open car Of a local
electric line yesterday was passing along
the steDtoard of the car collecting fares
His work met with prompt response until
he reached the next TO the last seat OF the
car Here. on the far end of the seat d
passenger sat, apparently engrossed in
his paper and paid no attention to the
conductor
The conductor repeated the demand, but
the passenger seemed afflicted with
deafness The conductor then leaned over
and touched the delinquent, calling his
attention to the rules of the company
concerning transportation, whereupon his
fare was forthcoming. The passenger
dug into his clothes and ffshed out a bill
in payment He did not want tickets
The conductor expressed no vocal com
ment, but his face spoke volumes Of con
tempt as he counted out nineteen nickeIs
in change
The conductor made his way back to
the platform, and proceeded 10 discuss
the matter.
See that guy?' said he. HE is one Of
those feIIers who try to beat their way.
He would be very apt to win out, If l was
not onto him. 1 have had him I'D before
and know his style. He thinks ne can
get on the car without being noticed, and
that the conductor will think he has paid
his fare. What will not some men-ap-
parentIy respectable men-do for the sake
OF - nickel2
There are lots of people Just Ike him.
and I've times out of six. if they have
nerve and work the b1uff right, they sue
coed. They usually come into the car
when the conductors back is turned if
possible They sit in the off seats. look
wise or get occupied. read the papers, look
out Of the window, or even watch you go
the rounds without the least personal in
terest, but as though curious to see how
you do il, and seemingly to be sure that
you get every fare-except their own
''One of the ways a conductor has to
know who has paid is from the seat each
passenger occupies. These folks learn
that and q lot Of other things.
Usually they give up their fares if you
are certain and press the matter Most
of them rely upon passing unobserved,
and viii not argue. II you ask them Tor
the fare. Sometimes they dispute, and
fight hard one fellow, whom l knew
for 'yVelcher.' as We call them, asserted
yehemently that he had paid me his fare,
and said that he had paid on the ear ten
blocks before he did. That was his trick
that / knew he was not telling the truth.
as ne looked dangerous and man who
Will argue such a point viii night
. 1t is too much to expect the cOnduc-
tor to remember every face, and half the
time we don't have an opportunity TO
look at faces. Our custom is to remcm-
Der where passengers seat themselves
There are other things to dO-ring bells
and keep an eye on the notormar.
1t don't happen often that conductor
collects from a passenger more than
once, bur one day 1 collected fare three
times from one passenger An honest
person sometimes foTgets the fact that
he has paid his fare, as soon as it IS done
It becomes mechanical, and when he bur
les his nose in the news columns Of his
paper. he don't know. If you ask him.
neither ne has paid or not A man got
on my car the other night, and / collected
his fare He changed his seat after a
while, for one that suited his fancy bet
ter / didn't notice at the time, and when
i came around collecting, J. asked him for
fare again and he forlled over a ticket.
without so much as looking up. 4 little
further along the line he moved again.
and / did not notice When | asked him
this time, he said, Didn't I pay my fare?
| answered. No. sir and he gave me 4
third ticket. | got TO thinking the matter
over on the platform and some one who
had been watching told me Of ny error
! didn't dare say a word, for the fares
had been rung up, and to refund meant
nay loss And tell you right now, there
is very little that We can afford to give
up. Fabulous salaries are not paid out
IL this business