davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-11-20

the opening Of the Fair. and a Model
Post Office, with a force Of forty men. in
stalled. to handle the mail within the Fair
grounds. 1t would be impossible to esti-
mate the extent Of the business on the
grounds this summer.
The establishment Of this system. which
Is a system within a system. relieves the
downtown office OF an enormous amount OF
work. From the Model Post Office on the
Fair grounds the letters and packages are
sent directly TO their destination without
delay.
At the Terminal Station is an annex
erected by tho Terminal Railroad Company
and leased by the st. Lou Post Office,
burden on the main building. II is a struc-
tire OF four floors and 90x6o. and Is well
adapted to the requirements OF an annex
owing to its proximity to the mail trains
on the many roads entering the city.
Six hundred carriers distribute mail In
st. Louis every day. Fourteen great con-
tract wagons haul the mail from the DIFF
ferent deposit stations in the outlying dis
tr,cts, making from ten to fifteen trips
zach day. Eight to ten street cars leased
from the st. Louis Transit Company and
bearing the insignia of the department
hurry to the main station with their loads
of outgoing mail every hour of the day.
There Is no rest for these cars. They
are constantly in service and are in
valuable to the speedy delivery of the
mails. Twelve more mail service wagons
grind along The pavemenu each day from
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-11-20

elapsed he had received permission to put
on all the hep he needed. He immediate
ly augmented his force by fifty clerks
criminate mail had dwind1ed away.
Surprise has been expressed many times
during the Fair hat the mail has been
handled go expeditiously and carefully, as
it is a recognized fact, even outside the
windows OF the Post Office, that there is
no time when so much confusion exists
and so much mail goes astray as the time
Of a big exposition.
While tho advertised letter department
at the Post Office has been busy during
the hours of the day That the window Ia
open. It is safe to say > great part Of the
letters coming to persons visiting the
Worlds Fair have found owners. The
others have been returned.
LOO AT WORK.
An idea of the amount Of mail handled
In q day at the Post Office IN ST. Louis
may be Cleaned from the fact that It re-
qutres a force Of LOO persons to do the
work. Even this small army Of men Is not
sufficient to satisfy the demands on the
service Incidental to the Worlds Fair. be-
sides the thousands and thousands Of ad-
vertising letters daily sent out by the
great mercantile establishments OF the
city.
On the Worlds Fair grounds a letter
may be posted with just as much assur-
ance of its speedy delivery as though It
had been deposited In one of the W
town boxes. Fourteen substations were
established On the grounds shortly after
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-11-20

time thar has the st. Louis office during
the Worlds al season.
1t is estimated that more than 10000
pieces of mail OF every conceivable variety
are piled into the great dark structure at
Olive and Eighth streets each day.
LITTLE COMPLAINT MADE.
In spite Of this enormous accumulation
OF mail pouring into the h~andling-roon
of the Post Office Zach day seldom have
the business houses of the city or patrons
incidental to the Worlds Fair had occa-
sion to complain Of the postal service.
AT the opening of the season Postmas-
ter wyman's staff was threatened with a
complete congestion in all departments OF
the service in St. Louis Great tables in
the counting and sorting rooms lay Piled
with outgoing mail. and Postmaster Wy
man had not the help to send the myriad
assortment Of letters and packages OF
their way. This condition wa met In the
morning.
When Postmaster Wyman arrived at his
Office he was. confronted with the condi-
tons. The consequences were serious. and
the reputation of the St Louis service was
at stake. Without a word Of comment he
telegraphed Washington for aid. Ordinari-
ly such q request is accompanied by de-
mands for further explanations, and 1t is
generally three weeks before the consent
of the department is granted. regardless
of the urgency of the case.
A record in the department was estab-
,ished In this case. however. 1t was never
known what Postmaster Wyman said In
that telegram. but before two hours had
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-11-20

- . ~.
- !. !. - - ,u.,,
80. 80 .ha 60, ,,,nIs ,c-,,.,,iz. cs,.rp,lr
| ,-s er., WITH susp,cIon h,x evidence in regard
thereto.
On january Il. 1904, an ordinance of the
city OF ST. Louis became effective which
made it a misde to do business as a
| broker without a license, or in any way
violating the provisions OF the ordinance
resuiauhs ne oro.e.ase ous,s'
80 -. corn -
1Die " IN - 1883 'A'A INV ~
"noFe man >'"
Inc oTeinanee .oro'os uhs ~ .NA
{. prohe, ue4er 70 pug vi sen o't
WISE "eai III u ON. u sun
- @ns ~. 20.
=
uVio
ut Sohu VIZ.
'fia. sum lcAet, at.u ID
N"iu AL Ii h"ioe VI ~ >""A
'ne orieihi
me PROVISIONS aiso .eqaifeo 'n@ ming oi
d o"u " si.Vgo WIN
" a III '"e
sa,.e II
-. - - 49, "N""S
N.IA
80 ~. - -n.ss Va 80 a.,
-
'o"ea u fafes Nas a"s,nins sone "
e~,an a Va 'ioAu VI
puasu ~ p"fues gum" "e epA'eu
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-11-20

to their normal state again at the local
Post Office.
"Or course. It Is a fact that every
months reports OF the mail handled at
the Post Office are larger and the mail Is
heavier Just now. and for the next week
the outgoing mail will be featured BY mil
lions of lettnrs from the local mercantile
houses. advertising their stocks OF Cnrist-
Has goods.
About the first of December replies viii
tegin to pour in and then q week or 80
later little packages and bundles and suS-
picious little parcels, neatly sealed, win
give warning OF the approach OF Christ
mas. The mail at Christmas Is exceeding
1y heavy. and OF course the Worids .
force. which we have been using. WIN Be-
required to handle this mall. II II very
probable that some Of the clerks which
We have added to the force may b 70
tanned permaneltly. as the local ofnco Is
IN constant need OF capable men to handle
ths mails"
Assistant Postmaster wyman = perhAao
one o, the few men In 81; L1uis b e.
cling to the old bicycle. He IL ono Of the
few men who rise each day to enjoy .
Ave and ten mile ride before the sun riAs
in the east. To this in a great measure.
and to regular order Of ayinS, he astrin-
has not known a day OF illness in . hfe-
time.
Mr.. wyman's recoliections Of the early
DAYS Of St. Louis are many and distinct
" refreshing. He recalls with great WV
idness the city's early days, when tn
western limit was Seventh street and the
district beyond that q woods and a svamp
to the south
ings Of every Mayor Of st. Louis down 70
Mayor Wells The collection js most VAL
uahie, and mRny fiattering o6ef1 1ays
been made Tor III purchaaA -
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-11-20

but an idea may be cleaned from the fact
that, on an attachment secured by a ptr-
chaser of a ticket from q broker who re-
fused to refund the man his money, e5
excursion tickets available for scalpers
purposes were taken from one brokers' Of
fee and held pending the adjustment Of
the roubl
Almost liniIless ingenuity has been dis
played In the devices, tricks and subter~
fuges which have been brought into play
to make the scalPed tickets pass muster.
FORGING PURCHASERS NAME.
A comnlon device resorted to is forging
the name Of the original purchaser by
q member of the brokers' staff before tho
eyes OF the validating iagent, and doing It
30 cleveriy THAI it is impossible to de-
tect the frau By means of chemicals
the namo of the original purchaser is
completely erased in many instances and
the name of the second purchaser forged
Punch marks are plugged and the limit
on the ace Ct the contract changed, to
make 1t correspond with the raised date
Of sale.
In order to evads the gateman first
c;ass tickets reading to tn. next stop out
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-11-20

sid OF St. Louis are placed in the hands
OF the person purchasing the scalper's
ticket. Cor presentation at The train. This
insures the traveller passage through the
gate. In some way the buyer returns the
short distance ticket to the broker and
presents his long-distance ticket to the
conductor OF the train. This means Of
escaping the vigilance Of the validating
inspectors has been to some extent SIG
cessful. it is said
An effort was made TO even forge the
valuations. 1t was not until Mr.. Norton
discovered tina men in his employ had
been persuaded to validate spurious tick
cts that the most stringent measures yer
adopted to protect the roads in their vail
dating department were resorted to.
Relying on the protection Of the injunc-
tion and ordinance OF the city Of ST. Louis
against unlawful scalpiag. Mr.. Norton at
the opening OF the season used the simple
stamp. As the season progressed and 1t
became evident that crooked work was
being practiced in the city. 3 validating
pastcr' was provided by AIR. Norton,
which In a great measure is proof against
the ~machinations Of the scaiper-
sCALPERS UNDAUNTED.
In order to be properly validated. half
the paster was required to bear the vail
dating stamp and the other half was
stamped on the contract II the paster
was removed the valuation was destroyed.
Even thi. last resort Of the validating
agent was attacked by the scalper's art.
but not with any pronounced success.
As the Fair draws to a close. the vali-
dating Office Is exercising still more pre-
caution and the brokers. anxious to dis
pose OF their surplus stock of tickets read
ing to all sections OF the country. are
bringing ali Of their resources into play.
Chief Norton said yesterday:
"The unlawful scalper is a distinct dan
ger to the community. for he forces per-
sons otherwise Of good character to sub
scribe to his illegal methods.
Generally the typical broker is one who
travels to the Exposition cities. He needs
little capital to start on and Is usually
u~nscrupulous IN dealing with those who
are foolish enough to patronIZe him..
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-11-20

For the las; seven months a struggle OF
vital importance to the travelling public.
ar one which is destined To isase ia ltis-
press On passenger traffic throughout the
country. has been waged silently. but rath-
er effectively. ia this city. and every one
of the millions os Worlds Fair visitors
coming from beyond a radius of go miles,
including Chicago. Kansas City n other
cities. nave been. unknown to themselves,
a party to the strife.
Ii has been q contest in which every
trick known to the ticket scalper's art has
been brought into play against the mass
Of precautionary measures n the Wig
liant eye of the validating clerk. 1t has
been a conflict in which the cleverest tick
ct m~anlpulators IN the world, using their
brains ard penoraft, have resorted to ev-
cry means known TO their kind to force
fake tickets through the largest validating
agency ever formed by the railroads in a
city.
l. has been a battle characterized by
open threats of violence. serious personal
encounters between the validating agents
and brokers agerts, more than 200 arrests
for violations Of the city ordinances gov
erning Understanding and the seizure OF
mere han 1000 '~'doctored" tickets by the
validating Office.
The effort on the part OF the st. Louis
Association of General Passenger and
Ticket Agents Validating Agency, under
the charge Of J. H. Norton. to prevent the
unlawful DETACHMENT and forging of non
transferable tickets probably lie the most
noted n successful antiscalping cam
raign since the inception Of the long
drawn struggle tive the passenger
lied ticket scalpers.
In spite Of the injunction against ma
nipulating nontransferable tickets en-
acted in this city and others. and notwith-
standing the holiness of the brokers' oo-
erations and the enormous number of
tickets fixed" few convictions of viola
tons Of the ordinance have been found
up to this year.
FEDERAL JUDGES OPINION,
No condemnation Of the prac-
tice Of "doctoifng" tickets was ever ut
tered than that made By a Judge Of the
United States District Court of st. Louis
q short time ago in the case OF a broker.
charged with violating this ordinance. The
defendant was convicted and fined. The
opinion Of the court, IN part, follows: +,
In this connection 1t mus. be remembered
that the business his company was engaged in,
buying and selling nontransferRble tickets, and
thereby s~indlinE railroads out OF passages
over their roads, involved dishonesty and moral
turpitude twithout reference to this injunction).
fraud and deceit; and the procurement by those
who buy such tickets OF acts of fraud and
faisencod to avoid detection. Such a man. en-
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-11-20

Early IN the season complaints to the
police ard the Prosecuting Attorney called
attention to the practices of the broker.
In conjunction with the validating otics.
CHEZ of Police Kelly inauguratsd a cru
SADIE against the scalpers, which In a large
measure has been successful.
The prosecutions before the Police
Court Judge and the Mayor resulted IN the
revocation OF the licenses of many bro
ksrs who were proved 10 be operating in
violation 10 the city ordinances governing
their business. They receive licenses for
the purchase ard sale of transferable
tickets. but ara expressly forbidden by
law to deal IN nontransferable tickets.
Indictments have been returned against
brokers In this city on charges OF bribery,
and their conviction will likely follow.
Owing to the old and aggressive meth
DDS lately edopted by the transien. bro
kers. the secrets OF their ~oficee-ons of
their strongest weapons of defense-hsve
been partly disclosed and much valuabie
evidence against them has been secured.
At the start they refused to refund monsy
to persons whom they had duped. but sew
eral attachments which resulted. in each
case. IN valuable evidence against them.
followed. and very few. II any. case. Of
this character have been brought 10 our
notice OF late"
PATHETIC SIDE SHOWN.
There is a decidedly PATHETIC side 10
this scalping business. At the trouble
window" in the Union Station validation
office tales Of the brokers broken prom
iseS flow continually from tina lin, or
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-11-20

there have been as mary as ls.0B valids-
tons in a day.
Shortly after the excursion tickets were
placed on sale, it was noticed that bro
kers' offices began to spring up in the
streets leading to the depot, and IL was
said that the most clever scalpers IN the
country found their way to st. Louis and
opened offices here.
The extremely low rates made by the
railroads, which are said by passenger
men 10 be the cheapest ever made for any
event IN the history of railroad transpor-
tation, rather facilitated matters for the
successful scalping OF excursion tickets.
The coach excursion rates upon which the
great majority of the visitors Travelled to
the Worlds Fair were considerably less
than the ore-wsy fare.
SOLD ON COMMISSION.
A large number Of the visitors changed
their minds about returning home or the
date Of the expiration Of the ticket when
they arrived here, and sold their tickets to
brokers or gave their transportation to the
broker to sell on a commission. realizing a
per cent OF the amount obtained for the
ticket.
The original purchaser OF this ticket was
required 20 cave his name and address
and the ticket was taken only on the con-
dition that the original purchaser would
come to the validating office at the call
Of the roker and lave it validated in his
name when the scalper had secured anoth-
er buyer for the transportation.
A percentage OF from 70 to S. on the sale
of the ticket was offered the original buy
er but generally the amount received for
the sale of the ticket by a oke
amounted 70 Is or 30 per cent OF Its
worth.
In this way nearly every brokers' Office
in the city, represented by numerous run
ners' and spoilers on the outside and
an extensive n skillful staff on the in
side, in a surprisingly short time piled up
an enormou stock OF excursion tickets to
all parts of the country. Little or no
capital is required to start the office. and
the complete organization and understand
Ing which exist between the chain CT
scaipers in the city enable one broker
with a prospective buyer on hand to Sc
cure the necessary ticket from one Of his
neighbors. Operating in union In this
manner, hundreds of tickets of the nom
transferable kind have been sold in these
offices each day.
1t Is hard to imagine the volume OF
business daily transacted In these offices,
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-11-20

u -
name Is on the back OF tn. ticket. Forrst-
fitness. nervousness at being q party to a
crime and a hundred other reasons often
betrays the brokers' charge and the loss
Of the ticket follows
In following out the brokers' advice nus
bands are required to ~repudiate their
wives and wives heir husbands. and thaf
often in the presence OF a large crowd Of
witnesses One Instances last Tuesday IL
illustrates this rtrikingiy. A man and
woman with two small children at their
heels approached the counter and asked to
have their tickets validated. b mans
ticket bore a name different from that Of
the woman accompanying him. The agent
suspected ths tickets as productions Of a
brokers office. and proceeded TO question
both man and woman. Both had denied
their relationship IN spite OF the fact that
the two children chung to the woman's
skirts. The chief clerk was called to the
window Tns man was 1uri'4 al oe.ae
hed up and threatened TO Jump over 'he
counter after the clerk a large croSo
had collected. and the man eontinus'iy
asserted that they were not reiateo ana
that their proper names were written on
the bogus tickets.
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-11-20

are saggy and some of them untitled. 1t is
an indication that the number OF visitors
in the city is not up to the standard get
when the Post-ofice service was Jug
mented with numerous wagons, clerks n
carriers some time ago.
During the week previous to election
day and for the same period following. it
was noticed that there was a decided lun
in the quantity OF mail sent out Of St.
Louis.
TT is an Indication that the attendance
at the Worlds Fair is not as large as Or
d;narily," said Mr.. Wyman, when the
fact was brought to his notice. His state-
ment was verified by the attendance rec
ord afterward.
Perhaps no Dos. office in the history OF
the world has handled moro and a greater
variety OF mail during the Gaus length Of
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-11-20

Worlds Fair visitors are registered not
alone by the grind of the %turnstile at the
Exposition grounds. Postmaster Frank
Wyman and his brother, Assistant Post
master Henry P. Wyman. have another
way almost as reliable and yet wholly de-
pendent on the good will Of the visitor an
his obligations to his relatives at home.
The great bulky mail bags. loaded to the
brfin with words Of cheer and recitals OF
the beauties of the Fair, are the dials
which point out the attendance and mark
the least fuctuatlon in the number OF per-
SONS present from out of the city.
II the countless carriers OF mail are
loaded TO the top with the niultipiex va
riety OF letters, parcels, bundles. pack
ages and postal cards. Postmaster Wyman
knows that the attendance at the Worlds
Hais = Ct the maximum. u the bags
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-11-20
MAIL HANDLED AT POST OFFICE
INDICATOR OF FAIR ATTENDANCE

Postmaster Wyman Able to Tell Whether Many or Few Persons
Are at the Exposition by the Volume of Letters, Parcels and
Papers Sent Through the De partment Each Day-Big Force
at Work All Summer Will Be Kept Until the Holiday Season
Ia Over.
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-11-20

EXECUTIVE STAFF OF THE VALIDATING AGENCY.
J H. Norton, vsidatng agent is seated IN the center At his right is F z
Franks chief clerk. validating agency. Seated at his left is Dwight D curds D-
recuy back Of Mr. Curhe is Pau p. Prosser. an standing back Of Mr. Norton is
Walter n. Davis he three latter are the attorneys. III have Represented the
agency in suits against ticket brokers. At Mr. NorOns right hand is q bundle Of
3J tickets taken from one brokers' office.
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-11-20
MILLIONS WHO VISITED WORLDS FAIR UNWTTTINGLY BORE PART
IN SILENT WARFARE BETWEEN RAILROADS AND TICKET SCALPERS

Precautionary nA Man @M@d NMamM5hn TICKETS mdMc Greatest EMmYm the d@S W%W Wish" Emh the
Lw-pMhW Window" CkM Union Station MsM Many Pathetic @F mPG Persons Wm Have Benz mdW PhIbe Pom@- *
Ouy P1@ngBTaMm on hr OmT Tickets H eagMHT Trouble WhVMmnA Agents.
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-02-07

engaged on both sides. The defense has
eight Of these. while the State has six.
From the present slow progress made it
is hard to tell when the hearing Of testi-
mony will begin.
The case was originally set in Cheyenne
County, but it was brought here on a
change Of venue.
Chauncey Dewey. the principal actor in
the tragedy which is the talk of all Kan
sas. has a most attractive personality. His
father Is c. P. Dewey, several times a
millionaire. formerly Of Chicago, but re-
cently of Manhattan. Kas. He Is also a
first cousin to Admiral Dewey. which
makes the young mar on trial first cousin
once removed to the hero of Manila Bay.
Young Dewey has all the refinement and
courtly ann of a gentleman. He is
a college graduate, as brave as the BRAY
est and one whose popularity among his
cowboys amounts to almost alteration.
Why?
Because they say he is Just. While a
thorough disciplinarian he has the gentle
ness of a woman and yet not even the
burliest cares to meet him In a personal
encounter.
Once. It is stated, one of his men in
suited a woman employed at the grub"
house on the ranch.
Not only was he release from further
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-02-07
CHRCHcEY DENIEY

service there, but before he left he was
| given a lesson by the young ranchman
that he will remember the remainder OIL
his natural life. He was thrashed.
Seven miles northwest of Dewey's head
| quarters lived Daniel p. Berry, his wife,
four sons and a nephew.
The family was what is known as set
tiers or "nesters.' Year in and year out
for nearly twenty years their small
punches of cattle roamed the prairie at
will.
REGARDED LAND AS THEIRS.
No wire fences stopped their wander
ings. They fed on grass that grew there
and their owners, while they had no legal
deed to the land, felt that it belonged to
them as much as any one else.
They felt that God had placed the land
there and the grass upon it. for their
benefit and the fattening Of their cattle.
which were few.
Six or eight years ago, c. P. Dewey,
father of Chauncey. uegan buying up tax
certificates and in that way obtained title
to thousands of acres of land in Rawlins.
Cheyenne, Thomas and Sherman counties.
From the Eastern m~iilionaire's point Of
view this land was his and legally it
was. He then conceived an ambition to
be the largest landowner in Kansas. He
hoped to have fifty miles square of land,