Bisbee daily review., 1905-08-27
WAS TOO WISE
 FOR SMART
 R.R. "SPOTTER"
Western Conductor Put kibOSh
 on His Man

My old friend Al Moore. a veteran railroad man now in the east, but with western ideas, related a story which is in relation to the above title.
 q heard of 2 clever turn made by conductors on e certain railroad, not necessary to name The company in whose employ the men are, is so strict that Il is claimed they have been known to be suspended for carry ing photographs of their grand moth CTS. The company keeps strict tab on the spoJters who, to show why they should draw their salaries. are not particular 10 confine themselves to statements of facts, but frequently draw the long bow m their reports. Of course the conductors regard these men as sneaking parasites, the em- bodiment of injustice and all that IS despicable.
 Sometime ago one of this offen- sive class boarded a train out of Chi cagO for Denver on an extended trip over the system in quest of victims. It so happened this spotter had been suspected by one of the old con 'ductors out of Chicago, but the for mer, Tot knowing this, presented an annual pass, which on it's face said lhe holder was rep resenting an eastern passenger ager. cy for another line. The conductor examined the pass closely, taking the number name, account, why issued, and, being told the man was en route 10 Omaha, checked him off his run at the Mississippi river.
 Here another conductor took charge, and to him the first conductor gave a minute description of the pass and cOnfided to him Tn detail the facts associated with it's issuance When the man was approached for his ticket he produced a book and told the conductor to tear out mileage 10 Omaha.
 The conductor was now quite cer- tain the fellow was a spotter. else why had he kept the annual out of sight and substituted mileage Arriv- ing at Omaha, he put the next con ductor ''on," giving him the name of the man. the number of the pass, | why issued, and his destination.
 The western ticket puncher merely | looked wise, and remarked, watch me do the geezer to a puzzle. Out of l Omaha, the suspected passenger wait l ed until the conductor approached. l and turning to him with a bored ex- | pression suggestive of an abundance 1 of money and a careless disregard for l it, asked him if he had charge of the | train to a certain station, which hap pened 10 be the terminus of the di- vision. Being assured in the affirm a tive, he requested to be informed the amount of the fare. It was s10 and a few odd cents. He handed ouI the money and resumed a loungiEg position n the seat, apparently toI sleep, but really to watch from haE closed eyes. The wiiy "con" put the money in his pocket and made no ac- count of it in his report to the ticket auditor. About ten days afterwards he received summons to attend the general superintendent in Chicago. HeI suspected the cause. but laid still. Arriving at Chicago, he was ushered into the office and asked if he had collected a cash fare of $10 and a few cents between Omaha and the next division station.
 No, he had not. Then they sprung a announcement on him. The spot ter, the identical man he had on the train westward, was brought into the room to confront the ticket puncher. Did he recognize the man? He was quite confident he did. Had he not accepted a cash fare on a certain date? Not on your life, replied the con ductor. That man was a passenger on my trip, but, drawing a memoIan- dun book out of his pocket, he tender ed me not money, for his fare, but an annual pass No. ... ...issued n name Of account or travelling agent for ... ... ..the road in New York. have the number and description of the pass here, gen tlemen. said the impertuTabls 'con' and when that man says he paid me any money he lies like Sam Patch. I suppose he had to show a reason why he should continue to draw money from the company's treasury, and he did not hesitate to cop me out as a victim. but here is the evidence have to the contrary, Mir. Superintend- ent.
 Well, you should have seen the expression Of mingled wondermeni and startled surprise on the superin tendents face, while as for the cha grined spotter, he was the picture ot baffled rage The conductor looked wise and laughed softly up his sleeve The spOtter was so palpably nailet to the cross of a schening falsehooj that he was fired, and the sage punch CT of tickets sent home rejoicing tha
 he had lifted the scalp of one of th' gentry he so heartily despised."
 F. L. B.