The daily Alaskan., 1908-05-11
A Ticket Scalper's Story.
IOrlglnal.l


 of a business and doesn't give a man much oC a position in the world, but a scalper has human heart, just like any one else. A scalper may feel h. cllued to bestow that heart upon a wo, man. had that inclination once, but I'm never going to have it again. Wo- men are the most ungrateful creatures in the world A woman who would treat a man as one of lem treated me Isn't it to live on the face of the earth.
 One day a pretty, melancholy looking girl of perhaps tweny-two came into my office and said she wanted to get to her mother, who was lying sick in Cincinnati. She said she was broke and wanted a ticket for about nothing I had half a mind to give her ticket charging up the amount to myself, but that would be giving a stranger some thing like SlO and, while, as said. a ticket scalper has a heart, he isn't the kind Of man to give things away that he can't afford to give was looking among my old stock for some thing pretty cheap when came across an unused half of an old excursion ticket, the limit of time of which had long ago expired It occurred to me that # the girl worked on the sym pathies Of the conductor as she had on mine she might induce him to pass her through on It. told her what l was thinking about and that lg she was In- cllued to try it ou | would give her the ticket free oC charge She asked if there would be anything dishonest n such an act, aud told her didn't think there would be; there would be no instrumentation. If the conductor wouldn't accept the ticket the worst he could do was to put her of at the first stop and she would be just so far on her journey. IT she got stranded in a strange place she could get on the next train and go farther on the same ticket and So on.
 She said she wouldn't do that but if the conductor would let her go through on the ticket she would do so, Fhe ticket had been paid for by some one, and she didn't think the road had a moral right to refuse It. | agreed with her as to that. and she accepted the ticket with heartfelt thanks and tears in her eyes. She looked hungry, and l asked her if she was going through without anything to eat Sue said she'd have to. and felt so sorry for her that asked her to go out to a restaurant and filled her up with oys- ters. beeCsteaE aud lot of other things. l remember the bill was S3.50. Her train went at l2;O5 o'clock, 50 I took her to the theater If you want 10 love any one. just do something for 'em. Tue more did for this poor girl the more thought what lovely home she could make for me. By the time left her at the station would have bought her good ticket, but I'd spent all my money. | told her Co keep up her courage and she'd go through all right. She said that was one of na' lures uOblemen and l would be re- warded for my kindness to her. AS the train moved away she wavel her hand to me out of the coach window looking 0t me with fearful eyes.
 It wasn't a week before received a note from tue attorney of the road over which I'd given the girl ticket stating that they had case against me for swlnGling and must either shut up my shop or they would send me to state prison. went at once to the attorney's office and asked to know what it meant He showed me the ticket l had given the girl with a sick mother and asked ne If I'd sold 1t to deaf and dumb girl. denied the charge and admitted I'd given It to a girl who could talk as well as l could. Then he told me how the ticket had been used.
 The girl had poked it at the conductor when be came around, and he told her lt was no good She began to talk to him with her fingers, and, seeing her condition, be had given her Q pencil and paper on which she wrote that a ticket Scalper had sold the ticket to her for the regular fare. The road was trying to get a case to scare us scalp ers. and the conductor, backed by the passengers. who were indignant at such treatment of a poor deaf and dumb girl, passed her through, but be stipulated that she should give the name of the scaIper which she did willingly. expressing the hope that they would punish him soundly.
 Well, ! told my side of the story, and when they sent to the address the girl had given them for corrObOratlOn of her side they found there was no such street and number in existence. The officers of the road believed that the poor girl Shrank from appearing against me and had, therefore, thus coqcealed her abode. But, not having