New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-07-16
THE THUMB SIGNATURE
Now Being Used to Identity 0w,
erS of Railroad Tickets,

The thumb print system ~ signature "a
been adopted by the Union Pacific Rz!rs
and very shortly passengers over that 81,
tenn will be required 70 attach the inv,
Of their left thumb. instead Of the g,s
John Hancock" signature. 10 thro,f
tickets when making their purchase I'll
later to identify themselves by a s.-agI
thumb signature whenever required &c Il
so by the conductor Likewise the u-
system will be made use Of when the "a,
roll is signed by section men. grader, a.
others out on the line. and even by ors
and employees in the larger shops and
fees OF the system.
A large majority Of all through ucsa|
sold by railroads to-day. and especially VI
western railroads. are OF the 'Tdsnu.a
ton" kind and require the signatur,
the purchaser. Many passengers purcsis
round trip tickets. which during the g.
mer sell at the same price as do ID, q,
way tickets. when they have 70 intsctg
Of returning to the originating point
though the ticket "scalpsr" has been b
out of business. thousands OF these ron
trio tickets are used by Others than y
original purchasers, IL being conpss
lively easy thing 10 run II over" d
conductor.
Under the new system. IL will be nscss
sary that a purchaser attach his ;h.r
signature at the time Of buying the u,is
and thereafter whenever the conductor y
mands IT, Also when the ticket Is ",
fed" at the point OF destination the ,f-r
signature is demanded and il must als
eide with the original thumb print Oh Z,
ticket or the verifcat.on will no, b. q
tablfshed.
Ii is pointed out by the railroad ona'
that this signature cannot be copied 81
forged. and that no two persons no
the sun have exactly the same lines
their thumbs. the difference being % pa
as to be readily recognizable by coni.'
, tors and paymasters requiring such ~
tifcation. The officials believe the ~
objection which passengers might 10"
the new system Is no obstacle a. q
namely. that OF smear!ng the end Il =
thumb with black INK. As TACT y
railroads declare that they have foutf
substance which leaves the thumb Of =
printer as clean, after he has mace =
signature. s IL was before Ink pads "a
soon, therefore. supplant the founthn y
and pencil as part Of eondae'@'
equipment.
The Union Pacific every summef' q
ploys thousands OF foreigners In its u''
work and in construction. There are m'~
Chinese. japanese. Hindus, Ausn'',
Poles. Italians, Czechs. Lithuanlsns q.
others. a vast majority Of whom esn'''
write English at all. and are unaOs
sign their own names except IN u'-
native language and In characters W.,
that those in our alphabet. IL Is V''y
cally impossible for the paymaste' !" AV'
track OF the signatures OF these w
and the Union Pacific adopted the n'-
signature in its work, as much lo'
people. as on account Of the proper W.
fcation Of passengers.
This same class Of foreigners are To-
GUS out in wyoming where they "O' -,
railroads. in the coal mines ana ', ~,
big government irrigation prolecr 10
of them deposit their savings 10 .n' -
at Cheyenne. Wyo, and II hS ,.,,i
found necessary by the bankers az,
the thumb system of identification u ".e,.
dealings with the foreigners. IHs 4,
has been in vogue about three 'es,s M
cheyenne banks and a check WIN
not contain the thumb print ssna' al
well as the written one Is never .-,s
About one year ago the so' ''s !,
adopted this system in dealing Wv 30
Indians. Previous 10 tnat UNIV .,r,,
much trouble in handling indian
which required the signature .. ~
the red men because ot the i'ss,,tss
pudiation OF these mark sc s-,g
Under the new system. the ino. =. ~
signs with his thumb and sin0e ..,, .
ton of this method there mas "a, rr.s
trouble at all compared Win eo~osrss
,ka old nlap s. "