The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-12-07
Troubles of the Railway Agent
Come in BuncheS.
He Is Blamed for Everything
That Goes Wrong.
BRIGHT CROWD IN TOPEKA
Courteous Clerks at Santa Fe,
Rock Island, Union Pacific.
A Few of the Daily Tasks of
Busy Ticket Handlers.

When Emerson in his Conduct of Life
said: I'VE must be as courteous to
man as we are to a picture he didn't
think of the daily picture of a frantic
face framed by the brass bars of rail-
road ticket office window-no not
Emerson. Emerson thought of life and
art and dreams of ideals. He didn't
associate with his study fire advice,
the daily grind of the ticket clerk who
YEARLY PAGES back and forth in his
railway station den trying to enrichen
the Company's bank account by living
up to the "courtesy is the best asset
rule.
There is a small set of public servants
in Topeka that must not be overlooked
Here Is a list of the ticket men IN the
three larger railway offices in Topeka
men who answer more foolish questions
in less time and with more patience
than any other class of human beings
in town:
santa Fe-Tom King, Robert G. Rob-
inson. Elmer Lowe, William Mckinney
Rock Island-C. e. Bascom' CllILoro
Lowe. George Norris, William Lyon.
Union Pacific-G r. Harries, o. D.
Crofut. c. Z. Houghton.
Ont this list out and paste 1t IN your
hat. If you are in doubt about part
of that estate you are INTENDING "
leave when you die-as long as you
can't take it with you-lay aside
little chunk for the ticket selling heroes
in the Topeka railway offices GIVE
them a rest after their days toll ana
curbed angers.
Ticket Man Always LIS Blanca.
If your train is late, blame the
ticket agent. If the depot is colo anu
drafty, of course 1t is the uCASt nieI
faultI If there are no seats left IN the
waiting room, there's only one man 10
accuse of neglect-the ticket seAer.
If the line at the window moves SLOW
w. don't blame the patron VINO is 1e-
norant of the route he wishes TO take
nile your curses on the ticket clerk.
There's no doubt about it at all-not
one bit-everything that goes wrong
is the fault of the man VINO LOOKS OUT
at YOU through the barred windows IN
the depot. 49,
The ticket agent not only sells tick
cts, and gives you lightning change
and quick snappy answers puL ne
guides you to the telephone bootns
with a jerk of his head, he leads you
to the baggage room with announcer
lurch of that selfsame bra1n-house, ne
gives you information at the window
out of one side of his mouth ana ven
triloquist-like he tells your frleno an
other batch of information over the
telephone out of another lip move
ment he makes Pullman reservations
with one hand and hunts page l1'SVo
in the railway guide with the otner-
he is a wonderful combination or
nerves, brains, instinct, and courtesy
this wideawake ticket man.
And when the trains have departed,
the waiting room is well cleared with
nervous patrons the telephones have
ceased with mad ringing and the
fussy old women have been satisfied
that all is well and they are in the
right location-the ticket man tits his
derby to the back of his head, throws
his feet on the flattop desk in the
middle of his cell, lights travelling
passenger agent bright-banded cigar
and asks the station agent If the show
at the Novelty is worth going to see
tonight.
What cares he-this public pestered
ticket man.
Those Foolish Questions.
The questions the average sane man
ask a ticket agent would send any nor
NAL human being to the insane asylum.
one man will ask about the time on
train and will receive an answer while
the man waiting directly behind him
will fire the same query. The patron
will look at the bulletin board and
then verify his reading by asking the
ticket seller.
Women are the worst enemies of
the ticket handlers. Women go to a
railway station hunting for task.
Trains do not arrive at Sis with them