Evening star., 1925-08-09
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

Fifty years ago and indeed for
many years later a thriving business
Ticket and md eIsawbara uet.v AZ 'tts hw raii raiy
Scalpers road road ntst ticket ons scslpsrs, sdTs n
used coupons. They had their offices
here mostly in the neighborhood OF
Sixth and Pennsylvania avenue. In
The Star Of August 3, 1875, is the
following on the subject of the legal
status Of these salesmen:
Have ticket scalpers' any right
which railroad companies are bound
to respect? was the question involved
in a late case of the Baltimore &
Ohio Railroad against one Hilleary of
Cumberland. In March last the com
pany seized twelve tickets over their
road from Hilleary, who is agent of
Baltimore scalpers, on the ground
that they were stolen. The tickets. or
coupons, in question were unused
portions Of through tickets from
Pittsburgh to Washington or Balti.
more, the original tickets having been
used from Pittsburgh to Cumberland
only. The local fare always being
proportionately higher than the
through fares, scalpers could buy and
then sell these coupons at profit. Mr..
Hilleary recovered the tickets through
of the peace, which was to the effect
that the holder of a stolen ticket
provided he is an innocent third party
becomes the owner of 1t and the com.
pany must accept It at its true value
the same as any other negotiable
paper.
Not content with this decision, the
company sued out a writ Of replevir
for the tickets and carried the case
to the Circuit Court. which has de
cided that tickets from Pittsburgh to
Washington, after having been used
as far as Cumberland, are not salable
by the holder to a third party for
transportation to Washington from
Cumberland, and that the company is
not compelled to take them If 1t can
identify them.
Should this decision be sustained
by the higher courts, it will have the
effect of breaking UP the business
Of the scalpers. The latter assert
however, with great reason, that II
will not be sustained and that If g
passenger wishing to go to Cumber
land from Pittsburgh chooses to buy
a ticket good from the latter city tc
Baltimore or Washington. and wher
he arrives in Cumberland sells the
unused coupon, there is no way ir
which the company can evade the
honoring of the latter. This point has
already been SO decided, we believe
by the higher courts Of Illinois"
Though he died so years ago, the
stories for children Of Hans Christian
The Children's ssH PERHAPS the ase mos, aos
StoryTeller. RDpu,ae I,,ysniIe %oras o1 al tnT 1T
The Star of August 5. 1875. is the
following about him:
The reading world will hear with
sorrow of the death of the Danish
story writer and poet. Hans Christian
Andersen, in the seventy-hrst year OF
his age. The death of a great author
who has spoken through his works
to millions of readers. is a loss to be
deplored not only by his own natior
but by the entire civilized world, anC
is only compensated by the fact thai
his works survive him to instruct and
improve in all future times. Like
many another celebrity. Andersen was
born in poverty and in his youth
passed through many of the tribula
tions incidental thereto, only to rise
to eminence in later years. He begaI
by writing a number Of plays, none
of which met with favor, and sub
sequently brought out THE Improvisa
tore romance called o. t. Tales
From Jutland.' The Sand Hills o1
Jutland,' Only Fiddler Journey Il
Amack,' and a number Of Other
volumes. He endeared himself to the
youth Of all lands by his Tales fol
Children The Wild Swan, a fairy
tale, and other entertaining stories
In 1874 he visited the Court of Den
mark by special invitation and the
next year received an annuity which
kept him from want, for, like many
possessed Of fertile genius. he was
always poor in purse. His works have
been translated into most Of the
European languages"