Year: 1874

4
At certain period, some six or
eight years ago, the officers of one OF
our principal railroads had good roa-
sons for believing that some of the
conductors upon particular section
OF their road were in the habit OF
rendering inaccurate returns Of their
receipts from sway passenger )" and
as they were unable to fix the defal-
cation upon the particular individ-
uals, Pinkerton was employed to in
vestigate the matter, and test tho
accuracy of their suspicious. For
the execution Of this delicate service
he selected q sufficient number OF his
best men TO furnish four for every
car in train, one 10 be seated at
each door and two in the centre Of
the car, the latter facing TO the front
and rear, % as to see every person
who went in or out These men were
directed to recognize each other, but
20 pay their fare, and otherwise to
dcport themselves like ordinary
travellers. Each one was provided
with pencil and paper, and instruct
ed to keep an accurate record OF
every person that entered or left tho
cars, noting the stations to and from
which they travelled, etc, etc, 30 that
if at the end Of the trip their notes
were in record, it would be good evi
dence Of accuracy. In this manner
the Major was enabled, in the course
OF a few days TO make detail report
which showed canclusively that near
ly every conductor on the road neel-
ed surveillance. He also ascertained
that one of these dolinquents owned
property to large amount in Phila.
delphia. Whereupon, as 1 was in
formed. Colonel s., the vice
president, sent for the man, and tue
following dialogue ensued:


"Mr.--, how long have you boen
employed rs a conductor Oh our
road p


"About seven years, sir"


"What is your salary I"


Eight hundred dollars year"


"Do you own the house Mo-
upon - street =


Il do sir


Have you other property in this
city Z


Il have.


what is its value p


well, sir, can't tell precisely, but
il is considerable.


What estimate do you place upon
your entire assets.


Something like forty thousand
dollars


Were you the owner OF any por-
ton of this property when you enter-
cd the service 7


Not dollars worth, sir.


You have family to support,
2


Il have wife and three children


win you do me the favor to in
form me how you have been able in
seven years to support your family
and accumulate fortune of forty
thousand dollars upon salary of
8 light hundred!'


4 have not the slightest objection
10 answer your question, Colonel
s., provided you will suffer mo
first to PROFOUND a few pertinent iu-
to you


Very we'll sir, l We no objections
What are they 7


Win you then be kind enough to
INFORM me how long you have been
with the - railroad 4


Something like ten years


'What, allow me to ask, has been
your salary during that time


Il supposed it may have averaged
bout five thousand year.


You have family to support, if I
I'M not mistaken =


Yes sir, l have family.


IF it is not an improper question,
Jol. s., will you suffer me to
'sk what is the amount Of your for
une 7


We'll, sir, I don't know exactly,
nut it is something handsome


Would you estimate it at half Q
Million dollars, Colonel 7


Yes. dare say it is


That being the fact, sir, il you will
10 me the favor to disclose to me the
eoret of the process by which you
ave been able to transinute $4,000
nto ten times that amount, without
my visible means outside your salary,
will then most cheerfully tell you
low I managed, by turning an honest
,enny now and then to amsss the
comparatively Insignificant amount I
ave named


'That is all very well, replied the
vice president, but you
eem to have forgotten that there is u
light difference between your status
nd mine upon the - railroad, in
hat you are responsible for stealing
he company's money, whereas | am
lot accountable to you for my trans
ctions. In view Of this fact, it now
my duty to inform you that
our services are no longer reqeired
N our road"


The facetious conductor probably
Anticipated this result, and with his
GOODNESS remarked. In
hat event, sir, it may at some future
ime become necessary for me to
eek employment upon another road.
Would 1t be asking 10 much for you