Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 January 1900 — Save Their Railroad Fare. [ARTICLE]

Save Their Railroad Fare.

There was a man in town yesterday who told of a new scheme he has just worked to beat a railroad. “A friend and myself wanted to come front Omaha to Kansas City. He said to me: “You buy a ticket only to the first station and I wpl show you a good trick." I bought the; ticket requested, while my friend bbught a ticket for the full distance at {he regular fare. We took a seat together in the train. .The conductor came around, took up' the tickets,; an(l put a punched tialn ehfick in my! friend’s hat. indicating that hi> was ticUeted through to Kansas City. When thy conductor got out-of sight my friend took his knife and split the card. He put half Into my hat and the other into hi« own. Both ’splits’ looked like a regular cheek, and I came right on through without paying any more fare. We divided the saving, which was more than $2 each.’’ ■ <

A railroad nuui who heard the story aald that it was as cleverly conceived a scheme, to rob the'railroads as the one which, it is; said a \ew traveling, men used to practice in thc\days when 2-cent mileage book 4 were' more generally used than at present. That scheme was to go into the cjtr early and run a string along under the seats. One man would sit in the forward end qf the car with the mileage book. After the conductor had torn out the mileage lie would th? the book to the string and bis confederate a few setts back would draw it to himself under the seats. VVhen the conductor got to. fiim he would have the mileage book all right, and coupons for his passage would l>e torn therefrom by the unsuspecting conductor. The conspirators would save a cent a mile by this scheme. -Kansas City Times.