The Canadian Pacific 'Ticket Scalping' Conspiracy
Federal agents entrap a transcontinental railroad for selling cut-rate tickets, leading to high-stakes indictments in Tacoma.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Special agent P. O. Kretschmer of the Interstate Commerce Commission has orchestrated a sting against the Canadian Pacific Railroad, which is accused of selling tickets below scheduled rates. Kretschmer explained his method: he utilized travelers, including a Mrs. Nellis who was visiting from Burlington, to purchase tickets at deep discounts. Mrs. Nellis purchased a ticket to Boston for $75, while the established rate was $178.75. The railroad is now facing indictments in Tacoma. Canadian Pacific officials, including President Van Horne, have scoffed at the legal proceedings, but local railroad men fear this case will settle whether foreign corporations operating in the U.S. can evade federal commerce laws.
“I heard the agent tell a customer that anything from the ceiling to the floor went, so long as they got business.”
This 1891 struggle over corporate power and price-fixing reflects the perpetual tension between federal oversight and the immense influence of Pacific Northwest logistics and rail giants. The 'sting' operation remains a classic, if ethically murky, tool for regulators trying to curb the influence of monopolies.
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