New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-11-23
NEW-YoRK IN SLICES.
slice XXxIv...TH4 cABAEN

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Of being money making business and Of course over
\ done Perhaps ought 10 except the omniouses,
which have arranged themselves into immense sys
tom expanding gradually according TO the wants Of the
| npblc. The cabling business IT, however quite an.
/ other affair Here every one is for hmself and com
pet.ton reaches ne most annoying and most dsordery
crisis Al fair prices there Is business enough TO main
tain perhaps nearly az many cabs We have At pres
ent but the almost universal practice Of demanding
more than the legal and the rude and bullying
manner in which il is TOO often attempted 70 be eN
tored deter hundreds Of nervous and tm.d persons
especially lsdies-irom employing cabs many times
when they would be glad do 50 II they were sure Of
not being nsuted or robbed Thus the public patron
age much reduced that the csbmen ind excuse
in their poverty for cxtoroa and plumber, whenever
they can.
Nothing is more easy than a sweeping asserion-and
sometimes. nothing IS more correct And we're we to
cay that general thing, the Cabmen Of New York
are extortionsto ruianly, dishonest race we are
of being borne OUT and applsuded BY the public
/ from all parts Of the world. Yet DO not by any
me ans intend 70 be understood including all the csb
men nor even majority VI them in this condomna
ton Il Is an everyday occurrence Tor comparatively
small portion Of the members If any profession OF DC
cupation % give bad name T. the whole few scorcs
Of rowdies and oaicrs Will always 20 far 70 cast an
odium upon the whole body. 50, the honest, well
rsesninz and conscientious csbnen obliged 70 bear
the stigma Of the shameless acts Of their backyard
/ brethren.
We do not believe that the whole history Of compc
ton ever succeeded in showing itself up in It's worst
results so etiectuay as At the steamboat landings Of
New. York Everything conspires TO render the scene
perfect in deprayiy sclhshness and brutality
] III. ,,fd IL uq
through New-York arriving At and departing from
ess than q mile Of crowded, narrow aud iucon'onion,
Wharfage The great msjority OF the hotels and stop
ming places Tor travellers from halt mile to two
and half miles lfom the landings and the arrival and
departure OF the various railroads sud steamboat lines
are ngouiously arranged that traveller arriving IN
New York from almost any direction, j. compelled 10
remain over MA hit in the city This state OF things Of
course creates such rush at the wharyes ~ can only
be inudequately provided for while it lasts and leads
4 general scramble for the spoiis IN which the herces
encounters take place among the cebmeD, while the
messengers are subjected only TO annoyance and
persecution Of the most distressing kind but often to
actual personal violence It's no unusual thing to see
hefa dozen cabmen surround single passenger,-es-
peciay If il should happen that she Is lddy-pulins
and grabbing the baggage hrustng their tickets into
her face overwhelming her with cursing and swearing
al each other and even seiziDg her roughly by the
arms ard shoulders and dragging her different ways
as if each were determined TO have at least portion Of
the fare Very seldom is there an officer on the ground
T. protect travellers from t9se outrageous impo'ons
,bb we must confess vi it would require nearly
the whole municipal force TO keep the unruy cabmcn
in cheek A good deal however, might be effected by
having number Of officers stationed quietly to watch
aud report the onenders-if only certain that
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i scarcely even an attempt at mitigation and the pub
lie are left at the mercy OF set OF desperadnes and
ruf,ans who would make worthy members Of gang
of banditt.
We ought to say one thing, however ia illustration
Of the old saying there is honor among thieves II
the traveller upon reaching the wharf will accept the
frs, cabmsns ticket within his reach and hold II up
quietly in sight the others general thing VIII let
him alone and their polite and pressing attentions
elsewhere 1t must be borne in mind however, that
he must employ the whose ticket he has taken no
matter whether his cab Is made of eaky teaboX
mounted on wheels or his horse has been mortgaged
| 10 the musketoes and crows should he, on coming
out from the slip from any attempt to transfer
himself and baggage to any other establishment be
would be in danger of very rough usage, ndeed-and
might consider himself peculiarly fortunate If he got
of safely with bis trunk and sound extremiies.
The dishonest portion of the csbmen exer, demo
ra1ng effect upon the younger members oil the cal
ling and induce by their precepi and example many
who are naturally wedisposed, to Join them IN their
extortions upon the public. They are on lnums'e
,orns with the disrepuiable lodging houses snd grog-
geres with which certain quarters OF our city ABOUND
and also with houses of still worse character at whose
infsmou. traffic they connive. They are ever on the
watch for victims and their experience and natural
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of human nature that they rarely mistaken The
moor ereenhorn who falls into their clutches upon ar
irving in the metropolis may regard himself gone
goslng The nhnty and ingenuity OF their devices to
practice upon the gulhbiity the fears OF their vic
tins are almost incredible. Sometimes they viii drive
him all around the city, occupying an hour IN gong
from the steamboat landing 70 some place wiihh nan
mlesnd then charge him two dollars for his ride il
he dcinur. the cabman refuses 10 give up Ms trunk
until he is paid and perhaps loudly threatens to com
psin of him to the Mayor for attempt to swindle
n the customer himself talks of appealing 70 the law
the willy cabmsn Immediately changes his tane-pro
fsses tina. ho wouldn't take cent more OF the gentle
nans money than &c legally entitled 10, Tor the
woru-snd very obhgugly offers - drive hun TO the
Police Once tor nothing. should the passenger be
green enough to accept this proposition ne is taken
long circuit TO some mock station house, or perhaps u
some den in the Five Points or the vicinity ""'io
pretended magistrate hears the case and srs'ey de
cdcs that the stranger was wrong, and must pay me
of ton dollars more for his attempt deirsud an hon
70, man or be sent TO the Tombs. Often too the
keepers Of disrcputsbe houses enter into contracts
Win cabmen to fsrnish them with new victims when
cyerit is possible. They lie in wait Tor young women
from the countrysgree 70 take them TO NICE '" ~
place and then deposit them at the house OF 'hef D"
tamou. employer where they teo frequently isi VIC
Tins ., the art and patient perseverance OF those VINO
have spread the net Tor their destruction s'eh are
lew Of the practices which We fear are TOO Jasuy
chargesble upon some OF the New York eSomen.
But let It be plainly understood that we do not 0S
aoy means include all in this charge On the contrary
We know many osbmen who are as worthy, honorable
and reputable any others IN the community! ana
who have been more than Of the greatest service
to trsngers-snd espeoisly to women-in saving 1hen
from being robbed ruined The great majority oie'eH
the worser class would scarcely permit themselves u
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