Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-06-14
.HAvE A HACK. SIR p,
Some Facts and Figures Relative to
the Hack BUSINESS fin Nashville

Some Facts and Figures Relative to
the Hack Business i'm Nashville.
There is no other city upon this con
tinent which supports the number of hacks
which Nashville does, and it is rather diff
fcult matter to explain this fact. There
are one hundred and sixteen hack licenses
now ont, but there are probably sixteen of
these licenses which are not used, thus
iealils ret far from one hundred
hacks running in this city of $4,000 inhab-
itants, while there are many cities in the
North, of equal population, which do not
support more than dozen vehicles of this
character. Why is this great difference?
Do our people ride more than the residents
of other cities, or do they walk less? Do
the travellers stopping over in Nashville
pstronize hacks more than they do when in
other cities? We have our regular omni-
bus lines here for the accommOdf-
ton Of the travelling public,
and these buses seem to do very good
business. However, the fact remains that
Nashvil keeps employed about one hun
dred hacks; and that the owners fnd the
business OF running them more or less prof.
t@ble, is fully proven by the fact that the
number has constantly increased since the
close OF the war, at tie breaking out Of
which, there were but forty backs in the
city.
Aud we are not without Our
STYLISH ESTABLISHMENT
either. klr. Sam Black has lately brought TO
the city hack which would sell at retail
for $4,000, but which did not cost him
quite that sum, as he is an extensive pur-
chaser of wheeled vehicles of all kinds. The
harness used with this hack cost $500, and
the horses are worth $500 more, making q
total value for one hack, put in running
order, of not much less than 81, 700. Me-.
Black owns six other hacks, varying in value
from $500 to $500
THE MEN THAT OWN THE HACKS.
Mr.. NJ. 5. Combs owns more hacks than
any other one man in the city, and be has
been in the business since the year 1858.
Mr.. Combs has one driver who hss been
with him for the last twenty years. with
occas' onsl j. termissions.
Messers. John Manion, John Hereford
and Wallace Gof, (colored) own four or
five hacks each, and the remainder of the
number belong to various parties, hi1ay
the men who drive them.
s'.- DRIVERS
Hack drivers are not the most reliable
men in tie world. They are paid bu5 a
dollar day at present, and but few men
are willing to work at the business if they
can find anything better to DO. The prin-
cipal hack owners keep two se.s OF drivers
and teams, one for day work and the other
for night. Others who drive their own |
hacks, or keep but one driver and team for |
each vehicle, have their hacks stay out late
at night, but do not get out very early in
the morning.
LICENSES.
The paying of licenses is no small tax
upon Nashville hack owners, as $50 per |
year is charged for each vehicle, and it is |
not matter of surprise, that those individ- |
uals sometimes require to have their men, |
Org logged when the time for the renewal |
of licenses comes around.
RATES.
The prices charged in this city for hacks
vary considerably. The regular price is |
two dollars for the first hour and one dollar |
an hour afterwards, no difference being |
made whether the hack be occu |
pied by one person or four. For carrying |
passengers to and from the depots, fifty |
cents per head is charged, being the rates |
charged on the buses. On special occa- |
sions person can secure ride to any part |
of the city for the modest sum of twenty |
i've cents, and then again he may fall into !
the clutches of an INSCRIPTIONS driver who |
will bleed him numerically, if he is green |
enough TO allow himself TO be bled. Aud |
in some instances he is.
For funeral occasions, it IS customary to |
charge four dollars per hack, where the pro- |
cession goes to Mount Olivet or Mount |
Calvary, and three dollars where the burial |
takes place at the Old Cemetery.
PROFITS OF THE BUSINESS.
AS before stated, there must be some |
money made by running hacks in Nashville, |
else the number would DECREASE, il stead of |
being constantly increased. But the profits !
arising from this business cannot be very |
large. One hack driver told the writer yes
terday th't quite frequently hack would
be out al day without having made a dol
lar, and ell again fifteen dollars would be
taken in by single driver.
In some Giles, most Of the hacks are kept |
in livery stables, as buggies are here.
These, however, are usually very expensive
aud stylish equipages, and are used princi-
pally, upon public occasions, aud in con-
veying excursions, or pleasure parties, but
in this city, all the hacks are brought out on
the streets, where they occupy regular
stan, s, when not engaged.