The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-05-12
A Perfect System and Cheap Fares
in the English Capital
A Drive of Two Miles for
Twenty-Five Cents.
FIFTY CENTS AN HOUR.
Admirable Regulations and Strict
Police Management.
HINTS FOR NEW YORK "CABBIES."

LONDON, April %, 1870 .
Fifty years ago. IN 1926, London was considered so
vast place as to be wonder Of the world. The
population then about ], 000,0oa What now
the arislocratc sites OF Bclgravia the wealthy mcr
chants quarter. Tyburna, Trafalgar square aud the
sumptuous clubs OF Pail Mall and St. James were then
marshes, market gardens, meadows outlying sums
and "rookeresn Of the metropolis. Tho continuous
growth and expansion in all directions OF The city, far
beyond the old walls Of London and the limits Of
Westminster, and tho absorption of many Of the
suburban towns aud villages, naturally produced de-
mand Tor greater locomotive facilities, tho demand
keeping pace year by year with the gradual increase OF
the metropolis. Thus history Of public vehicles Of
London and the passenger trac Of its streets forms
an important coroary TO the later history OF the place
itself say the atcr" history, for, previous to the
Ezabethan ago Lonaoncrs Of the Weather classes rode
on horseback went by boat up and down what was
then tho svery Thames thor Destination while tho
poorer classes trudged through the miry streets But
ut tho period which have chosen for the
ment OF this
BREr HISTORY OF THE LONDON cABs
Stephenson had mildly suggested that train on rails
might safely DO propelled by steam At rate OF twenty
miles hour and would make lis way norw,thstand-
iuS tue ouStIuCtiVe Taptu tOComOsiou Wob
beginning be felt of the necessities Of the day.
Yet people turned from George Stephenson and his
railroad projects with scorn preferrng point with
compacency to His Majostys mails perfectly appointed
drivers and guards In scarlet and god and spanking
teams OF bob-ta horses, the perfection Of loco
motion And, indeed, TO do the age justice, His
Msesty's mail coaches far from undeserving OF
this pride as they assembled every evening In front
OF the General Post once to receive the few
passengers and tho limited correspondence OF the day
People in those days were not often In hurry and
when they we're not particular as to the mode Of
conveyance Tho "hackney carriage, however, made
It's appearance in obedience the Of the popula
ton, tho namo being derived, It is said, from
SUBURB HACKNEY.
once . fashionable resort OF the Londonsrs This
vehicle generally second hand, patched up out
cast from the coach house OF nobleman or even
bore upon its panels the royal The drivers
OF these antiquated coaches called 'Jarvcs" and
were chiefly distinguished, 8 may learn from the
Of the time by their beery appearance and the
myriad dounced capes OF their top The Is
not yet extinct But London outgrew tho hackney
coach and It's Jchu Jarvcy Better ocomotion sti
tho cry one Bell met the demand by inventing one
horse vehicle. kind OF hooded chaise, TO which he
adapted the French ''cabriolet," speedily
tracted by John Bull into "cah." Quite unlike the
modern "four- wheeern and shansom" these
carly cabs At first the driver inside along with his
fare; but this arrangement not proving satisfactory
Jehu was subsequently busted and placed In little
perch On the righto OF the vehicle thus making room
tor TWO perssns inside Thea came onnibus-like
consrivancs, which entered At the back the two
persons facing each other and the driver in 'front.' The
direct ancestor OF the four-wheeied cab was the
.sbrougham" from which are descended the 4,2s1
''dRowLERs' on s'cRAwLRRs'
which ply In tho metropolis Finy years ago Brmng-
ham aud Liverpool possessed certain vehicles
called one horse cars; but until 1887 the private
horse covered carriage named after Lord Brougham
quite unknown. Rapidly extending the whole
OF civilized Europe, the brougham soon found its way
into the streets public conveyance and savo the
death blow the old pair-horse coaches Tho chief
function OF the wheeler the conveyance Of ladies
and families to and from the railway stations.
Tho uncomplimentary epithess BY which this
useful adjunct OF modern locomoton have
been greeted have arisen from the dreadful rat.
Ting OF Its windows and the funorea pace al which Il
travels, drawn by its sorry nag Tho roof DO
utilized for the baggage and mpedimenta OF travellers
which kept in place py iron rails which can DO
raised for the purpose but lie nas when not required.
There Is much room for Improvement in the "four-
wheeler - IL Is III constructed, rackety and IN It's
terna arrangements very far from perfection
Having traced the descent Of the four wheeler, we
will now proceed TO do tho same with regard to the
hanson which takes It's namc the inventor OF tho
light eelsd carriage In use tho popu-
lar vehicle In London. The idea is said como
originally from Naples, although there DO doubt
that the credit due TO Ireland for having taught
her iaunting what single horse do when at
tached TO light, well arranged well balanced vehicle
The class OF Londoncrs which makes OF hansoms
WINS amusingly described some years ago in . well
known periodical
There is very large class Of riding London which,
while not sufficiently rich to keep lis private carriage
holds omnibus conveyance IN contempt and scorn,
fys aud pms It's vehicuar faith cabs alone
To this class belong lawyers clerks Of whom, red Dag
holding aud perspraton covered there always two
three at the Hoborn end Of Chanccry lane, Ringing
themselves INTO hansoms and being whrled on 10
Gmldhall or Westminster to II belong newspaper re-
pcrtcrs. with their notebooks in their breast pockets
hurrylng up from Parliament debates 10 their oihces
there their mystic hieroglyphcs into
phrases; to u belong stock brokers having tme bar
gains transact editors hunting up "copy" from
calcirnt contributors artists burrying to be In time
with their pictures the stern exhibition gallery por
closes the door, and pointing TO tho clock. says,
"lts struck" young gentlemen going TO or coming
from Cremornc, aud all people who have to catch
specified time. and who, following the grand governing
law OF human nature, have In old ladies' phrascology,
sdriven everything the last" To such people han
som cab Is primary matter OF faith.
As we have thus briefly glanced at the origin and
history of the two kinds Of vehicles known -four
whcelersn and 'shansoms !" win proceed tho more
technical and important points OF the subject and en-
deavor nrs. explain the Parliamentary regulations
which control