The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-12-02
"Reminiscences of a Driver.

of interest to the public, Pittsbure
Commercial Gazette reporter dropped
into the Union depot of that city. Al
the entrance ensconsed on one of the
benches, attired in heavy overcoat he
found q hackman who he'd grown
grizzed and gray in the service, and who,
as the reporter approached, drew him
self up as though he was sitting on the
box behind fast going span of nags,
and swapping his whip with the air of u
connoisseur he said, Business is getting
dull in my line. don't make the good
hauls that used to. 'spose, young
man, that 1 have hauled more
people of note in that hack of
mine out there than all the rest of
the hackmen in this town together"
"How is that ?" required the re-
porter. well, have hauled all the
great actors and actresses that have come
to this city for the past twenty years.
Seems to me that the profession is getting
to know me, and whenever see Law
renee Barrett get off the train l says,
How are you, Mr.. Barrett? And he
turns around and recognizes me. Barrett
is a good fare and pays double. so he
don't forget the hackmen. The last time
tIuU Tic WAS mere l. uuulCO Hlul w tHc Ho-
tel and then to the theater, and when he
got out he felt in his pocket and found
he hadn't cent with him. l says, All
right, Mr.. Barrett, and he told me to
call at the hotel the next day. l went
around and he gave me gold piece.
Barrett is generous to us hackmen, and
always had joke or kind word to pass
with us. He is not like old Forrest, who
is dead and gone. / hauled him down
from the depot once, and my front axle
broke at the corner of Grant street. |
thought old Forrest would kill me. He
Jumped out of the hack and stormed and
ragged and swore like mailman. I tell
YOU he was not nice customer to
handle. Alice Oates in her palmy days
used to be very dainty customer. She
would come out and look into my coach
very carefully before getting in, and was
dreadfully afraid that the cushion would
soil her dress; then she would look at the
horses and the rig to see if it was stylish.
Within the last few years, however, she
has not been near so particular. She
has changed a great deal since those
early days. Formerly she would come
dancing out in vivacious, sprightly
way, that made her look very pretty; but
now when she comes here she walks to
my hack with her head down, as slow
and demure Us priest. She don't seem
to care now whether the cushions soil
her dress or not She always paid me
we'll. and rate Ler among my best fares.
| suppose YOU remember when that old
Italian Salvani was here. Well, he was
a curious fare; he couldn't speak Eng
I ,,,1 g., I, l, 90. Il
would rattle on the window and stick
his head out looking at the buildings.
He stopped me on Smithtield street, and
pointed to the smoke overhead--it was
rather misty that day-and he did not
seem to understand what caused it.
Fechter was mighty particular man
about driving, and would almost always
make me drive slow. When he came
here to open the Opera House l hauled
him from the depot, and he began re-
hearsing some part III the hack and got
very much excited guess people on
the sidewalks who heard him and saw his
gestures thought / was hauling mad
man. Henry Ward Beecher is nice
fare. l get him every time he comes
here to lecture; always has kind word
and joke and never gets mad if [ get
stuck in crowd of wagons. He always
gives me pass to his lectures. Theo-
dore Tilton is cranky sort of "a fare,
and never would say much to me. | tried
to draw him ont two or three times when
| have hauled him, but he would always
tell me to mind my own business. He
always saw that he gave me the right
fare and no more. | tell you what it is,
taking them all in all, lecturers and pro-
fessionals make the best fares. | have
got so now that / can tell as quick rs |
see my old customers whether tines are
good with them or not, and while they
always pay we'll, they pay better when
they have good run of luck
II could go over a long list of stars
that l have hauled, but those ! have
given you will do for samples. a.. Clara
Louise Kellogg is curious fare to haul.
Every time | have hauled her she finds
something to scold about And one time
she had a terrible row with Miss Carey in
my hack about something. l tell you
expected to see hair pulling match, but
they quoted down before we reached the
hotel. l see by the papers that Ole Bull
Is dead. Poor Ole, he was a mighty
kindhearted man. The first time hauled
him | looked a little hard up, and lie
talked and chatted with me about my
business, and gave me Il SO bill. he
was mighty good man, so he was.
Lucille Western was n strange fare.
She was always beaming with kindness
| hauled her down to the hotel one night
and she told me to wait and take her to
the theater. The front window was open
and She woull ask me all sorts of cues