The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1881-07-15

cabby' unbuttoning his coat and spit
ting on his hands.
| "But my good man." protested the
| governor, sssuch charge is exorbiant.
The law confines you to certain
| price for your services and you can
be arrested and punished for ouch a
violation of the ordinance"
Slang the law!" growled the cab
by. "My money bought an paid for
this hack an hosses, an the essence
of ownershisp is control"
ssTTem!' coughed the governor,
looking slyly at Steve, who began to
grin. ssThat's all well enough when
applied to my railroads, but-but--
er-now if you chargesus fifteen dol
lars to bring us to the park, what on
earth would yon charge us to the Cliff
house?"
Give dollars"
From here?'
"No; from the city,"
"But it's twice the distance!''
eyes, but it's competitive point.
Fifteen to the park, Eve to the Cliff.
No loggin' about it. Through rate
to the Cliff, local rate back to park
added-just as You fellows do when
you charge $500 for drawing car
load of stuff from New York to
Frisco, and make it $500 if you drop
the car at Elko about 500 miles
nearer New York"
It was Stevess turn cough and
the governors TO grin.
"Weil," said the governor with
sigh, sstake us to the Cliff
At the Cliff House the governor
and Stephen drank their beer and
smoked 8 cigar, and listened to the
barking of the seals, and filled their
lungs with the sea breeze. Suddenly
Steve clapped himself on the leg and
cried out:
"By Jove, governor! | forget that
lot OF coal of Smiths that the sheriff
is to sell ats o'clock. It's 2 now.
II. we miss that chance to save at
least thousand dollars will be
gone"
ssGood heayens!' cried the COVER
nor, snatching out his watch, "let's
hurry back at once. Driver! Oh,
driver!"
s'Here, sir" answered cabby, who
had been leaning over the balcony
parapet within earshot, "here, SIR"
ssWe want to return to town imme-
diately," said Mr.. Gage.
"Ya-as, Is'pose so,'' said cabby,
slowly chewing a straw, '.but l'lltake
my pay in advance, if it's all the
same to you, gents. =
The governor growled .omethlng
between his teeth and tenderd s..
"Taint enough" said cabby, con-
temptuously..
s.In heavens name, how far will
your extortion go?' snorted the gov
.ernor. GLOW much do you want?"
olive hundred more" calmly re-
piled the hackman.
.sIIey?" shrieked Steve and the
governor.
"Five hundred, an not cent less" J"
repeated cabby.
s.How, sir-er-er, sir how
do you dare ask such price for driv-
ing two gentlemen four or FIVE
miles?" sputtered the governor.
81 bases my charge on what the
traffic will bear,'' replied the hackman
with grin. eff taters is sel!in' in
Los Angeles for fifty cents bushel
and at So bushel at Tucson
you fellers charge the poor
rancher $3.50 bushel to pack his
taters to Tucson and gobble all the
profit. Now. / amt as hoggish as
that. I heerd Mr.. Gage say if he
could get into town by 8 o'clock he
conld make thousand dollars. As
there amt no other hack here, Pm
as good monopoly for this wrnst as
any blasted railroad ON earth; but
ain't go greedy. don't want all you
| can make by usin' my hack. I'm
| willin' to get along with i.alf.
With dismal groan the governor
| and Steve emitted their pockets and
counted out the morey.
sNow, see here said cabby, as h e
| closed the door of the hack on his
victims. eve done for wnst what
you roosters do day in an day out
an have been doin' for years an
| made yer millions by it. I happen
to be abie to give you small dose
of yer own medicine for wuDst, an /
don't want ger to do no kickin'. !
know you kin send me to Jail for
5 L.,es.,ocs !, n vrur v,rf fr.ai pyoc