Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1882-10-06
Niagara Hack Drivers.

Niagara Hack Drivers.
What is The truth about what is called
the "hack nuisance?" The first thing
to be noted is that each hotel keeps its
own carriages, or hacks, and employs
its own drivers, and these are not per-
mitted to solicit custom. Persons in
the house desiring carriage (and any
outside, as welD have but to apply at
the Office of the hotel. The house at
which live while here charges dollar
and half per hour, or, for what is
called 1.-THE round trip" or "going
everywhere" five dollars. think there
is rarely, or never, any complaint re-
garding these drivers, or any reason for
it, The men who have made the term
niagara hack driver" name of ter
ror all over the civilized world are men
who are not in the employ of the hotels.
They are outsiders,h or independents
who work for themselves or for differ
ent employers. They constantly solicit
custom. as, suppose, is unavoidable if
they are to engage in the business at
all. But it is apparent that they do not
understand their business very well,
and that they injure it by bad methods
of work. 1t may be that there are some
good and sensible men among them,
and it is possible that people expect too
much from them. Perhaps no man
would long retain many high qualities
if he followed their occupation. have
never had any trouble with any of the
class, and have found it easy to be on
friendly or comfortable terms with
them, SO far as is desirable But l
often observe in their dealings with
strangers an element of thickness. The
information which they give to visitors
is not always trustworthy. 1t is COM
monty understood here that hackmen
receive commissions on admission fees
paid by their passengers at some points,
while for taking people to other places
they receive only the carriage fares.
Now. it follows, under these circum-
stances, that, in the judgment of a
hackman, the view or scenery at par
ticular place is especially interesting,
attractive and beautiful if his commits
sion makes the drive thither especially
profitable to him. But places which
do not yield him q share of their reve-
nues are naturally uninteresting. They
are "humbugs;" they ''don't amount to
anything" they are mo good" The
truth seems to be, and it is what we
should expect. think, that these men
know little about the scenery in any
true sense, and care nothing about it.
1t would be foolish to depend upon their
judgment or estimate of anything
which attracts sensible people to Mag
ara. They do not know what is best
worth seeing, but they find it most prof
liable, OF course, to convey visitors to
the most distant points. Their only in
terest or concern is, usually, to obtain
the greatest possible amount of money
for the least possible amount of work OF
service. There is, much of the time at
least, no fixed schedule OF prices. They
take all they can get, and take advan.
tage of the ignorance, ineXperience and
mistakes of strangers without scruple
or limit. So far from maintaining a
disposition of general courtesy and
serviceableness, which is profitable in
all occupations, these men often ap-
pear delighted to see anybody who does
not employ them get into trouble ordif.
ficulty.
A day or two ago l saw quarrel be.
tween driver and four young men
whom he had agreed to take around
Goat Island for three dollars. They goi
in just outside of Prospect Park, and
rode to the entrance of the bridge lead
ing to the island, distance of but few
rods. There they met some friends, OF
for some other reason changed theii
minds, and decided not to go to Goa
Island. They offered the driver fifty
cents, and wished 10 dismiss him, but
he insisted on the payment OF the full
sum which he was to receive for the trip
for which he was at first engaged, and
when the young men refused threat
ened to collect it by law. / have no
learned whether he did so or not. A
young Canadian came over few day!
ago with his wife and two or three lit
tie children. AT the railway station ;
for dollar and half; but the youns
fellow foolishly paid in advance. Th'
hackman drove q short distance, Il
the first point at which the visitor
left the carriage to look at some
thing, and then went away an,
left them. The drivers are oftel
wantonly offensive and uncivil h
strangers. One morning recently L say
seven or eight carriages standing il
line on street leading to the river, wait
ing for custom. A gentleman and lady O
middle age, we'll dressed and apparent
ly intelligent, came up the sidewalk
engaged in quiet conversation. Th
first hackman began; "Gentleman
hey kerridge this morningP-take yo
to the whirlpool rapids mall the point
] of intrest-see everything f-four do
lars" The gentleman answered II
speotfully but decidedly, as he wake
on, "Thank you, do not wish to ride.
, All the nearer hackmen must have hear
his answer, but the next one took II
the same sing-song lecture, in littl
higher key, and Mt the end added a
insolent injunction to the traveller not
let anybody make fool of him. III
7 was all repeated along the entire lint
5 each driver making some insulting add
: ton TO the "cry' OF the first. until tw
I or three of them were screaming at til
Q same time. The last one, lolling on h
8 seat in vulgar attitude. called on
a with most offensive tone and manne
: "Come yere! I'll take ye and yer lad
8 all round fornothin'." "Yes," choruse
l the Others, "take him for nothin'
/ that's what he wants" l did not S,
0 the visitors again. and it is not like
7 that they remained long at Niagara
a Chr NJ " Past