Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-07-22

From the London Standard.
The announcement that Mr.. Hansom, the in
ventor Of the cab which bears his name, has Just
died, and is to be buried to-day, seems almost
like an anaehronism, for comparatively few Lon
doners can remember the time when 1t was not
one Of the commonest objects Of our streets.
This generation has so long been accustomed to
take" or ''call for" ''Hansom," that we can
hardly realize to ourselves the fact that for near
ly half century the inventor Of it has been in
our midst silent spectator Of the curious social
| revolution which he brought about Mr.. Ham
som was one OF the household words Of his age
for there is scarcely day during which thous-
ands OF US do not require once or even oftener
to remember him. Yet to most people he is a
mere shadow, an abstraction, a nothing. like
the godfather Of ''Macadam," or as the unfortu-
nate gentleman who gave his name to "BOycot-
ting" will be to the next generation. Bred an
architect, Mr.. Hanson tried the trade of bull
der bat did not prosper in his earliest venture.
| The invention OF the Hanson" partially re-
trieved his fortunes, though it was but an cpl
sode in his life; for the invention soon passed out
of his hands, and in those of men of better bust
ness capabilities, became the excellent property
| it VIGOROUSLY was. until it ceased to be a mo-
nopOly.
After trying his luck at journalism and other
| ventures, with greater or less degree of sue
cess, Mr.. Hanson returned to his original pro-
fession, and as the designer Of numerous
churches and colleges, established during his
long lifetime respectable reputation. though
one that will be ecpsed by that which he so
early obtained as the mechanican who struck
from his busy brain the idea of two-wheeled
cab. lightly hung and driven from a perch be-
hind the fare. Yet the Hanson cab was for
long regarded with suspicion. Portly gentle
men examined its springs and called coach.
Ladies pronounced it "fast. =" and until lately
avoided it. and to this day few cities except
London have adopted it generally. 1t failed in
Boston and New York, and places like Brigh-
ton Paris and Edinburgh have still to recognize
MIR. Hanson as benefactOr. Yet the London
of to-day if it were dependent on four wheelers
even better hOrsed and better manned than the
present ones, and reasonably clear from the sus-
picion that the latest occupant was small pOX
patient or butcher fresh from the slaughter
house, would be sorry town in which to do
business But London, in day of hack
ney coaches, without district and metropolitan
railways. without Omnibuses and tramways
with narrow streets rarely cleaned. and sadly in
want OF repair, is sort OF city that the bust
ness men Of this age would deem it Impossible
| to do work in. As matter of fact ''the town"
got along very we'll without coaches of any Sort
for, not being i'm hurry, it did not feel the need
OF their aid. There were sedan chairs ready for
fine ladies, and wherries on the Thames for
those who chose to use the silent highway as an
easy mode Of arriving at their destination in one
of the riverside streets which in those days con-
stituted London. If the traveller desired to go
further afield. he Cor she) took to horseback for
the stage COACH and the wagon, it's predecessor
and rival among humble people, were later lux
uries. Long after hackney coaches splashed
pedestrians with the mire of the kennel gentle
folks went to ball and rOut and dinner in Sc
dams; and watermen survived well into the
era OF fOur-wfleeled cabs and HansOms, after
which they rapidly degenerated into 'lOngshore-
men, or became the unsubstantial ''survivals'
who annually masquerade in DOggett's Coat and
Badge.