Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-01-10

THE VIEWS OF VETERAN JEHU-NOT AFRAID
OF THE RIVALRY OF THE NEw-FANGLED con-
VEYANCES-A MAN WHO Is ENTHUSIASTIC OVER
THE - ANSoM," ETC.
The manager of the carriage stand at a lead
Ing hotel in reply to the question. "DO the
hanson cabs or herdics interfere with your bust
Dess:" replied: well it is rather early yet to
give a decisive answer to that question: YOU
know our second rivals are only week on the
streets. Still there has been so much talk about
the necessity for cheap cab system that one
wonld think the field was all ready for them.
In some ways it is going to interfere with
hacking profits. and in other ways we
shall not feel it at ALL People who
hire our carriages won't take hansoms
or herdc coaches. Let ME illustrate. There
are places where good meals can be got for %
Goats and board for - per week. At this hotel
You will pay IL 50 for your dinner or about @35
for the week. Now the people who get 25-cent
meals will take 25-cert cabs. Those who put
themselves outside of Il % meals will take their
drives within a coupe carriage Now we
charge II 90 an hour for coupe. Our class of
custom would prefer to pay that than to hire
hanson at - cents an hour. OF course there
are lots OF people who viii feel the cabs a great
institution. but they are not hotel quests.
think the cabs will hurt the street hackmen,
Those who stay mt the public stands but they
wont hurt lis any more than the street ears do.
The street cars will take you to any of the depots
for cents, yet my customers prefer carriages.
My own opinion is that the hansOins are
a dangerous cOntrivance. For instance if
the horse runs away there is no way to get
ont of the thing. The herdic cab is very
much safer in this respect. for the passenger has
exclusive control of the main entrance and back
door, and can leave in hurry very nicely. In
the hansOms you feel like YOU were under a
glass case IN a shop. very nice and comfortable,
To be sure. as long as everything goes right.
but you can't expect any help from the driver in
case of an accident. Ten to one he will rot be
lett to tell the tale of the mshap, for should the
bell -band break up goes the shafts backward
goes the hanson. and the driver. should he have
retained his seat this long. will be found some
where under the debris"
Don't you think that is putting the case
rather strOng:;'
common remark on the hanson question. OF
course such disastrous results may never hap
pen. and coupes may collide. or break down
every day. ! am only giving you one phase of
the Cabling question, and one in which timid
people may be Interested. Dumps OF this sort
are anticipated from the very look of the thing
and think will keep lots of people from riding
In them. Cheap cabs are not going
to hurt the hacking interest much.
and you will see folks riding around in hired
carriages. and not going to weddings or
funerals either. right straight along just as if
the new gigs were not in existence. | have
been Mortified myself to see herdics waiting
Out side churches for guests at a wedding. Now
that is an innovation it has a cheap look and is
not the correct thing for any such festive occa-
sion. Now. could have furnished a spanking
team. with the brides tayOrite color i'm horse
fiesh for -: but The STAR reporter having
heard enough from the monopoly, spied a
grizzly looking old hackman outside who prom
tsed
A DIFFERENT VIEW THE CASE.
''Are the hansOms threatening to reduce the
circumference of your wallet?'
''Bless your SOUL he replied, 1.-The cabs nor
herdies won't hurt our business any more than
the street cars. OF course if there were neither,
We hackmen would get all the traffic.
But don't you know that long suf-
fering public are hoping by the new convey
snces to bring you hackmen to terms?" inquired
thereporter
'Riding is a luxury, and all Injuries cost
money" said the hackman. IF you want to
put on style you ought TO be willing to pay a
decent price. Why you can ride for miles for
nye cents in the street cars and are people ever
tired growing about their accommodations. Just
20. folks who are used to riding in street cars
will keep on. and folks used to hacks will pat
IOniZe US"
VIII the competition make your charges any
less. thought"
NO, not unless we feel it worse than we do
now Our prices are moderate; anything less
would be ru,nOus Times are not what they
used to be with Us hackmen. We used to make
some money few years ago, but people seem
to think we are all rascals and bent on cheating
and it takes pretty cute fellow to get ahead of
passenger nowadays. unless he's drunk And
you need not think we fleece the tipsy fellows
either only for us some time they would never
get home alive. Don't you know. the mean
ness of people would just make YOU sick? WHY
there the other night at the depot western
Senator arrived who is worth millions. Well,
when he passed out we supposed it was to
jump in his own private team We were fooled
though He pulled and bowed. Juggling along
with big heavy yalise until he reached the
street corner. Then he sat down ON a step until
car came. Now. why didn't he take cab.
when 1t Is cheaper 10y a few cents than car
rage Tor trip: Just because he is sample of
the crowd who will always ride cheaper STILL for
nve cents on the street cars. Lots of hackmen
VINO own nice teams have them hired for certain
n"irs OF the day or night or keep teams in read
mess Tor their patrons at any time. These Con-
tracts are made early IN the season and bring
good profit TO owners of teams. besides giving
an air OF proprictorship to customers BY their
using the same team every day. Now. the cabs
ain going to hurt that sort of business for
they don't I'll the bill at all
But could yen not stand a good deal of CON-
petition and still make money!"
Well, hacking Is Il pretty good business but
not as good as plumbing i'm the winter time
Guess there's room for all of u.s. and we can
survive the cab Just as We did the street cars
years ago There hops another of them ham
SONS. l hope it won't brighten my horses ~
ana TIE pioneer Jehu smiled a sad retrospective
smile, and remeinber-the-tm e-ook when it
was worth - to drive a man a block. as he
whipped up his horses and gave a lingering
glance after the giddy hanson.
An ENTHUSIAST OVER THE CABS
came next under DISCRIMINATION and as he
pronounced it ''ansOm," and interpolated his
remarks with frequent .'you knows" his opin-
Ions are quite well quoting
They are bound to be success They
wo.i ruin the hackmen nor livery stables either
but VIII supply middle demand and taste that
is rapidly growing Why they have been used
this week just for the novelty of the thing espe-
Ciaiiy among the gentlemen of the West End
fellows who drive their own teams too They
Will De the greatest convenience for travellers
and the drive will absolutely refresh them aft er
Tue WEAKNESS of travel You can give the order
before YOU leave the train. and the cab will
De on hand Ter you. They will take YOU home
anywhere within the city limits Tor % cents:
greater distances charged accordingly They
cost 30 cents by the hour, and are the cheapest
nlNUSpfueSt M