Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-03-20
AN AMATEUR "CABBY."

ample oil that class OF young men VINO
are unfortunately weighted with an extra
crop of wild oats to dispose of ere they
are transformed into conventional steady
going. tax paying members of the com
munity My personal allowance being
considerable, | was able TO indulge in all
the folics of "a man about town. For
tunately or unfortunately, | soon probtd
to the bottom of things and speedily
tasted the ashes in the cup of pleasure, so
that one folly after another was discarded
and relcgatcd to the limbo of the past,
until, like lIciogabalus, i sighed for
new delight and would have paid literally
for fresh sensation. The turf and its
wretchcd gambling assoCiatsons palled
upon me- ! was weary OF the theatre,
both before and behind the curtain. The
senselcss chatter of my young associates
in the club smoking-room reused Il feel
ing of boredom almost intolcrablc At
this period, the great cab question was the
topic of the hour The character and re-
Enumeration of the London cabman were
discussed at every dinner. table in the
metropolis. There were two parties in
this discussion, which advocated views to-
tally opposed 10 each other. On the one
hand, the earnings of Cabby were de-
scribed as wealth; on the other, rs poy.
erty. He was portrayed as drunken, eX-
travagant uncivil, and, in fact, as only fiji
to be the associate of the most vile. The
reverse side of the medal was that of Il
man sober, frugal, civil, and so courteous
in his intercourse with his ares that the
late Lord hestertield might have taken
lessons of him in politeness.
"A sudden determination possessed me.
/ would be n Cabman for the noncc. At
all events, for twelve hours | would don
the badge and learn for myself the truth
of the matter. frequently employed the
same cabman on the rank in PiCcadilly.
He drove a thoroughbred mare and his
hansom was model of neatncss and cle
gance SO took an early opportunity of
interviewing the man, whose name was
Smith although in those days interview
was not classed as an active verb. | told
him ! wished to hire his cab for the night.
At first Mr.. Smith was haZy as to my
meaning | asked him how much he
paid for the hire of his vehicle. He re
piled, Seventeen shillings per night.
cry well, said; Il will give you
that sum for the use of your cab for
twelve hours, and hand you over, besides,
the amount in fares | may chance to re
ceive during that period
| could see that my friend entertained
doubts for moment as to my sanity; but
! speedily explained matters to him Mr.
Smith shook his head, and said that he
might lose his license if the fact became
known to the police that he had lent his
badge, and 50 on, and that an intimate
knowledge of London streets was inds-
pensablc.
| pooh-poohed both these objections cs-
pecally the last asserting that | was capa
bic of making a map OF western London,
if ciic instances required it. Eventually,
MIR. smith agreed to my proposal, giving
me several hints as 10 IN, CONduCt: | re-
member one of these being that | must
on no account apply for hire, rs it is
termed, white driving through the streets
but wait till was hailed
The cventful hour arrived in due
course, and at . ocock | met Mr.. Smith
by appointment in Il quiet street in the
parish Of st James. 1t was October; and
the night being chilly, wore an over.
coat somewhat The worse for wear, and IA
widc.awakc. which could slouch over
my eyes, if occasion required, for m;
chief fear was. that | MIGHT by an un.
lucky chance. be recognized BY some of
my numerous ac Iuaintances | mounted
the box, and nod ling ga"ly TO Mr. Smith,
left that individual transtiXod with wonder
that gentleman of means and position
should voluntarily undergo the pains and
penalties of cabmnn life even for SC
brief period as twelve hours.
have stated that the mare was thor.
oughbled, and in doing 50 | am only re-
cording II literal fact In the famous
days when Andrew ucrow rcigued SUI
preme at Astey's theatre, there was very
popular drama which depicted the life o,
a racehorsc through all its vicissitudes
till it found itself in the shafts Of sand
cart. There is an undoubtcd instance OF
II rise Black Tommy, 1870 which only
lost the Derby by short head, figuring
subsc ucntly in the shafts of cab in
Camden Town.
For time imagined that was the
center of observation, especially by the
cabmen on the ranks. Suddenly was
hailed by "A short, thick set man with "A
very red face, who in an imperous tone
shouted ''Orme square and plunged into
the recesses of my cab | was
tioored completely! My boasted
knowledge of the topography OF
the metropolis was at fault | haC
never heard Of Orme square ven
tured to ask my fare if he could dire It me
to the place His surprise and indigna
ton were so excessive that | feared for
moment he would succumb to a fit of apo
plexy. Eut he relieved himself by a burs
of strong language such as had rarely
listened to in my life before My frs
impulse was an angry reply, but fortun
ately nfppcd that impulse in the bud
The line of Jerrold the dramatis occur
red to me: "A rich man fees through
his glove, and thinks all things are soft.
For the first time | realized what a cab
man has occasionally to submit to. ant
and what Janus headed thing
society was in its intercourse
with the rich and the poor. Blu
it is a remarkable fact that although Orm,
square is situated in the Bayswater road
Immediately opposite X ensington gardens
not one londoner in ten can define its 10
cality, 1t is a small, unpretending square
with three sides only, the fourth side be
TONED eH'used nv IGNORANCE e" by saw
ing that was new to the ncighborhood
AS drove along, placed my experience
to the credit of the much,abuscd cabby
IIeceived my exact fare, for which | pc
litely Thanked my irritable friend. for