, 1886-06-04
.1seLlsH CABS IN NEW YORK.

The Canary-Coiorcd Vehicles Declared to
he a Failurc-The Reasons why.
Here, cabbyi Hurry upl A cheap cabrp
"Yezzir-'ere it's, right yender."
"Nol Take me for n millionairei | want
a canary. A quarter a mile"
"There hain't none. Them's gone sir. 81
"Gone wherei When will they be
backy'
"Gone of entirely. Left. Won't come
back. No more ~ cent cabs in the streets
of this town. 'Av n 'alf-dollarer, The
canaries is all painted black and doubled
their price. 'Av one?"
Inquired and ascertained that cabby
hadn't lied. He told me, indeed, that the
company wa busted, - and in that trife
he erred; but the charming little canary
colored cabs. in which two of you could
ride the first mile for n quarter, have fled
once more and hung out the white feather.
No more cheap cabs in New York;
Six years ago the first attempt was
made to establish the London hanson
cab as an institution in New York. Why,
shouldn't it succeed, everybody asked,
the delightful vehicle which is such n
cheerful inhabitant of London streets, and
which had received n welcome on the con
tinent. About fifty of the cabs were in
troduce at that time, and they ran for %
cents n mile, carrying one or two persons.
But there was but slight encouragement,
and they were hauled off at n loss.
Two years ago last fall, Fearing Gill
rallied some stable men with horses and
some still stabler men with money, who
had sojourned in London and became &c
quainted with the many colored grasshop-
per OF the metropolis, and they banded
themselves together and swore an awful
oath that they would establish the volatile
vehicle as one of the institutions of New
York. They made a most credItable
effort. They put up the money. They
employed good drivers. They provided
strong horses and an attractive turnout.
visibly increased, but not enough
to justify the experiment. New Workers
would not get used to it.
A good many fools consider it vulgar to
ride cheaply. and wouldn't nave it. A
good many old fellows rebelled against
this having your driver perched up be
hind you were you ant see him" Old
ladies' were afraid of upsetting in the
vehicle, quite regardless OF the fact that it
was never known to upset, and OF reach
ing their destination they said, fright on
the heels of the horse all the way I'm SO
glad I've got here alive | don't know what
to do. You'll never catch me in one of
them things againl'
And while the demure girls Of London
like the h Nom above all things, and get
their feet under its slanting doors as often
as they can, the New York damsel is too
madest you know, and she exclaims, II
won't ride in that again, neverl To sit
there right in front and be stared at sol |
can't stand i'll a o at Days would be,
of course, quite another thing"
SO the effort to introduce the hanson
has failed. All the c~anary-colored cabs
have been fifty painted black-in mourn
ing for the 80, 0OO which the experiment
has cost-and the caller Of the cab will
hereafter pay 80 cents for the first mile.
instead of half that. The bunch of prince
of Wales feathers jauntily perched upon
its side is the only remnant OF its former
splendor. Farewell to "the Gondola OF
London. '-Croffut in Kansas City journal.