Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-09-11
CAB DRIVERS RUSE.

Once When the Side Door Beat Was Out
witted-what the Men Who SIT Up Aloft
in lannon's Think Of the Public.
"Cab, sir? Cab?" asked the driver
of a hanson, waving his whip at the
reporter He seemed disappointed
and little surprised when told that
it was an interview and not drive
that was wanted, but consented read
lily enough when he found out that
it was to be accompanied by liquid re-
freshments.
"What'H l take?" he said. We'll.
there's only one thing that we take,
and we takes it in hot water. Good
health, sir! What class of people do
We carry? That's big question. We
takes any one and every one, provid-
in they has the price, of course.
Business amt as good as it was,
though. I've been driving for seven
teen yeai,s and last year was the
worst / ever did see. This year things
are picking up bit.
Politics nothin'. You're a news
paper man, and you know, as well as
1 90, that Platt or Tammany don't cut
no ice as far as times go. No, the
railroad cars don't hurt us, either.
l have heard some of the drivers as
used to have the depot Stnds COM
plain, but the station cabs can't do
outside turns, SO what's the diff? They
only take fares to ana from the de-
pot, SO they don't Interfere with us.
some say bicycles take away our bus
mess, but | don't take much stock in
thai, either. You can't do down town
on them things unless you want &c
get your neck broke. - 49, -.
Electric cabs? On, they are new:
Folks ride in them for the fun of the
thing once or twice, but they always
come back to horses. Why? Wen,
! one of my customers says that SO long
as he has a horse in front of him, he
amt afraid Of collisions. Maybe that's
it.
Experience? Sure-dead loads of
them You'd think | was stringing
you if l was to tell you some. One
morning l drove Mrs. Mack to Long
Island, and in the afternoon l took
Bishop Potter to q church. Beat?
Well, theirs sharks in all trades.
There's the side door racket-get out
at some hotel for drink and then slip
out at the side door.
"A fellow tried that on me the other
night-one of those slick uptown
dudes, with a silk hat and swallowtail
You'd know him if l was to tell you his
name-lots OF money, but tries to beat
his way on general principals. He
came out of an uptown club, hailed me
and jumped into the cab. 'So-andso
hotel. Sharp! says he. When we got
to the hotel he says, Wait a minute,
and skips in.
Did | wait? Not on your life. |
drove round to the side entrance on
Twenty-third street, and was just
drawing up to the curb, when he rush
es out, and without looking at me, says
music hall. Sharp jumps into the
cab and slams the door. See his little
game? Gets driven from Ninety-fourth
street to Thirty-fourth for an 11-block
| fare | wasn't doing a thing on that
box but giving him the merry haha
| knew he had the price in his clothes
al right.
when we got to the music hall he
jumps out, hands me some silver and
starts in. Here. come backn says |.
| This amt right. You owe me four
dollars How in Hoboken do you
| make that out?' says he. 1 amt no
blue jay, my man. | gave you the right
| fare, and that's all you're going to get.
Four dollars? / guess mott Guess
again, says |, as | signs to cop, who
comes up and asks what's the row.
This man is charging me four dollars
from 23d street says Mr.. Dude. Not
on your life l amt | chips in; L
charges you three dollars from 94th
street to the front door of the hotel
and l charges you 1 dollar from the
side door of the hotel to here. See"
Say, he don't do thing but go down
! in his pants and hand me over V.
and then jump for that music hall as
| if he was sent for. | saw the cop al
forwards. of course.
"Ladies-or them that calls them
selves ladies-going to the big stores,
| has tried the side door trick so often
that now, unless we know them, we
ask for the fare before they go in. o,
wait here. III want you again. they