Evening star., 1898-12-31

Monday in November, at $40 per year, Were
required to be issued by the register, who
was to publish the law and furnish a copy
to each hack owner, the number to be
painted on the hack. The rate of license
to resident of the city was $40; to a resi-
dent of the District beyond the city limits,
s15, and a nonresident of the District $40.
BY the act of 1876 the tax was increased to
$50 for residents of the District outside of
the city and $50 for non-residents of the
District.
The act of June g. 1926, recognized the
necessity of hack stands by providing that
when six or more carriages assemble either
day or night, it shall be the duty of the
police officer to regulate them, private car
riages public occasions being under the
same regulation. This act also required of
nonresident licensees d bond for the pay
ment of such fines and penalties his
driver incurred. When unemployed and not
in motion hacks were required to stand at
| least twentyfour feet from the curb of an
avenue, and fifteen from curb of a street.
Drivers Were prohibited from leaving their
lines except in the hands of capable per-
son, and of course all bOisterous or
riotous conduct was prohibited. Penalties
of fines for violations of these acts were
imposed, and if negro was the offender
stripes took the place of dollars.
BY the old acts sleighS We're subjected to
the same regulations, but, by common con-
sent, the rates of fare were much higher.
1t was also obligatory on tavern and hotel
keepers TO display the hack rates
Repeal and Amendment.
The hack laws for three whole decades
provided as above stated, but in March,
1872 they were repealed by a general act
on the subject, which re-enacted many of
the regulations and added number there
to. This act first prescribed a penalty of a
fine of SO for running a carriage for hire
without license; required oath of own
ership when taking out a license; provided
for the supervision of the carriages by the
police and established hack stands, setting
apart the avenues and streets in front of
public spaces or squares other than oppo-
site markets, with such other places as the
| mayor might establish. the vehicles to
stand fifteen feet from the curb in front of
| buildings, lengthwise the street
The rates of fare during the day were
| fixed at % cents per passenger for any dis
| tance within one and one-half miles, and
| more than one and One-half miles and less
! than three miles, 30 cents. The clause re-
| quiring the constant care of the rens was
| re-enacted, ard ii became customary for
| the cabbies to carry boys on their boxes
| for this purpose while they bucked for
! fares.
! Stages or omnibuses made their appear
| ance as the predecessors of the larger We
| hicles. which ran at regular intervals, and
/ the street railway cars about $780, when the
councils August 81. passed an act exempt
| ing any hackney stage with accommodation
| for six or more passengers from the opera
! tions of the hackney carriage law, provided
| UcenSeS De procured, as T6luiTtu llle
| act of 1924. These were at first the simplest
| kind of vehicles, much on the order of an
! ordinary wagon, the difference being that
| the seats were comfortable and the exterior
/ painted in loud colors.
| Route Established.
The first route was from the west gate of
| the Capitol by way of Pennsylvania ave-
| nue., to High and Bridge streets, George
! town. One Richard Burgess ran such a
| stage, but Allison Nailor was the first to put
| on more than one of such vehicles Ito es-
| tablsh a regular line); then came the Union
| Line (Reeside & Nanderwerken), the Peo-
| pies Line" and the Citizens Line (Haislip
4 & Weeden), which ran till during the war,
| when the street cars took their place.
| The routes in the meantime were extended
| from l. and Tth streets northwest to the
| avenue, and thence to the navy yard, with
| a branch route TO the steamboat wharf In
| October, 1850, when the bus business for
| those days was booming, an act to regulate
| them was passed. This directed the mayor
| to designate the omnibus stands, the We
/ hicles to be ten feet apart and not more
| than two abreast; prohibited gait faster
| than moderate trot; forbidding the pass
| ing in front or driving across the way or
| in any manner annoying the driver and
| passengers Of any other bus. There was
| from time to time much opposition between
| the rival lines, and the business of buck
| ing for passengers existed then, as Ii has
more or less in recent years.