The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-29

during which the passenger has been an
occupant of the cab
l. gives the exact amount of money
which the passenger owes at any given
moment, on the basis both of time travel
ed and miles Travelled.
When the passenger steps out of the cab.
the taxameter instantly thrusts out lit-
tie tongue, bearing the word Olsen
gagged" so that any passer can see that
the cab is ready for service, thus pre-
venting soldering on the part of the
cabby.
II keeps a complete account of the total
number of miles Travelled during the day
of the amount of money paid in and of
the length of time during which the cab
is actually in motion. These three latter
calculations are wholly for the benefit of
the cab company In checking it's drivers.
The company Is not ready TO give out
the details of the taXameter, as it has
not been registered a the patent office in
Washington, but G. Herbert Condict, the
chief engineer, who is, in great part, re-
eponsible for the success of horseless car
riage transit in New York, has given, for
the first time, some account of the inven-
ton.
The taxameter occupies space eight
sort of vehicle. horseless or otherwise
It is operated on much the same plan
as the cyclometer of a bicycle and need
only be geared differently 10 fit on the
various vehicles.
How the TaXameter Works.
When a person engages a cab with the
taXameter attachment, he first tells the
driver whether he wishes 10 ride by the
hour or mile. If the former then the
driver pushes a button which effaces the
last record and leaves the three white
openings on the face blank. Cab COM
panies do not. as a rule, make any redIc-
ton for fraction of an hour, but the in-
ventors have provided for this. in case
they do. When half an hour has expired,
there is a click and the passenger notices
that the opening TO record time riding
shows 81. There is no change untn after
one hour and fifteen minutes, then the reg
lister shows s1.25. Al the hour and a half
$50 appears. and so on
At the same time that this open record
appears, showing the passenger exactly
what he must pay. two other invisible
records are being made for the company's
private knowledge. As each record is
licked off on the open space Il is dupli-
Gated on another register where each * p
arate fare as il is erased on the visible
register by pressing the button is perma-
just how many miles are Travelled on the
time basis, and the inspector must only
compare the cash and the miles to cheek
the driver.
If the Fare Travels by the Mile.
Now if one travels by the mile tne re-
cording angel is still more explicit with
the thankful passenger For this there
are two little square spaces, one to re-
cord the exact distance you travel and the
other your total bill. This was an exceed
ingly difficult mechanism to contrive, and
the engineers exerted themselves to the
point of collapse TO perfect il.
In many cities the blocks are not of uni
form length and it is almost impossible
for a p senger TO figure up the distance
he travt In most instances The driver
himself O not know, but always makes
certain neg, 20 underrate it, There is no
dasputing " question with the taXmeter
Any police court judge would like its ST.
lent testimony in preference 20 the bla-
tant oaths of cabman, for with the tax
ameter blocks cut no figure. It is only
when $3.50 feet are licked off that a pas
senger Is charged for one mill. This, how
ever, appears on the register before the
male IS completed, the machine always
showing record just a little in advance
OF making il. After the first mile the tax
ameter, just as on the time basis, regis