The times., 1900-12-23
CABMEN OF THE CAPITAL
Men Who Drive Their Own We
licles Over the Asphalt.
The Night liner and His Pecuiiari-
ties-ModeIs of Fairly Good Nature,
Wit, and Ncndacity-Prompt Al
ways to Give Information to stran-
gers-Ancient and Ragged Coaches.

siye eloQuence accompanied by an insin-
uating II somewhat persistent manner. is
about all the average citizen knows con-
cerning that interesting factotum, the
public cab driver These advances gen.
orally fail in their intended effect. and the
party addressed does not seem to hear the
speaker. utterly ignoring his existence.
One cannot help thinking that il must
take a good deal of sound philosophy,
mixed with large dairy of the milk of
human kindness to be perpetually ooa-
fronted with this aspect of society and
not become misanthrope in consequence.
So far from such being the case, however,
most of our cabbies are of a decidedly
cheerful nature, and their manner Is al
most invariably polite and fetching Cold
repulses have as little effect upon the
average member of the fraternity as cold
weather. He accustoms himself to both
calling into requisition his genial philoso-
ply in the one case, and his overcoat in
the other OF course all hack drivers are
not alike. There is diversity of charac-
ter among them just as there is among
princes and plumbers. What is very re-
markable central trait with the cabbies
oil washington Is lnelT
of local information. They know all the
Government officials by sight, can point
out any of the Diplomatic Corps, and I
they feel disposed, can indulge in on
amount of chit-chat and society scandal
that would do honor to leader of fash
ion The much-esteemed art among all
classes os prevarication is practiced by
them for the amusement and diversion of
their fares although the full extent of
notCarS m this wise is only pNerfpl
on such occasions as they may elect, or
when they are, as Richard the Third
would have said, 81 the mood"
The visitor to the city encounters the
cabman as soon as he gets outside the
railroad station. His appearance is i'm
mediately hailed by chorus of interro-
cations as to the hotel to which he
wishes to 90. and a vast and somewhat
disconcerting array OF vehicles is at once
put at his disposal to choose from. Here
yer are sir; been waitin' for yer desc SIX
months" observes one faeetious spirit.
Hotel. sir?'' The visitor passes on, oo-
livious Take you to all the boarding
houses sir, anywhere you want 10 go!
Visitor still unconscious. ''All right, sir;
this way for the deaf and dumb asylum."
Hit at last. and applause from all hearers
except the visitor. Such harmless witt
cisnIs can readily be forgiven the cabby,
whose profession entails deal of weary
monotoG- well calculated to depress less
buoyant spirits.
The persons whom he pilots around for
the purpose of showing the sights af-
ford the cabman perhaps the best oppor-
tunities for the exercise of his intellectual
qualities. though il is felt assured that
more interesting results could be obtain
ed from him could one learn his mental
notes and impressions of the parties in
question. The queries propOunded by the
latter are often, indeed. both numerous
and quaint, and would tax the Question
and Answer column of newspaper.
However. the cabby is always equal to the
occa sion and with grace and urbanity. re-
plies to all interrogations in satisfac-
tory manner. The visitor II he come from
one of those rural districts which are. in
the words of the poet, far from the mad
ding crowds ignoble strife" possesses
generally weird ideas regarding public life
and other matters in the Capital. Occa-
sionally such a person will be found who
believes that the member from his dis
trict" fwho by the by, Is probably the
only public official he knows of, must
have caused a great sensation upon his
arrival in Washington, and he desires TO
know from the driver the details of the
celebration gotten up for his 1.-THE mem
ber's) honor. The cabby. realizing the
great shock it would cause his fares feel
ings TO undeceiye him, together with the
sacrifice OF possible tip for himself, in
volved by his telling the bald truth, at
once proceeds to tax his inventive facul-
ties. and wonderful indeed are some of the
tales he fabricates in this manner.
Occa asionally, rustic visitors. in the
simplicity of their souls, are imbued
with the idea that the President lives in
the Capitol, while the Library of Con-
gress building they consider a kind Of
gorgeous official hotel provided by a
thoughtful Government for the conven-
lent accommodation Of Congressman and
Cabinet officers. Some believe that the
President never gees out unaccompanied
by a brass band, and that he pauses at
intervals TO make speeches, their notions
being derived from the meth
DDS CT campaigning politicians. All such
illusions it is the business of the cabby
either TO dispel, or else heighten and
render more vivid and glowing. There
is one among the fraternity in this city
quite celebrated in the art of picturesque |
mendacity His descriptions of the prin- |
cipal public ornaments, persons, build |
ings, and other attractions are indeed |
highly remarkable for imaginative CO. |
piousness and happy inpromptu adoTn- |
ments. Thus, a gentleman from Ken |
lucky, desiring TO know the purpose of !
that funereal structure, the Peace MonI-
ment, was Informed that it marks the |
spot where are buried the legislators VINO |
fall victims TO the adverse opinions and |
ready pistols of their political opponents. |
an explanation received, in this instance, |
with perfect good faith. Another curl |
Gus passenger was informed that the an |
tique ordinance mounted in front of the !
War, State, and Navy Department build |
ings was put there during the Spanish /
war to repel a possible invasion. The re-
efhgy facing the east front of /
the Capitol was casually alluded 10 as /
faithful portrait of President Mckinley
In court costume while delivering his |
message to Congress, and the person TO |
whom this latter information was youeh-
6a'ed was apparently so stunned thereby |
as to but imperfeetly comprehend the |
remainder of the veracious cabby's in-
discourse.
These are but few of the imaginative |
flights taken by the cabbies during the |
course of their more restricted equine |
but they will perhaps serve |
to show certain poetical turn in the
minds of such gentry with which they are |
not credited by society in general. 1t is |
indeed, to be regretted that no cabman |
has as yet in the history of the world,
taken to literature, and the field Of truth
tul autobiography or romantic fiction re-
main alike unadorned by their genius
The acquaintance with life, however, of
The veteran cabman is both varied and |
extensive. Many curious stories could be
revealed by some of them. II one Of these
DID cabs, known as might liners" could
carry as much in its head as il has in its
body IL could produce material enough
Tor dozen sensational novels. Stories
of riotous pleasure, and pain, and dis
appointment. and despair. Stories Of sui
ride ana stealthy crime, and mad freaks
one almost trembles when he thinks what