The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-03-25
WIIBS OF THE CAB DRIVERS
Facts About the JehUs Who Work
After Midnight.
Familiar with the Under Side Of
Life In the National CapitnI-A
Game worked on Five PnEes-Fhe
Police Unable 20 Arrest Offenders.


Oliver Wendell Holmes wonderful
one-horse shay in all the glory of lis
antique deIapidation, would look like a
modern automobile beside any one Of the
numerous antiquated vehicles which do
transportation duty over Washington
asphalt after midnight and through the
wee sma' - hours of early morning. The
typical niShJImer Of the National Capital
is as characteristic of the city as the Po-
tOmac- II breathes an atmosphere unlike
that of any other locality and eXhales
distinctive favor of its own, a combIna-
ton of Dixie, the East. and beyond the
Mississippi, in a mixture of picturesque
ness and decay which cannot be seen
WELD the whips and are constantly on
the Capitol
The patron saint of the after-midnight
cabby is Micawber. and hopefulness is
the predominant trait OF the men who
weld the whips and are constantly on
the lookout for something to turn up
\ feature seen only in Southern cities
is the darby driver, usually relic Of
antn-bellum days. and one of the most
interesting sights about town, although
only those whose duties and pleasures
keep them out when welI-regulated people
are in bed, are acquainted with him He
is distinctiveIy a Washingtonian, and
New York and Boston know him not.
The downtown hack stands at Twelfth
Street and the Avenue. and farther up,
at Thirteen-and-a-half Street, are taken
possession of by the night providers at all
hours up to Z O'Clock. but it is not until
af.er midnight that the rush Of business
really begins. From then until morning
many halves and quarters are picked up
with belated wayfarers, anxious to get
home.
The hack drivers complain that bust
ness has been hurt by the aII-night sched-
uIe inaugurated some time ago by the
street car companies, but it is still good,
and, considering the far from costly stock
necessary to enter the trade, an exceed
ingIy weIl-paying occupation
The broken-down vehicles which have
been pressed into the night transporta-
ton service have been resurrected from
every conceivable quarter. The once
proud landau, the aristOcratic victoria,
the hundred and one carriages discarded
each year by the savage set, are made
TO serve baser purposes. and nightly drag
All sorts and conditions of men from
one end of the city TO another
The negro Is not the only race repre-
scented on the nightlIner box. The Itai-
ian, the German. every nationality + ;
learned TO handle the lines, but the Irlzii-
man is easily second. and the short. black
clay Lipe of Erin's sons is as character
istic OF the night-roaming vehicle as the
horse itself.
The nightliner horse is by no means a
beautiful animal. nor Is he especially
noted for speed. but he manages 70 get
there after Il fashion.
Probably no other men in Washington
know so much of the under side of life
at the Capital as the Jehu- When he car
rieS q Weli-knoWn business man from a
good time with the boys to his home,
c.tbby remembers the lace and the ad-
dress. and many times he Is wont TO turn
his knowledge into money
If the owner Of the rickety nlghtilner
! Is sometimes cheated out Of q fare, he Is
! more than likely to make good at the eH-
I peuse OF the next uususpecting pasSeh-
ger.
\ few nights ago the police were n
formed of d case Of this sort a cabman
/ was rendered five-dollar bill in payment
! for h1If-dollar ride. According to the
+ story OF the man VINO mace DC tne com ON
plant the cabman returned 80 cents, and
sWure loudly that only 81 had been gwen
him. In the midst of the argument the
driver whipped up his horse and dlSsi p
+ peared- The police say that n such cases
( they are powerles sto make an arrest, and
/ that there is no redress for a person who
! is robbed under such circumstances
On the last night of the recent session
/ Of Congress i've Senate pages bargained
{ with the driver Of 4 nighthner for Il ride
TO their homes They agreed 20 give 8
for the trip When they had driven two
blocks on the way 10 the residence Of the
first youngsteT the driver demanded his
pay in advance After much parley the
; money was handed over. and the hack
. driven two squares farther.
/ Then the driver became tired of his pas
/ sengcrs and ordered them 10 climb down.
. The boys We're obliged 10 get out and
. walk back TO the Capitol. when they re-
ported the robbery to Sergeant-aJ-Arnas
/ Isansdeli- Colonel RansdeI has been try
ing ever since 70 find the hackmau. bu'
/ without Success.