Evening star., 1901-12-02
CAB SYSTEM IN BERLIN
AUTOMATIC DEVICE SHOWS DIS
TANCE TRAVELLED AND FARE DUE.
Penny Omnibuses and Electric Tram
Cars Which Charge 1-2 Cents
to All city Points.

". f. Curtis In the Chicago Record Herald. .-
Berlin has the best cab system in the
world, and the cheapest. There are over
1900 cabs, each equipped with taximeter
which registers the distance Travelled and
indicates on dial the amount of fare due.
The lowest charge Is IL cents which pays
transportation for one or two persons
distance of 800 meters, or 600 meters for
three or four persons. Every additional 400
meters the wheels run, according to an
odometer attached to one Of the wheels, the
Indicator jumps up 21a cents when there are
two persons in the cab. When there are
three or four passengers there Is jump
for every 800 meters. This makes cab hire
171a cents mile the cheapest and the most
convenient Of any city in the world, and
perhaps that Is the reason there are COM
paratively few private conveyances Every
body rides in cabs except ambassadors and
members Of the royal family, and even they
do sometimes.
In New York, Chicago, Washington and
other cities it costs IS for a carriage for
theater party. dinner or a ball. In Ber-
lin 1t costs about so cents. There Is a cab
stand every few blocks, the locations being
fixed by police regulations, and it is only
necessary to send servant to call cab
when you are ready to co. and you pay by
the distance. At the close of the dinner the
butler always has as many cabs as are
necessary awaiting the guests at the door,
and at the theaters and the opera there is
long line at the curbstone, which drive up
In order and take in their loads under the
direction OF a policeman.
German Saddle Horses.
There are many saddle horses. They a-e
a part Of the military system. Berlin is
the only city Of its size that provides saddle
paths along its principal streets. Horse
back riding in the Thiergarten is a popu-
lar amusement for both men and women
There are penny omnibuses running from
central points in all directions, and cleo
trio tramcars on the principal streets but,
according to our notion, they run very
slowly and are regulated In most
markable manner. The fare is 2h cents
for any distance within the city limits, and
yet the company pays dividends of 8, 9 and
10 per cent, even with heavy tax upon it's
franchise and a limited carrying capacity.
You never see a crowded street car in
Berlin. No person Is allowed to stand in
the aisle. The number that may be accom-
modated on each platform is indicated in a
conspicuous manner, usually six but often
only four, and when the seats Inside are all
occupied and the standing room on the plat
forms is filed, the car does not STOP no
matter who signals it: 1t is good thing
for those who are fortunate enough to get
aboard but pretty tough on people who are
late to dinner or have appointments or
other reasons for being in a hurry. 1Aere
every man has experienced and when one
Is particularly anxious to get home the
cars are invariably. crowded. Hence 1t is
fortunate that cab fare is SO cheap in Ber-
lin. sa.
Enter by Back Door.
have never been able to discover the rea-
son, but there is a rule forbidding passen-
gers upon the front platform to enter a car.
If there is room, inside. and they are tired
Of standing. people on the platform must
wait until the car stops and then go around
to the back platform and enter by the rear
door, even though the front door may be
standing open. I learned this rule by ex-
perience, for the front door being open, L
innocently walked In and took seat. The
conductor rushed at me as If he intended
to swallow me whole and commenced to
jabber at most furious rate, gesticulating
in a manner that was actually alarming
When he had exhausted himself and paused
to recover his breath, I inquired:
What on earth is the matter?'
He let go Of another unabridged diction-
ary with great emphasis, but of course l
did not understand one word he said and
was utterly unconscious of the cause OF
his excitement. At the first interval very
stout gentleman who sat next to me ana
perceived my predfcament remarked in
cultural tone that seemed to come from
somewhere down under the seat.
ttIt is yerboten!
What is verboten?' %
ITO come in NIT der front door"
rs that so?" exclaimed, "and the con-
ductor is making all this rumpus because
came In from the front platform? Should
go back again?
II dink It vas necessary. He might got
an0der fit
/ returned to my. st~ndirg place on the
'front.' platform. waSfe ta, conductor fol-