The Washington times., 1901-09-01
bob" THE CAB HORSE DEAD
An Eyentful Career Extending
Over Period of Thirty Years.
A Remarkably Intelligent Animal
Who WINS Pleased When 6reat Men
Rode Behind Him-A Winter
Nights Experience in n snowstorm

Bob" the oldest and best-loved cab
horse in Washington, who was known
during his long and eventful career at
the Capital by many statesmen, is dead.
The wear and tear of midnight trips
| over asphalt streets in good weather
and bad, usually bad, proved too much
/ for him. He quietly laid down and died,
| and presumably departed TO a land
| where life will be one quiet pasture,
and where the clang OF the electric car
! shall no more disturb him.
He was a good horse" said Jerry
Cobb who owned him for ten years.
He could do the trip from Columbia
Heights to the Capitol in mighty quick
time, and he's carried almost everybody
| in his life. too, from Senators to just
common ordinary members Of Con-
| gress. It always seemed to me that
i Bob could tell how important man
was the minute he got into the cab. If
| the fare was swell, Bob would prick
up his ears, and hold his neck high, and
! let his legs out in great style. He all
| ways did a little extra for a Senator.
Bob did. He liked Senators better than
anybody, and never complai1ed if he
had to go to Georgetown. just so he had
big man inside. How could he COM
| plain? Why, just the same as you
would. Bob could tell me when he was
mad, and l never misunderstood him,
either. when he let me know he didn't
| like the way things were going.
Just before Bob died we carried a
| fare out on Fourteenth Street. He had
lots of money, too. and was dressed like
| a swell, but Bob knew the difference,
as we'll as 1 did, and he fused all the
| way out. He knew that the fare was
only merchant. Bob never took any
stock in anybody unless he was impor-
tant. Whenever we had just some or
binary clerk or business man Bob al
ways got 'chesty,' and when he was
cranky, he was the most contrary horse
in Washington.
Bob could tell Government official
as far as he could see him, and 1t didn't
make any difference how the man was
dressed. Bob didn't go much by clothes.
He had some other way to find out
things about people, and 1 never knew
him to make a mistake. One cold win
ter night about eight years ago Bob
and were hugging the protected side
of the Avenue on the way up town. 1t
was showing hard-one of those bitter,
piercing nights that sometimes happen
in Washington. Bob was breasting
through the drifts. with his head down.
fighting the storm. i had my hat pull
ed down over my eyes, and at first I
didn't see the man who called to me to
stop. But Bob did, and he halted, just
as though i had told him to. l knew
| then that the fare must be a swell,
though he wasn't dressed particular,
because Bob had never been wrong in
sizing up folks.
DO you know who that man was?
Well, 1 won't tell you; but he was
United States Senator. and a mighty big
one, too. He had come out of one of
the big Avenue hotels. We drove up
town to one of the finest residences in
the city, and 1 always supposed that
what went on in that house that night
had lot to do with some of the things
going on in Congress. There were i'm
portant times then. The man who liv-
ed in the house where we went that
night was--well, he wasn't exactly a
Senator, but he had been. He was the
Secretary Of but / can't tell you his
name. l never have talked about any
of my fares, and besides Bob wouldn't
like tiff he was alive
THE Senator stayed there for about
an hour. while Bob and l waited out
side, obeying orders. Then he came
out, and the Secretary of the-the Sec
retary, he was with him. The Senator
came around to the box, while the Sec
retary opened the door, and told me
where he wanted TO go. The wind was
blowing so hard l could hardly hear
him. The Senator put his mouth right
close to my ear and fairly shouted.
Then / neard him. and say, nearly fell
off the box, / was 50 surprised. Then
the Secretary and the Senator got in
the cab, and 1 tell you Bob made good
speed. You see, Bob tumbled that there
was something important doing before
l did. He knew just as well who was
inside as if he had been human.
If 1 told you where we went that
night you wouldn't believe me, SO won't
tell you. We drove up to the house,
and found 1t black as a stove. There
wasn't a light in the place. The Sena-
the steps with the snow up around his
knees. The Senator was short man,
anyhow and he was nearly showed un-
der. The Secretary he got out too, but
he took his time, and the Senator had
rung the bell a dozen times before he
got up on the stpop. I'd have thought
sure they would never have got into
that house If / hadn't known who they
were, and 1 wasn't much surprised
when the door ODened The Senator
and the Secretary went in, and in less
time than it takes me to tell about it
they were upstairs right in the-but L
can't tell you whose house it was. Any
how. they were in his bedroom. l saw
their reflections on the curtains.
They must have stayed there for
three-quarters of an hour, and Bob and
l nearly froze to death. Then they
came out. and we carried them back
home. the Secretary up to where he
lived and the Senator back to his hotel.
l never did hear what it was all about.
/ guess If / had read the papers I'd
have found out. Anyhow, I'll bet there
was something doing there.
And Bob knew 1t. He knew 1t before
/ did. He was the haIpiest horse you
ever saw. No, Bob didn't get sick on
that account. That was eight years
ago. ] guess Bob carried more than
800 swells, including Senators and Cabi-
meet officers, and Members of Congress
since then.
IN those days Bob was a swell-Iook-
ing horse. He could hold his head UP
with the best of them, and he came from
blooded stock, too. Bob did. At least
! heard so. When / got him / bought
him cheap. They said he couldn't live
but he did. and lived to be nearly thir-
ty, too. Yes. sir; that was Bob's age