The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-05-23
TALES OF A HICKMAN.
CLEANED FROM 4 LONG CA.
 REER


 By s'Cute" NicG., One of the Oldest an d aBest-Known Hackmen of New YorI. ci,y.
 I've been thirty-fve years at the hackin' business in Brooklyn an Man haitian, an I've seen a lot of comin an goin' an all sorts of changes. When a mans in public life like me he doesn't want to have no prejudices. There's a lot of drivers that is down on the troll 1ys an the 'busses an them cheap things that carries people ten miles for five cents, transferrin' lem round fer nothin'. They say that the trolys an such make cheap people, dime-savers that squeezes their money; but, says I, 1t takes all sorts 10 make up a world, an there's room for the cheap people an for me, too.
 Of course things has changed, an a lot of good spenders has gone, but still ain't starvin' to death. If a man knows the ropes and conducts himself right he can do good business here. in spite of all.
 There's the bridget jam in the morn in, on the Brooklyn side, an the bridge jam in the evenin' on the Manhattan side. They make good business. If you lay up close to 'em an wait, some one is pretty certain to get some ribs busted an have to go home in a hack They's done me lot of good, an so has the crowdin' on the cars.
 Oh, hackin's not played out, an it never won't be. not any time. no mat ter what. The hackmen what grum- bles an says that all the good things is gone is sour an gives themselves away. All the good things ain't gone if you just act right.
 It ain't so many weeks ago when I got the biggest tip that ever came to me- from a man I never seen before. He came out of the railroad station with two friends an a hatbox. He was tall, slim, youngish-old man, with light whiskers an mustaehe.
 He looks along our line an, says he, Where's Gorcoran?"
 They run at him shoutin' "Keb Keb! Kebi" like 8 lot O hoodlums, but stands by my carriage like captain stands by his vessel, cause I knows that. no gent likes bein' mobbed. He turns to me, an touches my hat, an says: >
 "Corcoran's just gone, sir, but if you have any message I'll deliver it."
 "He always drives me-" says he, in a discontented way. Then says he, ! "Neyer mind, you'll do.'
 So he gets in my carriage with his friends an the hatbox because he seen that I understood my business an was civilian. that's a pint to remember. Civilness don't cost nothin', an it goes a long way with some people.
 He gets in the carriage an I drove him to house, where he an his friends an the hatbox went inside, while I blanketed the horses an walked about switchin' with my arms. It was an awful cold night, an spite of all the clothes had on, was most froze. The wind came right through the four coats an three waistcoats an two undervests thatI wore. an set me shiverin' so that couldn't sleep on the box the way I mostly does when there's g long wait. But I ain't the man to quit. "I'n stay with a gent as long as he wants me, provided my moneys all right. was with one party three days an nights one time showin' him the town. wouldn't hey quit them, but he couldn't, stand no more an the po- lice took him to a hospital.
 So I just waited an waited fer the feller with the hatbox. I don't drink (though most hackmen does; poor fel- lers), at least not to speak of, but I al- ways have a bottle with 8 sort of med icine in it for keepin' out the cold, an everylnow an then l took pull at it.. The house was all lighted up, an there was a great deal of laughin' an carryin' on inside.
 After had been waitin' for near five hours, an it was about three o'clock in the mornin' man comes out of the house, an, says l: Whats. doin?"
 ,"Oh," says he, "the feller inside there is just burning up money"
 About half an hour later he came to the door.
 "Cabby?" says he: "Yes, sir" says IueTefs youI laiS' 9oS D lAS' CHI IN give me two dollars. '"Yes, sir" says I, takin' the money an touchin' my hat.
 ."You've been waitin'. haven't you?'
 ''Yes, sir" says l.
 Well" says he, T didn't tell you to wa:t."
 "Yes, sir" says I. He did tell me to wait, but 1t don't do for a man in pub lie life like me to get gay with a cus- toner. Where you may make dollar by a squeeze you may lose ten by turn in the feller agin you.
 "Yes, sir" says I, an touchtd my hat again an hade as If I was goin' to jump on my seat; but, says he: