The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1905-10-06
CAB RATES ARE LOW HERE
AS COMPARED WITH THOSE OF
OTHER CITIES.
1T is rs CENTS UNIVERSALLY

Sometimes the Cabmen are Forced &c
Drive Four or Five Miles for a Sin
gle Fare-Some Experiences the
Drivers Meet With.
Cabmen meet all sorts and condi
! tions of men. A Norfolk cab driver
had an experience the other night that
gave him new view of human nature
He didn't know how small men were
in some cases, he said.
He was waiting with his cab at the
Junction station when n stranger ac
costed him. "How soon are you going
up town." asked the stranger.
GO up now II you like" replied the
cabman.
How much will you charge me?"
"A quarter"
"Wait till the train, due in five min
utes, arrives, and I'll give you a half
dollar" said the fellow, and the cab.
man waited.
On the arrival of the train, the
stranger reappeared and with him two
ladies'. He handed cigar to the driv.
er and the three embarked. Once up
town and out of the cab, the stranger
rendered the driver half dollar and
an extra dime, "for drink"
"But your bill is seventy-five cents" "
protested the driver.
"You agreed to come up for a quar-.
ter, and gave you half" the strang-
er argued. But finally he paid the
bill, after much quibbing in the pres
ence of the ladies.
"Aren't you going to carry in these
grips?" asked the fellow, after the ar
gument was done.
my horses won't stand" retortcd
the disgusted driver handing back the
package which the stranger had pri-
marily attempted to enforce upon him.
Rates Low Here.
"Cab rates in Norfolk are the cheap
est there are in the state of Nebraska
any way" remarked another driver,
who heard the story. "In Norfolk we
often go many miles for a quarter,
while in other places the rates are
fixed according to distance. Here
there is but one price-it is universal
ly twenty-five cents.
"The other day, for instance, drove
four miles for seventy-five cents.
From down town drove to Thirteenth
street, from there to the Junction with
three passengers and a trunk, and
then returned to Main street alone.
The three fares made seventy-five
cents, and | had more than driven
around a section in distance. That
was little better than South Dakota
railroad fare.
She Was Surprised.
"One woman whom ! drove from a
hotel to a residence on the west side,
was much surprised at our rates" he
continued. "When she reached her
destination, she asked how much she
owed. The price of a quarter amazed
her. Why, in New York, she said,
that ride would have cost $1.25 at the
very least
Rate Formed Years Ago.
"The rate of twenty-five cents was
one bus in Norfolk, and a rate once
fixed is difficult to raise. 1t is easier
to reduce rates than to increase, even
though the increase be just"
Today NorfOllis cab system is per
haps the most extensive in the state
outside Lincoln and Omaha. The
great distance and the many trains
have made big field for the business.
In many cities the cabmen hold
strangers up for exhorbitant rates but
no case of the kind has ever been re-
ported in Norfolk.
1t is usually required by law in cities
that cab rates be posted in each cab.
Failing to find this, the passenger gen
orally does well to either ask the near.
est policeman or railroad official what
the rates are, or to ask the hotel clerk
upon his arrival, before paying the
driver.