Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-04
OYSTER BAY TROUBLES
Now It Is the Hackmen Who
Are Chatting
UNDER THE new REGIME
Government Autos SWIMMING the
Cream of Business.
OLD BILL WHITE FEELS SORE
Denizens of the Town Express Their
Opinions About Presidents Change
Of Former Methods
Special Dispatch to The Star.

| Special Dispatch to The Star.
OYSTER BAY, N. Y, July 4.-The hack
men of the village have q grievance
| against President Roosevelt. They are
considering the advisability of calling
meeting to protest against the action of
the President In using the two big new
| department automobiles to take visitors to
| and from Sycamore Hill. They claim that
It is hurting their business so much that
some of them may be forced to quit. This
is the first time that automobiles have
been furnished by the government for
the use of the secret service men and WIS.,
| itors, and the villagers have not taken
| kindly to the innovation. In former years
| the dozen or so hackmen divided the BUSH
ness between them. and it meant tidy
| while some blame the President, the ma
jority do not. They say that Loeb did it.
and as soon as the Presidents attention
Is called to the matter they hope for some
! relief.
1t was a mighty big surprise to the
carriage drivers, who have fattened for
| several years upon the summer pilgrims
| to the Roosevelt shrine, when the big au-
| tomob1les first made their appearance.
They are quite the biggest and most i'm
posing things in the automobile line that
| ever struck the village, and that Is say
ing whole lot. They are constantly in
| requisition and glide about the streets
! loaded with visitors secret service men
| and seem to take delight in Haunting
| their speed in the very faces Of the dis
guSted hackmen.
| Yesterday one Of the big cars, whose
| sides fairly bulged with a load of pretty
| girls. which a secret service man was TAX
| ing somewhere. dashed around a corner
! on two wheels and barely missed old Bill
| White. the oldest hackman in Oyster Bay
The sudden fright made old Bits eyes
l 'ar,1'' ha
yelled as the machine disappeared around
| another corner. they're not satisfied with
taking the bread out Of an honest fellows
mouth. they've got to rub it in by trying
to send fellow to the hospital I'd like
| to fire a load of buckshot into their gol
| darn tires
Hits the Livery Business.
So long as the machines did not do any
thing more than take the secret service
men to and from Sycamore Hill no one
made much of q kick The liverymen felt
the loss Of the money which went for the
| hire of horses and carriages to do the work,
but they were willing to admit that the
| United States government was surely big
| enough to furnish an automobile for the
| President. and that 1t was use to block
the march Of progress.
They had not really bargained for what
! followed. however. L irst. 1t became evident
| that no one would ever have the honor
again OF driving the President to and from
| his home on the Cove road. That was to
| be legend of the past which Old Bill White
| could hand down to his wondering progeny.
| No sooner did the President land in the
village that Is so often delighted to honor
! him than he stepped into his private car
| riage and was whisked away before any one
| could even get good look at him. The
| next day things took worse turn when no
| one appeared from the executive offices to
| make arrangements with the liverymen to
| take Secretary Loeb on his daily trip to the
1 President. rria
drew up to Moore's grocery store and the
gaping villagers saw Mr.. Loco climb in and
| speed on his way up the hill.
Nothing Doing for This Year.
Il guess It's nothing doing for us this
year" murmured Eddie Fisher. sorrow-
fully Wen have to make it up on the
| visitors. eh. JOe?"
Joe Bennett calculated that that was the
| sure enough outlook. We'll, Just tuck 1t on
a bit when they want to take peep at
Teddy he acquiesced. and the other hack
men nodded their approval. 80 with grim
determination they waited for the visitors.
| Not many came at first, and 1t was poor
hope. Rumor had it that Secretary of War
William Taft was coming to see the Presi-
| dent. The hackmen Of Oyster Bay find
plenty of time to read. and they had visions
| Of Mr.. Tafts ponderosity. Hell make a
| good load, If all reports of his size are
true" chuckled Bill yannostrand. How
can We divide him up
II hearn tell that Re is big enough for all
| of u.s." put in another I've all ought to
| get piece of him. There'll be glory
enough to go around, to my way Of think
| Ing
''1Il tell you what we'll do said one en-
thusiast. well take turns at him. I'll
drive him mile. and then Bill here will
pick him UP and take him another mile,
| then Bill will turn him over to the Flying
| Dutchman. Then on the return journey
the rest of you can divide him up the
| same way.
Discussion Over Taft.
Some one interposed that the plan
wouldn't work. as the Secretary of War
would object to be bundled about like
bag Of -four. Finally 1t decided that
all would take equal chances to get him
when he stepped from the train. So on the
| eventful day they all lined up at the west
ern end of the station platform and waited.
The train pulled in. and sure enough, Mr..
Taft was aboard.
| AS he hove in sight a simultaneous dash
was made in his direction by the waiting
phalanx. Their cries were deafening, and
the big Secretary of War stood for a mo-
ment dumfounded In the midst OF the
hurly-burly no one noticed a 1.-the figure
glide up and clutch Mr.. Taft by the arm.
1t was Assistant Secretary Latta, and no
New York jehu ever steered a customer
more adrotly to his carriage than did the
man who shares responsibilities with Secre-
tary Loeb. Before the hackmen could in
terpose an objection the Secretary OF War
| was hurried through the depot, bundled
into one OF the hated automobiles and rush.
ed UP to Sycamore Hill. The cabmen then
arose in wrath. They had to do something
for mutual protection, SO they got together
and discussed the situation.
"I.atta did It," said one. mo. 1t was
Loeb" said another. Wen see the PresI-
dent about it." interposed third. He'll
give us a square DEAL" asserted Bill White.
That's what" said Dutch john the
Frenchman, with trustfui simplicity
Didn't he say something about his spear
knowing no brother?
No Official Callers Today.
OYSTER BAY. N. Y. July 4.-The cele-
bration of the Fourth made no apparent diff
ference in the transaction of government