Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1910-02-12
THE CABMEN OF PARIS
,oiIing One Is the Same as a
and Declaration OF War.
THEY ARE InSoLENT RoeUES
sneers and caustie Advice Are Show
cred Upon Those Who Engage Them.
On Wet or FestaI Days the Cables
spurn Those Who Want to Ride.

Spurn Those Who Want to Ride.
Among Anglo-Saxons there Is n gem
eral and instructive desire to do busi-
ness on the basis Of an entente cor
dale. In Paris the hailing Of cab
man IL looked on by both parties to
the transaction as an implied declara-
ton OF war. The cabman takes your
measure. and you take his number IL
you are wise. At once he VIII give
you reason to remark that he has
rooted and premeditated objection TO
drive you where you wish to go. Per-
haps he prefers the opera quarter be-
cause II IL central. or should the wealth
er be fine his heart Is probably set
upor driving In the Bots. while you
may have business mt the bourse. He
explains his views on the subject self
ishly and rudely.
A foreigner alighted recently from
the Calais train at the Northern rail-
way station In Paris and ordered
typical Partisan cabman. bloated. pale
and abslnth soaked. TO drive him to
the Rue Blomet. which is n street In
the relatively distant vauglrard quar-
ter. "Peut on habiter Ia Rue Bl0met"
("is Il possible to inhabit the Rue
Blomety''l exclaimed the ragged ruff
fan IN an epigrammatic note OF dis
dain which would have done honor TO
Beau Brummel.
But Il Is when the Paris cabman has
once started on his course" a war
path In the strict sense Of tue term.
that he proves to what limiiless ex-
tent he II the enemy OF mankind. His
hatred OF the bourgeois" the man In
the street In spite OF and indeed be-
cause Of his being u potential client,
IL expressed at every yard. lie con-
stantly tries TO run him down. which
makes strangers to Paris accuse the
Paris cabman OF driving badly. while
In point OF fact lac is not driving at
all. but playing with miraculous skill
game Of his own which suggests can
non billiards In the hands ~ n worlds
champion.
But Ii il not with the public alone
that he Is ut war. On all other CAB
men whose path he crosses. on omni-
bus drivers. motorcnr men. bicycllsts.
private coachmen. costermongers with
barrows and tsotto voce the police he
heaps deadly insults. the least outra-
geous of which are ours C'Bear.)
and "Fourneau.' c'oven"'J. the latter
containing subtle double meaning,
ineligible only TO those who have
Paris ''argot" or slang AZ their finger
ends and too long TO explain.
The claimants wild career through
the streets. the constant wavering and
slashing OF his pltiless whip. his mad
cap hurtlements and collisions. the
frenzled calculations which he ex-
changes with his fare the panic
stricken flight of the agonlzed women
whose lives he has endangered. the
ugly rushes which the public OCCASION
ally makes nj him with view to
lynchlng him. the sprawlings aud fall
ings Of his lnaddcnel. hyslerical. starv-
ing horse. contribute as much ms any
thing to the spasmodlc intensity. the
electric blue tire diahlerie. which are
characteristic Of the general move
mcnt Of Paris.
All that can be said in mitigation Of
the Paris cahman's method Is that
'he has them In the blood" Every
Partisan (and the cabman Is no exoep-
tom has tile soul OF a dictator and
the spirit Of an artist. 10 exercise au-
tocratic power and. failing this. to en-
joy the maximum of personal freed, n
from all restraint. inur.d or social. Is
the goal at which he Is ever aiming.
openly or secretly.
Watch Paris cabaian. for instance.
on a wet day or on some festival &C.
casion. such ms the New Year. when
there Is "a big deninud for his services.
With what naughty disdau does lie
drive along the streets. deaf to every
appeal. refusing every fare. rejoicing
III the discomfort aud Inconvenience
he Is causing. triumphant In the
thought that ut Inst he has the bour-
geois' ut his feet; that the clientele
which he detests and which detests
him Is now n Inundated. hemuddled
or bedraggled mob Of supplicants
waiting on his will. whom he can en-
rage to boiling point with his sneers
and his silence or lash with his sar-
casms as cruelty as he beats his horse.
Cheerfully does he sacrifice half
days earnings TO the enjoyment OF
this exquisite revenge. for AT least he
can say TO his hungry wife and chill
dren when he gets home. "J'ai vecu."
They may not have dlned. but lie has
lived.
II Is because the Partisan recognizes
in himself certain community Of
sentiment with the cabmau In this at
titude toward life that he tolerates
him. though he does not forgive him.
-Harper's Weekly.