Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1910-02-23
THE CADMEN OF PARIS
HaiIing One Is the Same as a
Declaration of War.
THEY ARE lNSoLEnT R0GUES

Sneers and Caustie Advice Are Show
cred Upon Those Who Engage Them.
On Wet or Festal Days the Cables
spurn Those Who Want to Ride.
Among Anglo-SaxonS there is a gen
eral and instructive desire 10 do bust
dale. In Paris the hailing of cab
man is looked on by both parties 10
the transaction as an implied declara-
ton Of war The cabman takes your
measure. and you take his number If
you are wise. Al once he viii give
YOU reason to remark that he has a
rooted and premcditated objection to
drive you where you wish TO 80. Per
haps he prefers the opera quarter be-
cause it is central, or should the wealth
or be fine his heart is probably set
upon driving in the Bots. while you
may have business at the bourSe. Ee
explains his views on the subject self
iShly and rudely.
\ foreigner alighted recently from
the Calais train at the Northern rail-
way station in Paris and ordered
typical Partisan cabman. bloated. pale
and abSinth soaked. TO drive him TO
the Rue Blomet. which is a street in
the relatively distant Vanguard quar-
ter. "Peut on habiter In Rue Blomet?"
els ii possible TO inhabit the Rue
BlometT'l exclaimed the ragged ruf-
fan in an epigrammatic note Of dis
dain which would have done honor 20
Beau Brummel.
But il is when the Paris cabman has
once started on his course a war
path i'm the strict sense Of the term.
that he proves TO what limitless OK
tent he is the enemy OF mankind. His
hatred Of the bourgeois" the man in
the street" in spite OF and indeed be-
cause OF his being potential client.
is 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 he is not driving ut
all. but playing with miraculous skill
game OF his own which suggests can
non billiards In the hands OF n worlds
champion.
But IL is not with the public alone
that be is ut war. On all other cab
men whose path he crosses. on omni-
bus drivers. motorcar men. bicyclistS.
private coachmen. costermongers with
barrows and (Sotto voce) the police he
heaps deadly insults. the least outra-
geous or which are Ours C"BearrD
and "Fourneau" Govern. the latter
containing subtle double meaning.
Ineligible only 10 those who have
Paris "argot" or slang nj their finger
ends and too long 10 explain.
The claimants wild career through
the streets. the constant wavering and
slashing Of bis pitileSs whip. his mad
cap hurtlements and collisions. the
frenzied gesticulations which he ex-
changes with his fare. the panic
stricken flight OF the a-Onized women
whose lives he has endangered. the
ugly rushes which the public OCCASION
ally makes at him with Il view 10
lynching him. the sprawlings and fall
ings Of his maddeued. historical, starv-
ing horse. contribute as much rs any
thing 10 the spasmodlc intensity. the
electric blue fire diablerie. which are
characteristic Of the general move
ment OF Paris
All that can Ice said in mitigation OF
the Paris claimants method is that
"he has them in the blood" Every
Partisan Cand the cabman is no excep-
tom has the soul OF q dictator and
the spirit OF an artist To exercise au-
tocratlc power and. failing this. TO en-
Joy the maximum OF personal freedom
from all restraint. moral OF social, il
the goal ut which he is ever aiming.
openly or secretly
Watch Paris Cabman, for instance,
on wet day or on some festival &C.
caSiOn. such rs the New Year. when
there is a big demand for his services.
With what naughty disdain does he
drive along the streets. deaf to every
appeal, refusing every fare. rejoicing
In the discomfort and Inconvenience
he is causing, triumphant In the
thought that at last he has the bour-
geois" at his feet; that the clientele
which he detests and which detests
him is now n Inundated, bemuddled
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 rs he beats his horse.
Cheerfully does he sacrifice half n
days earnings TO the enjoyment of
this exquisite revenge, for at least he
can say 10 his hungry wife and Chi
dren when he gets home, "J'ai vecu."
They may not have dined, but he has
lived.
1t is because the Partisan recognizes
In himself a certain community of
sentiment with the cabman in this at
utude toward life that he tolerates