The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-02-09
THE CABMEN OF PARIS
Halling One Is the Same as a
Declaration Of War.
LA ARE lNsOLENT LOCUS

oneer1 ana Caustic ADVICE are Shows
cred Upon Those Who Engage Them.
On Wet Or Fsstal Days she csbbies
spurn Those Who Want TO Ride.
Among Anglo saxons there is a gen
prnl aud instructive desire TO do bust.
ness on the basis Of an entente cor.
dale. In Paris the battling Of cab
man Is looked on BY both parties 20
the transaction as an implied deelara-
tion Of war. The cabman takes your
measure. aud you take his number 4
you are wise. At once he viii give
you a reason to remark that he has a
rooted and premedltated objection 70
drive you where you wish to 60 Per
haps he prefers the opera quarter be-
eauee 1t is central. o. should the wealth
er BE iine his heart Is probably set
upon driving in the Bols while you
may have business az the bourse He
explains bis 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 absinth soaked. to drive him to
the Rue Blomet, which is a street IN
the relatively distant Yangirard quar-
ter. "Pcut on hablter Ia Rue BlometT
Gels It possible 70 inhabit the Rue
BlometT) exclaimed the ragged ruff
dan "a an epigrammafic note Of dis.
tlain which would have done honor 70
Beau Brummel
But It Is when the Paris cabman has
once started on bis course" a war
path IN the strict sense Of the term,
that be proves 70 what a iimitless ex-
tent he Is the enemy Of mankind Ills
hatred Of the bourgeois" the imam In
the street. IN spite Of aud indeed be-
cause Of his being a potential client
is expressed at every yard He con
stsnlly tries to run him down. which
makes strangers 90 Paris accuse the
Paris cabm0n u driving badly while
In point of fact he l. NOT driving AZ
an, but playing with miraculous skin
a game OF bis own which suggests can
non billiards IN the hands Of Z worlds
champion.
But Il is not with the public alone
that be Is at war. On all other cab
men whose path be crosses. on omni-
bus drivers, motorcar men beyclists,
private coachmen, costermongers with
barrows and tsotto voeei the police he
heaps deadly insults. the least outra-
geous Of which ars "0ursF' CsBearF)
and "Fourneaur cOvenr9, the latter
containing subtle double meaning.
Ineligible only to those who have
Parts "argotp or slang az their finger
ends and too long 10 explain
The cabmans wild career through
the streets. the constant waFering and
slashing Of bis pitiless whip, bis mad
cap hurtlements and collisions. the
frenzied geSticulations which be ex-
changes with his fare the panic
stricken fight Of the agonlzed women
whose lives be has endangered, the
ugly rushes which the public occasion
ally makes at him with view to
lynching him. the sprawlings and fall
ings Of bis maddeDed. hysterical, stary-
ing horse. contribute as much as any
thing to the spaamodic intensity, the
electric blue IRE diablerie which are
characteristic Of the general move
ment Of Paris.
All that can be said in mitigation Of
the Paris cabman's method is that
she has them IN the blood, Every
Partisan tand the cabman Is no excep-
tom has the soul Of a dictator and
the spirit Of an artist. 10 exercise au.
tocradc power and. failing this. 20 en-
joy the maximum OF personal freedom
from all restraint, moral Or social. Is
the goal at which be is ever aiming,
openly or secretly.
Watch Paris cabman for instance,
on a wet day OF on some festival &C.
casion. such as the New Year, when
there Is a big demand for bis services,
With what naughty disdain does he
drive along the streets deaf to every 1
appeal, refusing every fsre. rejoicing /
III the discomfort and Inconvenience 1
he is causing, triumphant IN the I
thought that at last he has the bour.
seois" at his feet; that the clientele
which he detests and which detests
him Is now Inundated, bemuddled
Or bedraggled mob Of supplicants
waiting Oh his viii. whom be can en-.
rage to boiling point with bis sneers
and his silence or lash with bis sar-
easms as cruelty as he beats bis horse
Cheerfully does he sacrifice half a
lays earnings to the enjoyment OF 4
this exquisite revenge. for at least he
ran say TO bis hungry wife and chill
iren when he gets home. eJ'ai yecu"
they may not have dined. but be has
lived
It Is because the Partisan recognizes
Ia himself & certain community Of
sentiment with the cabman ID this IT.
1tude toward life that be tolerates
49,. 4hrs4s4h 50 A&ae 4sat eara+ts~. 49,.