The Dallas express. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1893-1970, 1920-11-27
WELL KNOWN CABMAN ONLY
SURVIVOR OF The DAY OF THE
HORSE IN DALLAS,

The Dallas Morning News in its
edition. of Sunday. Nov. 21 describes
Steve" well known Dallas Negro
cabman, as the only remaining hack
driver In Dallas. Because of the fact
that he ls well known to many of
turesque old gentleman we take
pleasure in reproducing his history
as told by the News;
If tbs true that in the stiffness of
the midnight hour, the ghosts of de-
parted spirits return to haunt the
scenes of their former existence, then
along the paved thoroughfares of
Dallas the shades or myriads Of
proud. steeds prance noiselessly at the
witching hour each night, after the
jangle of street car bells has ceased
and the motor-driven vehicles, except
an occasional taxicab, are locked
away In their garages.
1t is no difficult task to imagine
the ghost Of a high-stepping bay,
high by tight. check rein, leading
the procession, He is guided by the
shade OF Negro coachman in high
hat and shining livery who sits
Following are other equine aris-
tocrats, their hoofs beating a noisey
less tattoo as they proudly draw
their finely upholstered carriages.
landaus, coupes and other fancy We
hicles of a past generation: Then
come the cables and the hack hor-
ses. followed by the hosts Of saddle
mounts, rearing and dancing and
shying; Lastly come those equines
belonging to the common herd, sans
pedigree. sans pride-the workers,
the drawers of humble farm wagons
which in days past thronged the
streets of the city.
some Still Prefer Horses.
Although the invention of the au-
tomobile threw a bombshell into the
ranks. of those, who had argued that
transportation could never be salts
factorily filled. the motor-driven ve-
hicls have yet to win complete
victory. Not all Of the city's elite
logical successor to the horse and
some yet have refused to ride in
any other vehicle when horse
driven conveyance Is at their dis
This information comes from an
authoritative source. steve" knows
what he. is talking about,
vens (lxnown to all old-timers mere
ly as "SteveO. has driven a hack
for the Dallas Transfer Company
He has the distinction of being the
only hack driver in Dallas to sur
vive the relentless competition of the
motor car. Every day rain or shine,
sees his spick and span hack and
cupying their accustomed space at
the curb at the Union Terminal Sta
ton, Thanked on either side by pre-
tentious automobiles.
And Steve" continues TO get his
share of patronage from the travel
ing public. as we'll as from white
folks" from the highest stratum of
aGetting There All Together
Steve" has concluded that many
people still regard automobiles as
Instances of accidents in which, per.
sons riding in cars have been killed
or badly Injured as proof that the
conservative hack is far safer. get
so quick maybe, but getting you
there all together" During all the
years he has been driving hack in
Dallas, the old Negro coachmah has
never run down a person. he said
nor has he had any other kind of
accident, although he admits that he
has "sho been in some mighty tight
In the days before the advent of
the automobile, Steve" was an aris-
tocrat among the coachmen of Dali
society functions, and his services
were spoken for many days in ad-
vance. Especially was he sought, by
the ladies because of his recognized
skill in handling the reins. his cour-
tesy and his careful driving.
Came Here I'm 1850.
steve" is Ga years old. He was
born in 1856. Before coming. to Dali
las in 1880, he worked in Memphis,
Tenn, at the then famous Peabody
Hotel.
Z accepted employment with J. i. Me-
Leod owner of the original st.
George Hotel and the Mcleod Ho-
tel. He worked IN the capacity OF
runner meeting all trains and steer
ing "drummers" and, others of the
travelling public to the two hostel
rles which he represseeTnHted. Leaving wing
about ten years, steve" went to the
old Windsor Hotel. where he worked
in the capacity of runner for about
Dallas Had Four Depots.
There were four depots in Dallas
when he worked for the hotels;
steve" said, They were. the old old
and Central streets. the union depot
on the site of the former H. x T. G.
station in East Dallas. which at the
time steve" referred to was way
as & Pacific Depot, small wooden
building whore that railways freight
house is now located, and the Chloe
taw." which was located where the
old Katy depot stood, and was at
that time situated adjacent to the
Masonic Cemetery.
Steve" began his hack driving ca
reer about thirty years ago with the
Dallas Transfer Company and with
the exception of nine years, part of
which time he worked for an under
pany since that time. At intervals he
also has piloted pleasure parties in
and about Dallas and vicinity in
tallyho, driving three horses. He says
that he has always driven gray
horses because he is partial to that
color himself and that 1t adds dig
nifty to his equipage. He says that
his well kept teams of gray horses
has always attracted the attention
of travellers much more quickly than
competitors bays or sorrels:
'Liverics Cutie Too Soon" -.
1t is "Steve's" opinion that many
people really prefer to ride behind
a well groomed pair Of horses, but
possible to obtain now, they try to
content themselves with the horse
less carriage" He believes that the
livery stables here with good teams
and rigs. as well as saddle horses,
would do a good business.
He has become quite philosopher
in his long. years of dealing with the
public.
People get tired of one thing all
the time" is the way he sums It up.
"The automobile is ali right, but the
people want change once In
while Nearly everybody loves hor-
ses, and the horse is going to come
back some of these days. Because
cars. You mark my words"
And old "Steves' words are worth
marking too; for under that woolly
dome of his is a brain that has not
been idle all these years. and his
things-stranger still than his dream
of restoring the horse to his old place
in the earthly scheme of things.
WINS SUIT AGAINST OWENS AND
RANDOLPH. -.