davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1922-01-22

meter clicking away, wolfing up their cash.
And l was trying to get their eyes off it
that l could give it poke. But no chance!
They were watching the dollars roll out. I
needed the money worse than they did,
because another car had backed into mine
that morning when l was having breakfast
and I had to pay for the headlights.
Finally, when the meter was showing only
$3.10, which wasn't making anybody rich |
got desperate. l pointed to man walking
down the avenue in silk hat.
"Theres Mr. Vanderbilt" l says.
They looked and bangs the meter with my
elbow. Instead of jumping to $3.50, as sup
New-York tribune., 1922-01-22
Leaps Ouer Elephants
Into the Taxi Business

Well, it was great while it lasted, but l
never did get chance to play Chicago, where
all my old friends could see me- My circus
career ended one night in Utica. The ring
master announced me and I came struttlng
out with the whole tent to myself. useo 10
IKE that moment l climbed up to my plaV
form and stood there for bit, squirting down
'ae runway and working up suspense
Are you ready?" yelled the ringmaster'
Yes" I answered.
COP And beat it" down the incline as
'%Ss as my legs would carry me.
guess my take-off from the sprlngboaro
wasn't all it might have been, but it is pretty
Asro to say exactly what does happen wnen
"metnng goes wrong. The board seemed 10
ufow me all right and l saw the whole tent
.ao'ence and lights flash under me as turned
- 40 somersaut. Then, as l was making for
@' mat, l grazed the last elephant 1t was
~. ;ass enough to give me spin and right then
anew was goner. I landed half off the
1'A' and wasn't at all surprised when I felt
" night leg splintering under me like stick
i . "ooo 1t didn't hurt hardly at all. but every
New-York tribune., 1922-01-22
AND THEIR WAYS


thing went blurred. Then heard the band
strike up. They rushed me out, 80 as wouldn't
gum the show" l can remember saying to
myself as they were taking me to the hospital:
You're hell of fine learer now--you are"
still hate to think Of that night at the hospi-
tai while they were trying to fit the splinters
together
OF course, that finished tho worlds cham
pion leaper: I was the worlds champion
game leg. l used to lie there in the hospital
wondering what I'd do with my carcass when
they let me loose. Believe me, when the boys
came back from Europe all busted up l knew
how they felt and manys the one I've taken
in my taxi for nothing. It's God-awful feel
ing-knowing that the world is passing you by
Well, the management left enough money to
pay my bills and the boys collected enough to
give me a little stake. Somehow, when l got
out, didn't want to go back to Chicago and so
I went to New York instead.
One day was sitting having glass Of beer
and wondering where l ought to look next
for job when some fellows came in and took
the next table, They were taking about auto
mobiles, and the big Joke Of the day was on
a fellow they knew who owned a steam car.
He couldn't get driver who could run it prop
erly. / didn't lose any time.
New-York tribune., 1922-01-22
The Absent-Minded Doorrr7on
And the Twisted Reward

One day, when ! young at the game, a
woman rider dropped big diamond PIN in my
car and the next passenger picked up was
decent enough 10 give it back to me, instead
of pocketing it. l went to the hotel where the
woman was staying and handed it over to the
doorman. He looked at ME just as if 70 say,
"You poor simp.' ] found out later that l
should have gone right in the hotel and given
it over to the man at the desk. Well, pretty
soon out comes Mr.. Doorman and hands ne a
dollar.
whats this for?" I asks.
Grew ard says he. l gave it bach, to him,
telling him where to go with it. Did he take
it? l tell you door,nan isn't losing ny bets.
l heard later that the v oman had given hin,
$40 to give to and dollar for himself. lie
just got them twisted, that's all And | got
him twisted about two months ater-twsted
right out of his job One of my regular Gus
toners went to that hotel to live and | came
rolling up with him the first NIGHT after he'd
been to party. He handed he a tip and told
the doorman to charge the fare | gave the
doorman the wink and then beat it, knowing
that he'd bump the charge. lie did-from
S42O to $7GO. I stayed away from the hotel
until my rider came to the stand looking for
and he was one sore man. he dragged H$o
back to the hotel and l agreed with his story
the bill was S420 The doorman got the
gate, with me not even putting up hand to
hide laugh. He Of the worst in the
business and all the drivers were glad to see
him fired.
The porters and starters at the steamship
docks are another bunch that's strong for
rake-off. They figure that people are so blamed
glad to get home that few dollars more OF
less don't make much difference to them, which
is generally true. After being stung all over
Europe they're broken to the idea, maybe
They're not going to go plowing around
through the traffic with luggage, hunting fol
streetcars, for they're in q hurry to get home
That means long trip-if you're willing Il
kick back to the starter. Otherwise you get Z
run to a hotel, which doesn't amount II
much. The starter usually names a fat pric
for the trip and it's big enough whereve
they're going.
New-York tribune., 1922-01-22
A Cet-Rich-Quick Scheme
Thot Yielded 40 Cents

One Of our drivers picked up rider VINO
had been drinking and who wanted to drive
around the park. He fell asleep just as soon
90 The car started The driver was hungry
60 he drove to a restaurant, stopped ana
lacked up the rear wheel, leaving the engine
running. He ate supper, and still the r1uer
silent: then he played game of cards f1naliy'
when the fellow showed signs of waking up ne
et the wheel down easily and they star1eo
ouav again. The clock was reading Sl9.oo
when the rider managed to wake up enough TO
saw that he wanted to go to his club. tie got
ont of the car without even looking at the
meter and handed the driver twenty-doilar
bill. thinking that was giving him pig UP
Guess he was about the most dlsguesteo
driver in the city-a Accent tip! Most OF
that twenty would have been his If ne hadn't
cone to all the trouble Of running the meter
up.
You never can tell about drunks Usually
thew give a big tip, but sometimes, after keep
;ne YOU working all night, they'll discover
that they haven't any money left. It's al
right if they're living at a hotel because tne
doorman will put the fare on their olll-tne
a@]t SvN
New-York tribune., 1922-01-22
Some Inside Information
On the Tip Subject

Speaking of good riders, the taxi drivers al
most wept when certain millionaire went TO
live in France, because he was one of the best
we ever had. It's shame to think OF the
French drivers getting all that money-1rom
81 to So ever time he put his foot in cab.
And another millionaire was one of the worst.
think that l am the only driver who ever
got more than 25 cents out Of him. One day
I met him at the landing Of the New YORK
Yacht Club, took him to his home and then
down to his office in Wall Street. He gave
me 81.
There nsed to be crazy Frenchman in tho
ci+v Thev said he was count but, whether
ba was count or not, we all knew him as
rao,,lar cold mine. He was kicked out OF about
overv good hotel in the city. The way he hailed
q taxi was to step out suddenly in front OF
vou-so suddenly that you'd almost run nm
down. Then he would get in the cab and
ve1l AGO ahead!" Pretty soon he'd YELL
.I,eft!" or "Right!" just as you came to a
corner. IF YOU missed the corner you got no
tin After about an hour so OF that ne q
vol, "Stop!" He always carried big purse
filed with quarters, and he'd give you one or
two handfuls to pay the charges. Usually
there were about SIS or Sc in quarters TOR the
tip.
In the old days the gears Of the meter were
attached to one of the rear Wheels and the
riders had to pay for all the slips of the tires
m the road. Also they used to pay for gooo
many meter miles they never Travelled because
the drivers would jack up the rear wheel wnlle
the passengers were having the car wait tor
them and go off for five-mle trip WITHOUT
moving an inch AS it is now I've seen more
than one driver squatting down spinning MS
front wheel while he waited for his rider 10
come out. But it isn't done very often. lts
too much work.
New-York tribune., 1922-01-22

posed it would, it jumped to $3.50. Lord how
they yelled! I stopped the car and set the
meter back to zero.
"Well start even again. I tells them. This
time | didn't start working until had them
thinking in big numbers. And the meter acted
all right Pretty soon | made up all lost ana
enough to pay for one headlight. When l got
back to the garage l did a little experimenting
with the meter, and found that it went crazy
every time it reached S3.10. One Of the inside
wheels was worn at that point guess, Every
meter had its own pecuiarities. There was one
fellow | knew who had meter that would
lump back to zero if he hit bump when 1t
registered $3.50 He used to do some careful
driving about that time.
But, to go back to the beginning, l learned
all the lodges Of taxcabbing in my old steam
car. l soon got the hang of running the thing,
and I used to spend hours tinkering with 1t to
make it work better. The other drivers ac-
ceptcd me as one of the bunch and took the
old Filth Avenue Hotel my stand went
there because the doorman good 1ello"
who would tell me how to get to the place
wanted to 60 He'd take the address from the
rider-all passengers are known as riders
and then tell me where it was in language
could understand. Of course, l had to split
some Of my tips with him, but that was better
than pulling bonehead stunts like some OF the
New-York tribune., 1922-01-22
An Accidental Hero
Gets More Than Is Coming

In those days we didn't take many safety
precautions, and the cable was exposed.
was dragging some wood to the engine, and
so was closer to her than l was to the
throttle | dropped the wood and jumped for
her. knowing that I'd be too late, expecting
to see her cut in two before could get there.
And lust then that cable-the cable I'd cussed
all over eight states-jumped the groove and
went Tapping along the ground. And do you
know what my brother did? He handed that
crowd spiel about how saved the kids lite
made regular hero out of me- Ihe only
thing that saved her life was the natural-born
stupidity of the dumbbell who built tnae
merry-go-round.
All this sounds like a long way from taxi
cabs, but it isn't, for | learned lot ABOUT
steam pNoines that came in mighty handy
later. Finally sheriff decided that ne want
ed the merry -go-round more than we dlo'
which was all right with us, because 1t was the
end of the season anyhow and the thing WASN'T
worth transporting and storing for the next
season. So we said goodby to 1t, wishing the
sheriff luck and went back to Chicago
The next year l was out with circus as
canvasman, and we Travelled out West, then TO
the Orient and back by way OF South America.
By the time we reached home l was one OF
tho performers, with my face on all tne Dill
boards. You see was always pretty good at
athletics. especially running and jumping ana
when the regular ''leaper" took sick with ohe
fever in Singapore they let me try whack at
It. The 'leaper" runs down an incline, hlts a
sprtngboard, jumps over five elephants, doing
a somersault-the leaper doing the somer-
n sault, not the elephants-and lands on mat
It was one of the big death-defying features
Of the circus and they had to make some sort
| II showing, so they let me take his place.
Il At first, instead Of clearing the rings and
diving me a roll of drums when I left the
q springboard, they kept all the performers so
e busy that the audience couldn't see how bad I
n was. But by the time reached Australia
: was doing the five elephants without the
u ! somersaut, and in South America added the
n somersaut. By the time we reached home l
" ! was billed as the Worlds Champion Leaper
,e Of course wasn't worlds champion, but you
in know how circuses are and how they don't ex-
d. actly APOLOGIZE for the performers They're
III showing
New-York tribune., 1922-01-22
You ncuer can tell about drurks. Usu-
ally they giye q big tip; but sonse-
times they'll discover that
they houe no money left

much in his life. He doesn't refuse
them, you bet, because he doesn't refuse
anything that his way. but they're
hard merchants and they're out for
bigger money. Why, l know one of them
he's working at big hotel now-who
grated off Of one rider until he forced the
fellow on the water wagon guess the door
man must have been paying off the mc1tgage
on the old farm, for he didn't lose a bet,
cept that he killed the goose. This rider Pm
speaking of lived at the hotel, and he was
heavy catch h-as-catch-can drinker. Every
night he'd come rolling home and say "Charge
it, George." and he never could remember
just where he'd been when morning struck
him. George charged it, all right! Well,
when his taxi bill came in at the end of the
month he almost hit the roof The doorman
had cleaned him out of couple of hundred
dollars, and there was nothing for him
do but pay up. He paid, but he swore off
drinks and taxis, and the last / heard he was
still being good boy.
New-York tribune., 1922-01-22
An Auto Whose Motiue
Pouer Was Pure Bluff

eff It's a steam engine lead mo to It," l
tells them. locomotives, merry -go-rounds,
steamboats,, automobles-they all the same
to me. Steam is my meat and / eat it raw"
They fell for my spiel and so did the man
who owned the car. But when | saw that en-
gine knew it wasn't anything that talked nay
language I stalled him off for the rest of the
day. That afternoon went to the agency
where he bought the thing and bummed an IN
structon book I spent the night studying 1t
and learning things by heart knew that II
/ could once get the bus out of the owners
sight l could find out what made it go. The
next morning l went back to the garage and
got up steam-just by remembering which
valve YOU turned next And, believe me, that
automobile had as many valves and things to
turn as battleship!
had never had my hands on steering
wheel before, but was enough Of Snowman
to know that you get away with whole
lot if YOU have an easy way of doing things
"The only way,' told him, ''of knowing If
steam car is working right is to drive her just
as slow as she'll go and listen to the noise she
makes Now, Pm going to take this car out TOR
test, and when I come back III tell you
what's wrong with it"
"All right" he says
AS matter Of fact, was watching that
steam gauge and wondering If the old junk
heap would blow up on me before / got her
out of the garage. l knew all about getting
up steam, but l didn't know anything about
not getting up too much, and l wanted to get
out of sight so 1 could read my instruction
book. I climbs in the seat and eases on the
throttle, with my foot clamped on the brake
was afraid she was going to jump across the
street. Lucky for me l had clear way tc
the door and didn't have to work her around
New-York tribune., 1922-01-22
Harder and Harder It Is
To Make a Dishonest Living

never was very much on graft don't
mean to say that any angel, for took it ..s
where found it, but l didn't try to sting
every rider who got into my car. It's funny
thing. but the worst grafters never have
nickel to their names it goes for craps or
something like that just as fast as they take
1t in. l always played square with the owner
of the cars I drove and they knew it. Some Of
the fellows used to knock the gear-arm that
connects the wheels and the clock out of posi-
ton and then take passengers out on fat rate.
pocketing all the money and reporting bum
day. But the owners and the inspectors fixed
that, and they're making clocks these days
that can't be tampered with. You could wear 80
YOUR elbow out hitting them, bat you couldn't
make them register more. The best fellow
can hope for is fast clock-one that drops
faster than it should-and he won't have that
after the next inspector checks him up.
The best way for a rider to do when there
is any argument about the fare is to pay and
take the drivers number. If the driver IS a
CRATER there won't be any more argument.
More than likely he'll pull out without even
waiting to collect what the passenger offers to
nav him, because if his number is taken and
he is reported it means that he'll lose his
license. a
Right from the first, started out to get
regular customers, because that looked like y
much surer way Of doing business. 1t wasn't
long before had people who would come to
the stand looking for me and single me out
(Continued on paQe siu)
New-York tribune., 1922-01-22

fare ana SOIIicIIliAs
more besides, which
you split between you.
That is done, too, with
women who engage a
taxi for long shopping
or calling trips, and
then say "Charge it!'
when you bring them
back.
Women generally
aren't good tippers.
Many of them give fair
tips, but seldom you
find one that is what
you might call gener-
Gus. Maybe it is be-
cause they have more
sense about money
when they're looking
at it in cold, hard cash,
but they're certainly
ready to blow it when
they can say "Charge
it," I'd rather have a
charge fare with a
woman from a hotel
any day than cash, es-
pecially if she's taking
the car by the hour
and the clock isn't
ticking away silk stock
ings and such things
right in front Of he1
face.
That lob of door
man is one Of the east
est gratis in thu
world, and I know
more than one Of then
who's investing In rea
estate. Don't eve
think that the quarter
people give him TO
opening doors mea'
New-York tribune., 1922-01-22

feet and ask: what
towns this we're show
ing in to-day?" And I
guess It's about right.
The owner took me for
a regular expert.
1t didn't take me
long before I had the
old steam car running
in good shape and I
started out as a taxi
cabber. Those were
the old days when we
didn't have any tests
to pass, and when the
game wasn't regulated
as it is now. The me-
ters we carried weren't
built to save the pas
senger any money.
either-a 70-cent drop
when he first looked at
it and 40 cents every
time he batted an eye
lash thereafter. More
than one driver set
himself up in business
as an owner by bang
ing the meter with his
elbow when the pas
senger wasn't looking.
One bang, 40 cents.
But sometimes the
meters didn't work
right, and then there
was all sorts of trou-
BILE. 1 remember once
when l had some peo-
pie aboard who wanted
to see New York.
Well, we started out,
with me showing them
the city, but the most
interesting thing they
could see was the
New-York tribune., 1922-01-22
The Golden Age of Taxis,
No Tests, No Fare Limit

Well, I reached the street, all right, turned
her and crept along, pretending l was listen
inc 70 the engine. AS matter of fact was
steering for dear life because l was scared
half to DEATH That first ride took more
nerve than the first leap over elephants, III
tell YOU. When got out of sight stopped
and read the instruction book, then l turned
down the fires to keep her from exploding.
Next drove to the automobile agency, where
| got the instruction book and split my last
ten-dollar bill with mechanic to give me
lesson in running it. By the time / got back
to the garage l could drive pretty we'll, and
I knew all about what wrong with the
engine-everything the mechanic said re-
peated to the owner.
They say that if you drop circus man
off the Woolworth Building he'll land on his
New-York tribune., 1922-01-22
He alwoys carried a big purse filled
with quarters, and he'd gi0e you
one or tvo handfulls to pay
for the charges

rY APPRENTICESHIP in driving
taxicabs started back in the days
lV1 when my big brother operated
rattletrap merry-go-round at coun-
tv fairs. 1t was steam driven, and that old
oine could develop more complaints than
.nv other engine have ever struck IN my life.
It used to wheeze loud enough to drown out
IN. organ. which didn't make much difference,
because the music was pretty awful / was
chief mechanic and l was a proud kid when
7 cond nurse that merry -go-round through a
davis work without a breakdown. If the steam
hacking wasn't blowing out, the cable was
jumping off,
I remember one time-1 think 1t was in
Kansas-when everything was going great. 1t
was hot day, and the crowds were lining up
for ride The merry-go-round was having
one of her amiable streaks, and was praying
that she would keep it up, because we needed
the dimes All day long that engine had been
chugging along and the cable was sticking to
the groove just as though it didn't know any
place else to go. Then l heard the crowd
scream ! looked around and there was a
little girl hanging by one foot from horse.
She'd become dizzy, guess. and toppled over
And that bunch Of people just stood there and
beloved, with the kid dangling and coming
closer to the cable every second.
New-York tribune., 1922-01-22

(Continusd on page sig)
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-09-14
Coastwise

'"HNish iasOHG
weds CD. Sats. tF). Clyde Line
bELLINGHAM-See San Francisco
CAPE MAY See Philadelphia
CHARLESTON
Tues tPF), Thurs. ePF,. Sats. tpr,. ctyde
EAST N0RWALK- See South Norwalk
GALVESTON
Wednesdays fP agm s ssW aoSs If, mallory
Wssdnsssadays. tF9, Saturdays lF},
,.ss.s s..ern racine Co. eMorgan Iins)
JACKSONVILLE
FROM NEW YoRK
Tues. tpTo. Thurs. (PB'). salts. ops. clyde
KEY WEST
,v., FROM NEW YoRK
wednesdays tpF}. Mallory Line
LOS ANGELES HARBOR, San Fran
CISCO, Portland, Seattle, Tacoma
80 FROM NEW YoRk
sept. 2s--WILLFARo (F) Williams So Co.
Los Angeles Harbor, San Francisco,
Oakland, Seattle
FROM PHILADELPHIA
Is ns iaS,,raiEliie e STl. Nawsoo Lines
Seattle, Tacoma Also see San Fran,
FROM NEW YORK
Sept Sept 554-JroW Az, (, 81, 2; 4. I,
Sept. 2s--pANAMAN (F) T. A. l.
NEW ORLEANS
FROM NEW YORK
sept. 16--COMUS tPF) Southern Pacific
sept. 20--rEL ESTERO (F) Southern Pacific
sept. 2S--MOMUS {PFo Southern Pacific
NEW YORK
FROM BALTIMORE
wees, CD, Sats (F). Clyde Tine
NORWALK-See South NorwaIk
oAkLAND-See Los Angeles Harbor,
San Francisco
PHILADELPHIA, via Cape May
FROM NEW YORK
wed. (FR), Sat (FR). and intermediate
Halschaw s. s.. Lines
PORTLAND-See Los Angeles. San
Francisco
SAN DIEGO-See San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO, Oakland---Also see
Los Angeles, San Diego
FROM NEW YORK
Sept. 2s---WILLFARo CD Williams IS. Co.
San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles
Harbor (Wilmington), Portland,
Seattle, Bellingham
FROM NEW YORK
Sept. 20--ROBIN ADAIR (Fl, Isthmian
Sept. 2s--HoWICK HALL {F) Isthmian
SEATTLE--See Los Angeles, San Fran
cisco
SOUTH NORwALK, Norwalk, East
Norwalk and Westport, Conn.
FROM NEW YORK
DAILY EXPRESS SERVICE (F) Hanson
TACOMA-See Los Angeles
WESTPORT-See South Norwalk
WILMINGTON-See San Francisco
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-09-14
lsuhIecs 70 Chanae palfYl


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