New-York tribune., 1922-01-22
IAXICABBIES.
THEIR WAYS
lCont:nued from page three

from the bunch A good many of them wer.
old people. who knew that I'd take them out fo :
a nice comfortable ride in the park withou.
seeing how close I could come to hitting everv-
thing 1 passed. I always helped them in and
out of the car and tried to do everything
that'd make them enjoy their ride And when
they gave me dime for tip always thank eG
them just as though it was so cents instead
OF slamnling the door and knocking the tecth
OF the gears when pulled away, just to show.
them that thought ought to have got more
Why, l had one old lady who rode all one
afternoon and then gave me nickel. Thanked
her and helped her up the steps to her house
rang the doorbell and handed her over % .hs
butler The next afternoon the butler came
out looking for ME. She wanted to so for an
other ride. For the next three years. I'd until
the time she died, l used to have her out 8
couple Of time; week, and the only tjo sh.
gave me was that nickel. She explained one
time that she didn't believe in tippinc Whit.
men But she used to give ne presents, and
when got married there wasn't enough She
could do for US
made another regular customer ore New
\ cars Eve when I was cruising around 70;
business. He hailed me on the street and ashet
me If was game 10 take a 1-ul out to Lon;
Island. 1t was dirty night and the job didn't
look good to me. bat he said he'd make il vcrtf
my while so agreed to try it. The he tch
me that he VAS doctor and that he had
take a girl out TO his private asylum. Thai
sounded flshy to me, SO I made him show hi
papers We went into cigar store while :
{t.t, II hcp h
said it was We started out First we collects
the girls brother. The girl had run away ap
was hiding in uptown apartment The
had some trouble persuading her to go witt
them, but finally they got her into the tax
and headed for Long Island. 1t was a blacf
sleety night and the car slipped all over ths
road. Pretty soon the girl got scared ans
tried to jump out. Ill never forget that nigh
tho girl screaming and crying, With ther
trying to calm her down. ME trying to ks@4s
the car on road l couldn't even see, and t1
doctor yelling directions | couldn't folioT
After two hours of that. just when We wef
within quarter of mile of the asylum W
car broke down. We had to carry the girl tfs
rest of the way through slush that came e
our knees, but finally we reached the place.
was on the go most of the time, raking
my little 20 per cent and tips, and saving g
money to buy car. Pretty soon l was q
own boss; then, later, I bought second-hs#
car and hired a driver. That was when 4
troubles started. It's not easy to find SD
taxi drivers. They're wild-eyed, crazy bu1z
Of crap-shooting youngsters, and SO long
they get their tips they don't care what hN
mems tn the cars 1t isn't game that mt
to older men. But this is the way the youlN
sters figure it out: You can start out in e
morning without cent to your name q {
after you've made one trip you have mof
enough to buy breakfast; then by the t4
you're through work you have enough mo4
to shoot craps. If you're lucky you wf
have to 60 to work again until you're brf
and if you're unlucky you can start lifsl =
ever again the next morning. /.