These London Cabbies are, as a general thing, the most provoking and abusive fellows in the world, but their usefulness cannot be denied by any person who has experienced the delight of having a cab to hail when attacked suddenly by the often recurring rain storms, which serve to keep the atmosphere of Great Britain's capital in a state of perpetual moisture. There are two kinds of Cabs—the "hansom," a two wheeled vehicle, which falls back on its wheels, and is drawn by a single horse, the cabman sitting over your head with the reins elevated in his hands, and stretching through a metal ring in the roof to the collar of the horse. Then there are folding doors which can be closed to keep mud and dust from entering the cab, and a movable window fastened to the interior of the roof that can be hoisted or let down at will, and is most serviceable in case of rain or other inclement weather.
"OLD SMUDGE"—THE CABBY.
Then there is the "four wheeler," as it is called, a cab which is also drawn by one horse, but is built something after the fashion of the American coupe or brougham. This vehicle has four wheels, and is more comfortable and roomy than the "Hansom." The rates for transportation are higher, however, and the four-wheelers are used by a better class of people. There are six thousand one-horse cabs registered in London, of which number 2,352 are "six day" cabs, whose proprietors do not allow of their use on Sundays; and of "seven day" cabs, which are constantly traversing the streets, there are as many as 3,366. These cabs are all licensed, and their owners pay, annually, into the Municipal Treasury as large a sum as £10,000. The legal rate of fare in a "hansom," is sixpence a mile, and for a "four-wheeler," one shilling per mile, but the cabbies charge strangers any fare they can get.
"A HANSOM CAB."
"Leave me alone, Sir, and I'll show you some of the sights of Lunnon town," said "Old Smudge," in a hoarse voice from the top of the cab in reply to my anxious enquiry as to where we were traveling. We were then some distance from the West End of the City, and from the noises which every few minutes attracted our attention, I fancied that the cab was being driven in the direction of the Thames. I saw, dimly, the masts of the shipping and the Docks, with their adamantine fronts frowning down upon me.
The cab was stopped suddenly, and the horse was brought up on its hind legs by a jerk of the reins from "Old Smudge," who was already in conversation at the door of a beer shop, which was illuminated, and had a large number of rough-mannered customers standing around its entrance. They were a sufficiently hard looking set to make a stranger think of his safety.