Having landed, I entered a cab. Everyone, I suppose, has a vivid recollection of his first cab in America. The independence of the American cab-driver is sublime. It is something too great for words. You can only draw a long breath--and admire it. The particular journey which I was undertaking would have been in England something considerably less than a shilling fare. Hoping to be generous I proffered the driver an equivalent in English money to two shillings. To my surprise he said, “I guess, Colonel, that’s for myself; your fare is four dollars”--just eight times as much as I had offered. Of course, I could not argue with the man. He knew better than I, and there was nothing for it but to pay promptly what he demanded. Moreover, in America, it must be remembered, they charge, not for the drive, but for the cab.
Mr. Abbey, who met me on the boat, accompanied me to the hotel at which I was to stay. At the office his attention was called away for a moment, and I was left to the tender mercies of the bell boy, a nigger, who was asked to show me the rooms.
“Come along, sir,” the boy drawled. And along I went, making my first acquaintance with an American elevator, in which we were shot up heavenwards.
“How high are we?” I asked, as we got out.
“Oh, this is the sixteenth floor,” replied the boy, in an off-hand manner, “you can see if you look down.” I did look down. By Jove, the depth down that staircase was tremendous.
Having selected my apartments, the boy coolly stood beside me in my own room rolling a cigarette and lighting it in my presence. This action seemed a little impudent, but it was nothing to that which was to come. Remarking that I desired to wash, I also asked the boy if he would clean my boots.
“Clean your boots?” he exclaimed, in blank astonishment, “we don’t do that in America, we (speaking of course for himself and the niggers like him) don’t clean boots here.”
“Oh, you must go down stairs for that.” And with these words he reclined on my sofa, rolled another cigarette, and calmly smiled at me.
This was really too much for white flesh and blood to bear. I said to him sharply, “Look here, young man; I may be a stranger in this country and ignorant of some of its ways, but I know enough of Americans to be quite sure that it is not right for you to conduct yourself in this way. If you don’t promptly clear off I will report you!”