Richard Bostwick Reminiscences

Home Page

Welfare Office Stories
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

Cab Driving Stories
Introduction
The Way It Was - 1930
The Gambler And His Gal 1927
The Last One To Know 1926
Just A Couple Of Hustlers 1925
Cash On Delivery 1923
One Born Every Minute 1923
Fun Is Where You Find It 1923
An Ace In The Hole 1922
And A Little Child Shall…
Gold Tooth Murphy
Aiding And Abetting 1929
Buried Treasure 1927
The Good Samaritan
Just A Country Trip
The Prodigal Son
Occupational Hazard
Four Bags Full
Overtime Pay
Above And Beyond The Call
Fourth Down And Ten
Let There Be Light
Take It Or Leave It
Double Or Nothing
Bandit
The Champ
Three Of A Kind
My Silent Big Spender
N.P.R.R. (Northern Pacific Railroad) Mr. Moody

Extras

Prohibition Stories
A Little Competition
Some Did Burn
Last Words

Cash On Delivery
1923

Early one evening as I had just come on duty, I was dispatched to the local police station. This was not unusual, as often some officer wanted a ride home. However, this was not the case. Instead I was instructed to pick up a person whom the police had arrested as she arrived on the 5:15 from Minneapolis. She had been given her option of one phone call and that had been to her boyfriend. He had then arranged bail for her. Next he called our cab company to send a cab to the station house for her. Our driver was to take her to the address listed. As I was first in line, I took the call.

View of the N.P. Railroad Depot and Front Street (2006.17.23)

I arrived at the station and told the desk sergeant who I was there to pick up. He instructed the bailiff to bring out the prisoner. The bailiff brought out this squat black negress and her baggage. She was released by the desk sergeant, then went on out of the station house leaving me to carry her luggage. Well, it was customary for a cab driver to carry a customer's luggage. But this luggage was a little out of the ordinary for it consisted of a bed sheet tied by all 4 corners and bulging with all of her worldly possessions. But I did pick up the bundle and followed her outside where a good many people were passing by. The ends of the bed sheet came untied and all of her belongings-which consisted of all kinds of female underthings, shoes, dresses and toiletries came tumbling out on to the sidewalk.

While I tried to gather up her belongings, she kept jumping up and down while screaming and cussing me for being careless, all to the amusement of the crowd gathered around us. She was causing such a commotion that soon after an officer came out of the station house to see what all of the hollering was about. He started to help me gather up her belongings, then she turned her wrath on him. He threatened to take her back to jail if she didn't shut up. By this time, not only had a good crowd of pedestrians gathered, but several autos and a truck had stopped to see what was going on. This caused a traffic jam. We finally got her belongings gathered up and once more tied the bed sheet, to the cheering of the crowd. I got her and her bundle loaded into my cab and proceeded to the address that had been given to me. As I sat her bundle inside of the doorway, with no further incidents, she asked me what the cab fare was. I told her. She then smiled and asked, “Cash?” I said, “You damn right!” She paid me and I left for my usual cabstand.