Honesty Is the Best Policy

When Lee L. Miles established the Louisville Taxicab & Transfer Company in 1918, he did so by motorizing the horse-drawn hacks of the Louisville Carriage Company. Miles had many years’ experience in related businesses, starting in 1904 when he purchased an interest in the Longest Brothers’ Automobile Agency. Three years later, he founded the Miles Auto Company, and later he served as president of the Southern Motor Company.

Safe Drivers

Miles was the subject of an article published in 1923 by Cab News, the magazine of the National Association of Taxicab Owners. Titled “Honesty Is the Best Policy,” it relates that when he contemplated starting the business, his business associates advised him not to do so, primarily because at that time the taxi service in Louisville had a very bad reputation. Miles was able to change that, and by the early 1920s he was running “the largest company south of the Ohio, operating more than 100 vehicles, including brown and yellow cabs and brown trucks.” The company’s vehicles had a remarkable safety record, traveling 8 million miles without a single fatality. Miles was very interested in promoting traffic safety, and he served as president of the Louisville Safety Council. Operators of his taxis were given bonuses for careful driving.

The company was constantly expanding the scope of its business. In 1926 the building formally occupied by Yellow Cabs at Second and Walnut Streets in downtown Louisville was remodeled and opened as the Secwal Garage. It was described as a “fireproof, single-floor, super-service” facility, just two blocks from the congested area of the city, with “quick, efficient, courteous attendants—experienced washers and polishers—in fact, everything you expect of a garage.” Automobile storage was also offered.

Louisville Transportation

In the 6th edition of The Atwood-Coffee Catalogue of United States and Canadian Transportation Tokens, 77 tokens are listed from Louisville, nearly three times as many as from any other Kentucky town. Even compared with much bigger cities, this is a large number; for example, 48 tokens are listed from Cincinnati, Ohio, and 61 from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. One of the Louisville tokens was issued by Miles’s company, and it is cataloged as 510-BR with the comment that it “was first used in the 1920s, and somewhat later was used as a token for special guests good for an unlimited ride.” I don’t know the source of that information, but it seems unlikely that a token “good for 25¢” would have been used for an unlimited ride.

Bimetallic Token

The token is quite unusual, not only because of its size, which is significantly larger than most taxi tokens, but also because it is bimetallic, with a bronze center and aluminum outer ring; on most bimetallic tokens, the outer ring is the harder metal. The obverse inscription of the 35mm piece reads FOUR CAN RIDE/TWO MILES FOR/25¢/LOU. TAXICAB & T. CO./THE PRICE OF ONE. On the reverse, the inscription is ROYAL BLUE/GOOD FOR 25¢/CITY/1600/ON TAXI RIDE/YELLOW CAB. Incused numbers are stamped on the edge, undoubtedly for control purposes. The illustrated token is stamped “740.”

Unfortunately for those collectors who have an interest in such things, there is no die-sinker’s signature on the token. However, it appears to have been struck by Meyer & Wenthe, a large Chicago firm. The bimetallic tokens illustrated in that company’s 1930 catalog have the same type of crosshatched background designs. Although the token isn’t dated, we can assume it was issued around 1930. 

Worry-Free Driving

During that year, advertisements headlined “Get the Children to School Without Worry” advised readers that “you can have the same driver call regularly each morning at a stipulated time and pick them up after school. No streets for them to cross…no danger. It costs so little and will save a world of worry.” The stated fare was the same as what was on the token: “2 miles for 25¢; four can ride as cheap as one.” The ad wasn’t run after 1930, suggesting that the idea wasn’t profitable.

The company’s fares changed periodically, based on operating costs, and it experimented with various promotions. For example, in 1932 it advertised that coupon books containing 100 tickets, each worth 10 cents, could be purchased from Yellow Cab drivers for $9; a 10-percent savings. The coupons could be used for payment of fares or tips on any of the company’s taxis.

The name “Yellow Cabs” was not an arbitrary choice. According to a newspaper article published in 1961, “a good many years ago, General Motors turned out yellow cars, named Yellow Cabs, strictly for use as taxis.” Even though it had stopped manufacturing them, the name remained and was used by taxicab companies in many parts of the country.

Limousine Service

In the late 1920s, Miles inaugurated a new “Blue Ribbon” limousine service, with a flat rate charge of $2 an hour or a metered rate of 25 cents for the first mile and 5 cents for each additional mile. In 1931 Miles advertised that his new fleet of 1931, 8-cylinder, 7-passenger automobiles had no exterior markings and were driven by uniformed chauffeurs. Patrons of the service could ride to their destinations in style in what would appear to be a privately owned limousine, and the cost wasn’t significantly higher than that of a regular cab.

A short article in the December 25, 1932, issue of The Courier-Journal, a Louisville newspaper, reported that at a celebration in the Jefferson County Armory, “Santa Claus distributed toys, clothing and groceries to 3,442 children and 800 mothers,” and that the Louisville Taxicab Company had furnished 50 free cabs for transporting large families. Miles actively supported numerous worthwhile community projects such as this. 

When Miles died, on January 20, 1948,
his obituary described him as a pioneer in Louisville’s automotive business. 

Trucking Fleet

In addition to taxis and limousines, Miles operated a trucking service with a fleet of more than 100 vehicles. Many were leased long-term to other businesses, but the taxi company handled maintenance. An ambulance service “manned by expert drivers and attendants specially skilled in first-aid care of the ill and injured” was also operated by Miles, who offered “private, dignified, speedy and efficient” service 24 hours a day.

Miles retired in 1946, following several years of declining health. When he died, on January 20, 1948, his obituary described him as a pioneer in Louisville’s automotive business. His business continued to operate until 1966, when it was announced that National Industries, Inc., an operating and management company based in Louisville, had acquired a controlling interest in Louisville Taxicab & Transfer Company, which at the time was operating Louisville Yellow Cabs, St. Matthews Cab Co., Buechel Suburban Cabs, Shively Suburban Cabs, and Southern Tank Lines. The company continued to operate under
the same name until 1968, when it was changed to Yellow Cab of Louisville.

I welcome readers’ comments. Write to me at P.O. Box 2866, La Plata, MD 20646. If a reply is desired, please enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope. 

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A version of this article appears in the April 2025 issue of The Numismatist (money.org).