IN COACHING DAYS

New Zealand Tablet, 18 April 1912, Page 62

IN COACHING DAYS

'At a time when the travelling public has to resort to primitive kinds of conveyance, and is disposed to •chafe under the slowness of transit, it is interesting to read how enthusiastically our forefathers spoke of the achievements of the old mail-coach. Just before the introduction of railways (says the Yorkshire Observer some of the regular coaches were accomplishing long journeys at an average speed of ten miles an hour, an achievement that was considered little short of miraculous. ‘ The Edinburgh Mail/ says one writer, speaking of this marvel, runs the distance, 400 miles, in a little over 40 hours, and we may set our watches by it at any point of her journey. Stoppages included, this approaches 11 miles, an hour, and much the greater part of it by lamplight. The Exeter day coach,, the Herald, from the' Saracen’s Head, Snow Hill, runs over her ground, 173 miles, in 20 hours, an admirable performance, considering the natural- unevenness of the country through which she has to pass.’ - : These 'speeds were maintained by a very perfect and • expensive organisation. The greatest. attention was paid to keeping the Worses in first-rate condition.

It was the accepted rule that each fast coach should have a horse to every. mile of ground it -reckoning one way, or, as it was termed, ‘ one side of the ground.’ Thus, the distance from London to - Shrewsbury being 158 miles, the number of horses kept for the Wonder coach was about 150. It may be readily understood from this that the coaching business . requires a large amount of capital. Mr. Chaplin, who was the largest proprietor of coaches in England, ' had no less than 1300 horses at work in various coaches on various, roads and Messrs. Horne and Sherman, the next largest in London, had about 700 each. • ■