Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1845-08-27
LONDON oMNIBt.ssEs-ws now r


LONDON .OMNIBUSSES.-Ws now re-
sumo our intention OF saying a few words In
] relation To the omnibusses OF London, from
which we were called oil the other day by
some preliminary reflections in relation to our
own. The system (for there /; has become
one IN fact as well as nancy has done much
Tor the inhabitants and the prosperity oil that
city. The outskirts of London have changed
their character since the introduction oil ON
mouses. Cheap ground. pure air, and ready
and economical conveyances, have induced
many thousand people to leave the filth and
dust and mud of the old town for patch OF
ground and neat cottage Or shewy villa III
the suburbs
or all the vehicles which ply in London, we
are told that the best are the metropolitan
stage carriages, title which is somewhat pc
culiar. They are omnibuses and stage coach
es, plying over the whole police district, and
as Tar as fifteen miles from Charing Cross
The change is of course immense. A few
years ago but one stbge piled tuice a day be-
tween PaddinSton and the Bank and the fare
was about half dollar OF our money Now,
nearly every three minutes an omnibus starts
at these points, and the fare Is about twelve
and half cents.
The introduction OF these vehicles into Ion
don is imputed to person of the name Of
Shillibeer who III 1929 made the experiments
which settled the practice. He built large
and commodious carriages which would hold
from Ia to 20 passengers inside and out. and
were drawn By three horses abreast. His
route was between Charring Cross and Green
Mich, and the public favored his enterprise.
The middle horse was soon taken from the
team, however, as IL was found he suffered
much from the difference i'm tue PAGES of his
mates and from their perspimtion. The sue
cess OF Shillibeer of course led to opposition
and we may say to persecution. As soon as
II was found his scheme was good one. all
the old coaching interests took alarm. The
stages lowered their fares, they drove along
side oil his omnibuses, and the passengers in
the latter were annoyed BY foul and profanc
language, by unprovoked insult. and by the
constant lear ofcollision and accident. Find
ing, however, that the public mould patroniz,
Shillibeer, they gave up their opposition anc
fought HIM with his own weapons. The,
combined their capital, started omnibusses o
their own, and followed public opinion instead
OF attempting to check it, They succeeded IN
their new tactics, and poor Shillibeer was driy
en- of the field by the success of his own pro
Ject. He may be said to have been, i'm thi.
respect, like the inventor of the guilotine. fo
ne ieii by the machine which he had himse
introduced. f.tf
We believe We might find parallel case In
our own city OF an enterprising omnibcs pro.
prietor with similar fate
When Shillibeer was driven of the road and
ruined, the enemy who had united against
HIM, as Tor common cause, soon fell into vi
client quarrels among themselves The au-
thority which we have for many of the facts
IN ms sketch, states, that in the contest which
now spnng up among themselves. the 'sfier.
cest acrimony" discovered itself, brutal dri-
vers were engaged, the most abominable lam
guaSe was current among them, and racing,
swearing, and cheating, distinguished the ON
ni9us war.
In tins state OF things, project was COM
mcnced by some respectable private gentle
men: 10 put down the existing abuses. 1t was
precisely on the plan which has again and
again been suggested i'm the columns of the
True Sun, by respected correspondent. and
which will vet have to be adopted in ,h;s civ
before there will be a reformation. There are
laws 10 regulate the public vehicles, and men
In ONCE sworn to execute those laws, vet from
hlShest TO lowest, they allow the omnibuses
| TO race, or TO stop and fill up our thorough
iares, and children are run over by them with
scarce complaint.
we 10 not believe that any Mayor or any
Common council, Will ever have the indie
Pehoence TO act IN this matter. The omnibus
| ~" ~ ~" "'""y po'eo. the evils are to be
remedied mere, as they were i'm London.
Inc gentlemen alluded 10 formed an associa
tion and called 1t the London Conveyance
Company They built commodious vehicles,
procured good coachmen and horses, and they
made II particular point that civility, deco
rum, ana rigid eXactness in starting and arji-
pug, should mark their system.
The old propretors were TAUGHT bv IN r.
pockets what they would not learn from the
law. They saw their ruiliansm was no match
against good regulations. They dropped their
plan, OF operations came over to the side of
regularity and decency, adopted the rules of
Tile CONVEYANCE Company, and were then re-
garded with corresponding patronage. Let
IAN Association OF this kind be got up in New
York, and we will answer for an entire change.
wherever il is necessary. in our omnibus sYs.
tenn. The London public eniov lis benefits