The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-04-11
Private vehicles and their Changes
AN ESTABLISHMENT NOW AND
IN THE GOOD OLD TIMES.'
BY ONE OF CHARLES DICKENS BEST FRIENDS.


This was the answer of desperate civil service
candidate to the question, "What were the most
remarkable social changes which followed the
Reform Bill2r According TO the tradition of
the Foreign Office clerks, the freshness and
truth of the reply saved the modern Pheton
from the fatal plough" *
There can be no doubt that amongst the
many remarkable social changes within the
recollection of our mddle-agel men, none has
been more decisive than that in the character
OF our pleasure carriages. Macadam was
tha first great revoludonist IN Long
acre. He made it possible to dispense
with the before inevitable four horses on
country roads; and by the smooth easy sur
face with which he replaced the jolting pave
ment, and the miles of mud, which, "a hundred
years ago, buried Arthur Young's gig on high
way up to Its aXles, struck fatal blow ut the
state coach with six horses, ana its guard of
active running iootmen. The railroad folio we'd,
nlpped the stage.coach just as it reached perfec-
non, destroyed the professors of four-in-hand,
and hnally reduced TO the value of old wood and
iron those luxurious posting chariots without
which, before the days OF the iron horse no
country gentleman's coach-house was complete.
Although still quite young man, as COM
pared with premiers and lord chancellors, my
earliest recollectons-as an unbreeched boy
whose greatest JOY was TO sit on horse in the
stall, Whle groom, the nurses sweetheart
ulSoSu buTOuBn his WOTk-gO DQCk TO the DalmV
days OF posting, and saillng-packets between
Dover and Calais. 1t was in those days OF keen
observation, OF rapid eyeand-ear education, that
i accompanied my parents on journey by post
which extended from the extreme north OF
England to the south of France. Posting was
in those days the indispensable mode Of convey
ance Tor sick man. VINO could by any sacrifice
afford the eXorbitant cost. Some scenes of
thls long journey are as indenby impressed
on my memory as my first pantomime. The
formidable state with which Wn
eeiyed at the inns where we stopped for the
night, by the landlord, the landlady and
their attendant suite-the fierce battles next
morning on the question whether or not the
road required a par OF leaders-battles in which
my iather, country parson travelling on a
legacy which included his first and last car
rlage, was invariably deeated--the sensation
OF awe and admiration which filled my in
tant mind, when, ON a high road. near a great
race'cour5e, our humble chariot and pair
were drawn off the pavement into the mud,
while there passed along the lord-lieutenant
In uniform, in his state coach drawn by
six horses, and preceded by outriders, who,
as well as the Dostillion, bore each on his
leit arm a badge magnlfcently embroidered, as
Dig as dlnner-plate, while as for the coachman
and his wig his degenerate representative may
still be seen at Lord Mayors shows. These
effects were not exceeded by the procession OF
Bluebeard or the feats of Harlequin. Not less
acute Is my remembrance of the disgust with
which, clean little boy, was compelled to sit
next the ragged dirty driver of The hack cabrio-
let in Paris. Paris OF oil lamps, and cutters in
midstreet, reeking with filth and crowded with
loot passengers whom our grimy driver seemed
to chase with wild cries.
1t was on this journey that near an English
manufacturing town, we called with letter of
introduction on one OF the new great men of the
place, at his stucco-paiuted mock Italian villa,
staring at the highway. Our host, little man,
In SATIN knee-breeches, with a white powdered
head, rudy cheeks, and amazing black eyebrows,
received us with boisterous hospitality, as the
bearers OF letter from his friend Dick Some.
BODY. After Drotuse midday meal, in which
he did more than justice to the wine which his
invalid guest declined, he proceeded to shoW the
glories OF his establishment. A fish pond alive
with gold and silver fish, the first l had ever
seen; painted wooden temples dedicated to divers
dlviInties; fountains which spouted from leaden
statues on turning tap; and other cheap
classical arrangements In favor at that pre-
architectural period finally we were con-
Quoted 10 the stables and coach-house, where
Six horses and two carriages were not the
least part of the state of the fortunate
owner. Then nothing less would serve the
eXclted little man than that the servants
should put on their liveres, harness four of the
horses to bright yellow chariot, resplendent
with silver, and parade the whole equipage be.
fore us. Even this was not enough; an equally
brilliant curricle was produced, and, taking the
relns, ne drove bare-headed round the grounds.
l do not now remember what impression this
performance produced on my parents but to my
chllolsh eyes 1t was as magnificent as anything
mad heard OF IN fairy tales. 1t may be pre-
sumed that there are at this day persons as
ANXIOUS TO display their newly ACQUIRED wealth,
as the little man Just described; but fashion has
SO changed, that no one unqualified Tor Bedlam
Toulo thlnk OF maintaining reputation on a
ehaI1ot ana tour horses. 1t would rather be in
plate, plcture-gallery a cellar of choice wine,
wonderful pheasant covers, or some lavish Gift
to literary institution, or church.
The curTicle with its silver bar flourished in
Its most expensive shape, with two grooms
attendant In the time OF George the Regent
The little boot which in later days carried the
grooms was an economical compromise; four
horses and two servants to carry two persons in
carriage only fit ior day-work, was surely the
height OF extravaganza. 1t was necessary, too,
that the horses should be matched to the
greatest nicely in size and step as we'll as
tienal expense.
The most celebrated curricle of the last CEN
tury was built OF copper, in the shape of sea-
shell. and was driven by that carlcature of dan
dies, Romeo Coates. The last curricle about
town was Count d0rsay's, and although the
shape of the body of the carriage was inelegant
the effect OF that kind OF be-plated luxury was
very striking when the horses were perfect, and
the harness gorgeous and well vanished.
The Four-horse Coach Club was in great
force forty years ago, when the highest pro-
1essors OF the art OF tour-in-hand were to be
found by day and night on every high road in
the Kingdom. The coaches OF the club of the re-
giments in which the art still survives are perhaps
as complete specimens of mere mechanic art as
ever. Among the carriages which have alto
gether disappeared since the Reform bill, is the
Utsd-uts, essentially court carriage recurring
pair Of horses, coachman, and iootman: 1t
must have been the worG OF an inventor seeking
the smallest result at the LARGEST expense. as II
had no apparent advantage over chariot and
was less useful. -~
The chariot still retains its place among those
who always have at least one footman to spare
among q decreasing number of dOwagers and
few physicians; but such is the effect of
nf q md fo