The New York herald., 1875-09-22
THE COACH HORSE.
COACHING IN ENGLAND-A REVIVAL OF THE
oLD-FAsHIoNED VEHICLES.
LONDON. Sept. 9. 1875.

LONDON Sept 9, 1875.
The coaching revival Surely this not time to talk
about such a thing when the good people Of Darlington
contemplate holding festival which they have felici-
tousy designated the Railway Jubilee" We cannot
all conscience be progressing backwards" at all
events it to be hoped What then, does
coaching revival portend9 Does It that we have
discovered the Of ways in having exalted our
Watts and Stephensons benefactors to then
kind2 Are the whitening bones Of those who gave s
US the ''giant power Of steam" to be ex
humed aud to suffer that degradation al
the hands Of the hangman that
wont in the days OF royal auocrats to be bestowed
upon the unolendlng remains of worthy who, in
some mysterious manner, had displeased the new
hedeed occupant OF a regal residence? Is the fierce
shrek of the steam whistle TO be replaced by the
cheerer blast Of the guards horn by the impatient
neghing of the spirited roadster? Is the road of iron
TO give way, in popular estimation, a medium for
travelling, to that macadamzed highway which in the
days of yore bore the weight of so many
'box on wheelsP Surely not, and
over it seem possible that in such
go ahead times the present humanity would wish
reduce its rate of travelling from fifty a mei
an hour As matter of fact the English coaching re
vva does not mean anything like the change have
conured up Indeed no change whatever
panies this revival 1t is forced down throau
many other revival movements occasionally are;
does not drive susceptible people wrong-headed-n isi
simple unexcting resuscaton ofa good old custom that
alike by the bitterest nnovator upon ancient
observance it enjoyed by the stanchest OF stanch
Besides it does not, like most of these
latter day revivals "mean business" spirit of un-
fegned pleasure has been the means Of bringing about
this coaching revival 1t has been conceived by jolly
people TO make other people jolly and, strange to say
the unsanctined revvasts
Delight IN THE SUCCESS OF THEIR VENTURE.
True, coaching not the important thing it used
be. The guard does not have the royal insignia EN-
blazoned that fiery garment of his His air is much
less and business-hke than 1t formerly was;
is not seated his brow; he is simply
an honestgolng servant, whose sole Identification
with his whiom prototype is the color and of his
coat the shape of his hat and the position of his seat
the vehicle The 'iyard of TIM is, of course in
strument nseparaby associated with guards-that
is guards of the old stagecoach days-and matter
of course the modern conductor maintains the resem
bance by the possession ofa horn, and by blowing II
when be- Then the COACH although otherwise SINH
lar that of former times does bear the awe-in
spring words Royal Ma lmned the panel it used
to- The air of business in that respect has forsaken it
never to return, unless, indeed by some peculiar
evolution of things or mayhap by the proverbia repe-
tition of history. We forced to revert to royal
stagecoaches consequential looking guards, with more
consequential horns and all the horrors of long and
monotonous journeys the road" The driver, too,
is not the bumptos creature he was huge overcost
no longer envelops him, for the double purpose of
keeping his precious body from the cold and
nouncng the world that he is the driver
of 'Royal Mail" He is not
gruif being possessed OF few words, who
can talk you about nothing but horse flesh and re-
stable yard scandal Not at all. Generally he Is
person of broad, weatherbeaen features with keen
sparkling eye. dressed in fashionable light coat and
wearing tight fitting inexpressbes, and having an IN
tellgent expression about his open countenance.
Occasionally indeed, he is real gentleman of fashion,
sometimes lord or baronet-polite and afabe, who
loves the road for the roads sake As rule the stage
coach Jehu of this year of grace is kindly, commun
cave being not slow TO answer your questions II they
are within his KEN while
with mind above common stable talk. and although
he likes horses and everything appertaning TO them,
speak about something more interesting to the un
initiated traveller on the box seat Last but by no
least there the passengers of these modern
stage coaches There is no longer the testy "nsder,
who made every occupant OF the body OF the We
hicle miserable himself by ill-natured re-
marks to the guard and nsnuatons about
''somebody' taking up than their allotted
| portion OF sitting room The unprotected female with
a broad canopy of hat under which peeps sweet little
mouth longer the interesting creature IL was the
habit of noveliss who wrote about the deunct coach
ing days TO make her; and the little boy the box,
going perhaps school, is not his accustomed
perch that painfully achrymose condition IL the
delight of the aforesaid writers to paint him in All s
changed The testy old gentleman has been succeeded
by very talkatve and entertaining middle
& wiro on the right of him and keeps the couple on
the opposite side-probably gushing young man and
blushing young who devoting day of their
honeymoon to the Journey-in continuous
laughter throughout the trip that 1t does good to
hear The unprotected female has vanished She is no
longer unprotected, but chaperoned by an aunt
acquaintance with whom she has determined ito to
Tunbridge by the coach the top all the way mind,
deqrn The lachrymose schoobOy is no longer sad OF
heart He is schoolboy still, may be, but bright,
CHEEKY loquaciously nqustive youngster from Eton,
whose father uncle or some Jolly relative treats him
to the days outing answers his numerous questions 10
his utmost satisfaction and what is good deal better
gives substantial dinner when they have reached
their destination. To make long story Short
COACHING NOWADAYS Is ALL PLEASURE AND FUN.
You need not go if it rams, and you cannot 80 when
it SHOWS or when the roads are as hard as adanant
with frost because the coaches only run in the summer
time Let what sort OF choice is open to US in
the matter of coachng stroll up to that rendezvous
OF coaching men, the White Horse Cellar IN PIccadily,
is never unnterestng-that is to say if you
have a penchdnt for the road. The Cellar
! is not perhaps what it used to be, but still
! It is a hkable old house. 1t is building OF
substantial exterior and oldashoned interior, unpre
possessing aud unassumng outside but the "real good
sortn inside Any morning OF the week, except sun
day the stranger may view ''Hatchetts as it is IA
miliary called in a state of subdued excitement No
doubt It's glory of the mail coach days has de-.
norted but although lacking the hustle and importance
of those times the Cellar blooms daily into faint
blance of what IT once was Without red our-wheeied
coach standing outside 1t quiet gong old establish.
menL that nobody but country squire would
think of taking any notice whatever of; but, with
gay hand stationed before It's portals the house
begins TO appear quite lively. A little crowd usually
congregales TO witness the Of the different IS
There tidly attred young ladies and gentlemen who
drop down the coaches oil IN order 10 while away
an hour or so before luncheon, and there simply
dressed country folks who come to stare at everything
and everybody IN general without being very
much interested in anything in particular, The
crowd chats about horses, about the drivers
and about the guards, and sometimes a rude young
gentleman Will endeavor to get up laugh at the
pense of old dame who appears terribly frightened
at the idea Of riding on the topoi stage coach But
the whole IL is well disposed crowd and unscemly
remarks do not lind much with it. First of ALL
there is
THE BRIGHTON COACH,
which, besides being the oldest Of these revived
vehicles is about the patronized OF the lot The
Brighton road has long been lavorite with coaching
men In the days OF that king of whips, Mr. Chandos
Pole who without doubt, the best,
he was the most popular, amateur handler of
the ribbons of his time, the Brighton
coach was great institution As we have said IL still
reta ms much of old popularity with the public who
| are fond OF the SPORT and hope soon to have tho
a. f.rnirAr nvnr rnlin nf no