The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-11-18
An American Colonel Running a Line OF
Old.Time Coaches in England.

While on n recent visit to our mother
home, says the editor of the Troy On.
W Press, we were strongly urged by
one of our friends to secure a ride upon
one of the coaches that daily run from
Piccadilly, London, to Virginia Water,
and return distance twenty-three
miles,, and we set out for the Virginia
Water Coach" office, "Hatchett's White
Horse Cellar" Piccadilly. At one min
ute Of ten we were invited to a seat upon
the top of a fine-lOOking, Old-fashiOned
English coach, yellow body, with COM
Portable seats for fifteen outside. Our
company consisted of thirteen passen-
gers, all outside, among whom were
three Americans, and as we left the
"White Horse Cellar" our guard gave
blast upon his horn, and we were
off for Virginia Water on a fast trot be-
hind four fine bloOded horses, leaving a
score of admirers on the sidewalks near
the office, nearly every one of whom
displayed button-hole bouquet on the
left lapel of his coat, and the usual
walking-stick-an umbrella.
We dashed along at full speed, and
our guard would occasionally give a
blast upon his horn if the streets ap-
peared blocked up in front of us, when
they would turn aside and give us the
middle of the road.
We passed the Kew Gardens, made
notorious in the Life of a King" the
pagoda in full sight over the garden
walls, while the rabbits and pheasants
were sporting unmolested about the
field; then passed directly through
Bushey Park, lovely spot, filled with
deer of all sizes and ages, the trees in
their best dress, mostly of the horse
chestnut. ..|
Our guard, Mr.. Edwin Fownes, was a
fine specimen of an English coachman,
and, taking my seat beside him, found
him to be quite communicative, and |
learned to my surprise that the coach
was owned and driven by an American,
Colonel Delaney Kane of Westchester
County, in this State, and that his
teams, as we would call them here,
consisted of twenty-four horses,
SIX on the first stage, where we halted
only long enough to change horses, six
on the second stage, eight on the third,
and four on the fourth. The Colonel
has time table, and his arrivals at the
different relays did not vary a minute
from the time laid down on the table,
and he handled the blooded animals
with all the grace and ease of lifelong
experience.
Our first seven miles were made in
forty-five minutes, table time, our sec
ond seven miles in the same time, the
third nine miles in forty minutes; most
of this last was made under full gal
lOp, which to me was most eXhilarat-
ing ride. leaned over the side of the
coach to notice the regularity of the
horses. Their feet all seemed to strike
the ground with the precision of clock
work, and the enjoyment was intense
until our journey was ended and we
drove up to the Swan Hotel at Virginia
Water. | omitted to mention that on
our route we passed the former resi-
dence of Pope, now called Pope's Villa,
and but a short distance from it stands
the house once occupied by David Gar
rick.
One of the London journals notices
Col. Kane and his route in such flatter
ing terms that l will close my letter with
the extract:
"Col. Kane, like his predecessor on
this road, Mr.. Williams, goes in steadi-
ly to do his part well and without show:
he is lucky in his road, he has an active
and civil guard in Edwin Fownes, and
a good stamp of horses; he himself is
welded to horses. For some years in
the United States cavalry on the Texan
frontier, he has seen some wild life in
men and horses. His countrymen pat
ronize him very well; the Langham
generally sends contingent daily 1t
is gratifying to our road men to see the
coaching revival supported by our
American cousins, and it will be more
gratifying if it is the means of promot-
ing four-in-hand driving in the States"