The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-05-19
NIGHT COACHING.
Revival Of an Old Custom Passing Away
IN Its Turn.

IN It's Turn.
About twenty years ago an interesting
revival Of old coaching days, OF rather oi
old coaching nights, was started IN London
1t was the railways which had driven the
coaches from the road fifty years before,
Oddly enough. they had something to dc
with bringing them back.
When the British post Office authorities
undertook the work OF carrying parcels
they agreed to pay the railroads SIS per
cent of the postage received, but in 1889
they decided that they could economic
by carrying a large part of the business
themselves, doing II by night coaches.
The first n run was to Brighton. A
writer in Bdilp's Magazine says that seen
in the daytime and unloaded, these night
coaches look llke an %overgrown scarlet
mail a Of the usual British type. But
at night, with baskets and bags loaded
high on the roof, with the five coach lamps
burning brilliantly and with four good
horses in the races they make n picture
whiohis m~arveliously Hike those Of old coach
ing times.
"The Brighton mail was turned out in
true sporting style and was driven by SPORT
ing coachmen, writes an enthusiast. Five
teams worked the coach. London was
left at e:45 at nighta and Brighton wasreached
at 4:45 A. Nj. This time included several
waits along the road for transferring mails
10 smaller carts which connected with out
lying towns.
Il never expected to zee the old days so
wildly recalled as they were outside the
Chequers at Horley, where the up and the
down coach meet and the drivers change.
II Ia q atiFrinD mamnTy- that nj the two
towering coaches, the steaminR teams going
into the yard, the fresh one coming out,
the hustle Of hostlers, the two coachmen,
whips in hand and rug over their arms,
changing from one coach to the other.
my first trip had been taken in May,
and | was anxious to ave an experience
of night coaching in winter. So in Novem-
Der, 1904, l applied to The post office for
permission to go to Oxford. This road Is
the one for adventures and hardships. 1t,
is CURSED by fogs n there Is much stiff,
billy country.
'On this road the coachmen drive right
through from end to end. 1t Is a long drive
Of sixty-nine miles from the two post Offices,
or seventy-one il the distance from the
yards at either n is counted. The coach
leaves London at 1890. and arrives at OK
ford at 8 A. M. The up and down coaches
meet at Slough.
'On this drive I got some idea Of. what
coach travelling in the old days In winter
must have been like. Sometimes the hard
ships OF driving on this road are terrible.
All the winter there is the fear Of fogs;
they are never absent very long.
Then there Ia q long stretch Of wood
paving between London and Chiswick.
Here on greasy nights It has often happened
that all four horses have gone down stimuli
"A coaching accident. which | believe
is without a parallel. happened on this road. !
During a heavy snowstorm about 1893, as !
the coach was going of Maidenhead Bridge,
the driver suddenly found himself firmly
pinioned TO his seat. The guard came to
his assistance, and found that some tele-
wrapped themselves firmly around the
aThere are dangers also in summer.
From Hounslow the road Is thronged with
market garden carts. Those drawn by
are dangerous. because the drivers
are nearly always asleep, and even worse
are the trains Of wagons drawn by traction
sngtnes!
accidents. One night the noise Of a traction
blowing of steam sent the near
side leader of the coach into the front
garden Of a villa. breaking down a brick
wall at the same time. The owner OF the |
aouso came out in his night attire. He !
was naturally somewhat annoyed; the =,
guard asked him what his name was
aua1, OF COuTbe, ndu 10 ne TepOTUeO'
s'Wild,' said the gentleman.
''I'm sure it's enough to make you, 80,
replied the guard.
sEvery coach In the old days Of the road
rad It's stock witticism, and this is the one
the Oxford road to-day. To balance
{ o very gruesome adventure occurred
o the coach one night.
"A light cart vas encountered; quite
Unattended. The coach was stopped and
n the cart was a coffin, the lid not screwed
Town, in which was the body Of a woman.
This ghastly find was handed over TO a
"0f course the coaches carry extra bars
Ind an extra pole In two pieces, which
an be boited together. When the mails
we're first started the drivers OF them used
n carry horns. hut now the practice has
,een stopped; the residents along the roads
complained Of them.
"The second decline Of commercial coach
NC Ia now going on, the enemy this time
icing the motor. The Oxford coach still
uns. although the end il near; there Ia
ak OF putting a motor van on the road
n about a years time. The Brighton
,oaoh, of course, has gone, 30 has the Tun-
Wells, and the Hitchin.
"The Chatham, Watford, Chelmsford
nd .Guildford are among the four horse
still, remaining, A short time
! went into the yard Of the post Office
{ London Bridge and saw the Brighton
mail loading. II Is a large, cum
affair, sadly lacking In romance