Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-04-03
STAGECOACH|nG TEST
Details of Aired vanderbiIrs
 Experiment In England.
EIGHT CHANGES EN ROUTE.
Plan to Revive GIories of the Old Lon-
 don to Brighton Route - Famous Guard Who Made Record Trip Ena
 saged-To Carry Twelve Passengers.


 don to Brighton Route - Famous
 Guard Who Made Record Trip Ena
 gaged-To Carry Twelve Passensers.
 Plans for the running of Alfred G. yanderbilts coach, the Venture, be- tween London and Brighton during the coming summer are now practically complete. In accordance with tradi. tion the Isnning of the Venture will be advertised by pictorial posters giv- ing, in addition to a sketch of four in-hand going along at spanking rate, guard sounding his yard of tin," and so forth, the fees and time table, with the signatures of MT. Vanderbilt as proprietor and Charles Wilson aa 1 manager.
 There will be eight changes en routes the points of call being most of thS historic coaching houses on. the famoua Brighton road, says a London corre1 spondent of the New York Times. Starting from the Victoria hotel in Northumberland avenue, the Ventura will pull up at the Metropole al Brighton, changes being made at tha following inns on the way: Putney Heath, Green Man: New Maiden, Nor- biton Park hotel; Burgh Heath. Surrey Yeoman; Reigate, White Hart; Craw< ley, George; Handcross, Red Lion( Bolney, Queens Head inn; Pyecombes Plough. y Hsv
 Eleven a. n. is the hour fixed for tha start, and the arrival is timed for 5;Sq D. m. The hours for the return jour, neys from Brighton to London will bs the same.
 One hour will be allowed for lunch. con, which will be taken at the White Hart, Reigate, on the outward journey, at about 1:15 p. m., and on the home. ward journey probably at the pic. turesque old George inn at Crawley, at the same time. XIX
 Three extra horses will be pressed into service, at two hilly points. Al Burgh Heath cockhorse (an extra horse ridden by boy) will be kept at the Surrey Yeoman to go out and meet the coach in order to help the team up the steep hill leading to that place. The long, wearing Reigate hill will be tackled with an additional pair of horses, and MT. Vanderbilt will always top the downs with team of six.
 The Venture will carry twelve pas sengers, and the single fare for the whole Journey wiffsS be 15 shilllngs, with an extra half crown for a box seat.
 At least sixty horses will be stabled over the route, and thus there will bS an ample reserve for all emergencies. The town team of the famous Wander. bilt grays and the reserve grays are td be stabled at Lees News, Grosvenor square, whence they will bring the Venture to the Hotel Victoria every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morn- ing and run it to the first change at Putney Heath.
 There is to be no galloping stage, as there always was in the old coach4 ing days, stage of level road on which lost time was often furiously made up. This arrangement has not been made because it is thought the passen- gers might object to the risks, but, in the words of Mir. Wilson, because I believe our trotting horses will make more pace trotting than galloping, and galloping certainly does the horses no good"
 The route varies considerably from that which the late James Selby took in 1888 when he broke all records by driving the old Times coach from Pic cadilly to Brighton and back in ' hours % minutes.
 Walter Golden, who was Mfr. Selby's guard on that memorable run, is to perform the same office for Mir. Van derbilt in the summer. He had never thought to be guard on public coach again, and he is delighted beyond measure at being engaged for the ven- ture.
 The most popular guard in England, he has received many congratulations from old guards who were once his rivals on the road. and in order that these old friends of his may not feel altogether out of it during the coming summer he has offered to present a coach horn as prize If horn blowing competition among them can be ar ranged.
 Many encomiums have already been addressed tosMr. Vanderbilt on his spirited endeavor to revive the glories of coaching. One characteristic com ment is as follows:
 That a millionaire should come over to this country to revive an old world method of traveiing for the sheer pleasure Of is a high tribute to the fascination of coaching. Mir. Wander bilt's arrangements are on a scale SO complete that little Is left to chance as concerns the running of the Venture. It will hardly be necessary to put up the old Edinburgh stage notice, The coach Will start on Tuesday, God uullin'. whether or no on Wednesday morning Whether Mir yanderbllt's generous lead will be taken up on other old coaching roads remains to bs seen. It is to be hoped that more en- thusissts. even in these hustling tines. will be found with the wealth, leisure and interest necessary to help te bring back the gIeries of th7 English rosd--