File:Stage-coach and mail in days of yore - a picturesque history of the coaching age (1903) (14595876348).jpg

Identifier: stagecoachmailin01harp (find matches)
Title: Stage-coach and mail in days of yore : a picturesque history of the coaching age
Year: 1903 (1900s)
Authors: Harper, Charles G. (Charles George), 1863-1943
Subjects: Horses Coaching (Transportation) -- History
Publisher: London : Chapman & Hall, limited
Contributing Library: Tufts University
Digitizing Sponsor: Tufts University and the National Science Foundation

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would not for his own sake be likely to drawa picture which would seem a forced or unnaturalrepresentation of the wayfaring life of the period.Thus, when he makes his characters journey forfive days in this manner, and brings them on thesixth to an inn where the landlord gives the mealthey had bespoken to three gentlemen who hadjust arrived, we think we learn something of thecontempt with which almost every one looked downupon passengers by stage-waggons. The gentlementhemselves said : The passengers in the waggon might be d d; their betters must be served before them; they supposed it would be no hard-ship on such travellers to dine on bread-and-cheesefor one day. And the poor devils certainly Avouldhave gone without their meal had it not been forthat good fellow Joey, the waggoner, who, enteringthe kitchen of the inn with a pitchfork in hishand, swore he Avould be the death of any manwho should pretend to seize the victuals preparedfor the waggon. On this, says Smollett, the ^■1^
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^ s IHE STAGE-WAGGONS 117 three strangers drew their swords, and, beingjoined by their servants, bloodshed seemed immi-nent, when the landlord, interposing, offered topart with his own dinner, for the sake of peace,which proposal was accepted, and all endedhappily. Such was the picture of travel by stage-waggonit was possible to present to the public in 1748 asa reasonably accurate transcript of road-life. It was at that time the usual practice amonga party of travellers by waggon to elect a chair-man on setting out. The one thus set above hisfellows arranged with the waggoner where theywere to halt during the day, settled with the inn-keepers an inclusive charge for meals and accom-modation, and was treasurer, paymaster, umpire,and general referee in all disputes. Thus was theancient original idea of government in larger com-munities—government solely for the welfare of thecommunity itself—reproduced in these poor folk. The gradual replacement of the pack-horsesby heavy waggons b

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