The Dumfries Post Office, 1642-1910. 67 



it can well be imagined that their duties were at times performed 

 under most exacting circumstances. 



In a print of a local coach which, through the courtesy of 

 the Editor of " The Motor, ' ' we are able to reproduce, the artist 

 has depicted what must have been a common experience in early- 

 coaching days. 



From the Diary of William Grierson, father of Dr T. B. 

 Grierson, of Thornhill, and from other sources of information we 

 gather that delays were of frequent occurrence. Thus we 

 read : — 



"Sunday, 10th Feb., 1799. — The mails have been very 

 much past their usual time of coming in by reason of the snow. 

 In many places the roads are totally blocked up. The London 

 Mail that should have come in on Friday night only came in this 

 day about one o'clock." (p. 13.) 



"Thursday, 26th Jany., 1809. — Last night and this morning 

 a heavy fall of snow. Partly frost and partly thaw during the 

 day; the roads blocked up. The mail-coaches did not arrive, 

 but the mail was brought in on horseback." (p. 21.) 



Again, in a report of a storm on 7th January, 1839, it Ls 

 recorded : — " We learn from Mr Corson, guard of the mail on 

 the Dumfries and Portpatrick line of road, that when he reached 

 Castle-Douglas about one o'clock that morning matters looked 

 most gloomy. From that hour till its arrival in Dumfries the 

 storm raged with increased fury, accompanied with the terrific 

 peals of thunder and vivid flashes of lightning, along with which 

 torrents fell, while the winds continued greatly to increase. 

 Altogether, Mr Corson says, in all his experience such a night of 

 storm he never witnessed. Mr MTntosh, the Edinburgh mail 

 guard, states to us that the storm commenced in Edinburgh on Fri- 

 day. The snow began to fall as he left Moffat, and continued all 

 the way to Edinburgh — within five miles of which it was so deep 

 that the mail had to be dug out ; in consequence of which she was 

 two hours behind her time. All the other mails were also late. 

 On Mr MTntosh 's return he had to leave the road at the same 

 place, but with the assistance of additional leaders they reached 

 Broughton, when the wind at eight o'clock continued to increase 

 till his arrival in Dumfries an hour and a half behind the usual 

 time. The night was truly gloomy and the storm appalling." 



But even these instances are eclipsed. The heroic example 



