THE HOLYHEAD ROAD 



343 



story of poles snapped ; coaches over-turned in the 

 twinkling of an eye ; runaway teams nearing closed toll- 

 bars ; desperate races for a slight pre-eminence, ending 

 in desperate collisions ; celebrated consequently and 

 finally for its time records, which never were beaten. 



Not even on the Exeter Road by the Quicksilver or 

 the Telegraph. For though the former covered the 175 

 miles between London and Exeter in eighteen hours, and 







/ 



Through the Toil-Gate. 



though the latter covered the 165 miles in seventeen 

 hours, yet on the Holyhead Road, the Holyhead Mail, 

 which ran through Shrewsbury, was timed at ten miles 

 and a half an hour through the whole journey, including 

 stoppages; w^hile the celebrated Wonder did the 158 

 miles between London and Shrewsbury in fifteen hours 

 and three quarters ; and the Manchester Telegraph, 

 travelling some distance at all events on the Holyhead 



