THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



Lord Edmonston, ' by the uniting of its own spiculse, which 

 dovetail into each other ; thus, small stones unite by their own 

 angles, and produce the effect we see. I consider McAdam 

 the greatest benefactor to England since Dr. Jenner. for, until 

 we adopted his plan, we did not know what a good road is. 

 The large stones previously made use of, both in forming and 

 repairing roads, were calculated, mechanically, to render them 

 uneven and full of holes, inasmuch as they acted as levers 

 to raise up the ground, when a wheel passed over one end 

 of them.' 



' You have been very lucky in the accident way, have you 

 not, Jem ? ' said Webber. 



' Never throwed a coach over, sir,' replied Jem, ' but have 

 had lier over twice — once by the axle-tree breaking, when I 

 broke my leg, and once — before we got patent boxes — by 

 losing a fore- wheel. There ought to be an act of parliament 

 to prevent any coach from running that has not patent boxes 

 to the wheels, for linch-pins are not to be depended upon ; 

 and axle-trees should be made stronger than they are.' 



' I think so, too,' observed Webber ; ' the sustaining power 

 should be much more than equal to the impending weight. 

 I had my coach over once from an axle-tree giving way, but, 

 luckily, no one was hurt. Coach axle-trees should be tried 

 before used by an hydraulic press, the test being twice the 

 weight they would ever be required to sustain. And care 

 should be taken that not only the best iron is used, but that 

 there is no flaw in it — for axle-trees are always found to break 

 where any flaw exists.' 



' But would it not be difficult to find out whether there is a 

 flaw in the iron ? ' asked Jem. 



' Not at all,' replied Webber ; ' let the axle-tree be placed 

 on an anvil, and struck on its nose at one end with a key, or 

 any bit of iron or steel, and if, on the ear being placed at the 

 opposite nose, a hissing sound is heard, you may be sure a 

 flaw exists somewhere. Should it be about the centre, no 

 harm may arise ; bvit if within a short distance of the shoulder, 

 which is the chief bearing part, it is a great source of 

 danger.' 



' As to accidents to coaches,' resumed Jem, ' they are 

 almost always to be traced to carelessness either in the builders, 

 the drivers, or the horsers of them. How man}" proprietors 



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