146 AMERICAN STABLE GUIDE. 



the spring will either be broken, or as it were take offence 

 at its unreasonable restraint, and toss out the occupants 

 of the carriage. If, however, the weight be not sufficient 

 to do this, the vehicle will be a very miserable one to ride 

 in, will soon become worn in parts and discarded — if in the 

 meantime, the driver or coachman be not innocently 

 blamed for rough driving, discharged, and another a little 

 more intelligent employed, who will find out the cause of 

 the difficulty. We have known instances of this kind to 

 occur in Philadelphia. 



While with a friend at Point Breeze Park one day, a 

 gentleman drove in with a fine hoi^e and wagon. My 

 friend asked him if he had not lost the cushions ? "No; 

 they are under the seat,*' was the reply ; and on further 

 investigation we ascertained that the gentleman could not 

 keep his seat on the cushion, but from what cause he did 

 not know. My friend at once suggested that the springs 

 were not only too stiff and strong, but their principle of 

 make was wrong also. 



The remedy for this condition of things lies not so much 

 with the buyer as with the builder, although the intelli- 

 gent are not innocent, inasmuch as they often do not 

 demand their rights. If they did, builders would neces- 

 sarily be more particular as to the safety, comfort, and 

 construction of their carriages, and give a fair return for 

 the money invested. 



The springs of family carriages and business and goods 

 wagons are, on the whole, made on better principles than 



