284 . COACH BUSINESS. 



reaping a rich harvest, and the one in 

 which I resided profited most of all. Here 

 prosperity reigned triumphant natives and 

 foreigners tradesmen, high and low 

 innkeepers and publicans artisans of every 

 denomination men and women of all de- 

 scriptions from the greatest contractor 

 down to the humblest bumboat woman, 

 or the itinerant organ-grinder Jews, 

 Germans, and Gentiles, were all making 

 money: the reader may therefore well 

 suppose I was not in a bad position. 



The coaches of which I had become 

 part proprietor were constantly loaded, 

 and the monthly dividends exceeded all 

 that was ever known on any other road, 

 as I had afterwards the means of ascer- 

 taining. I took advantage of the large 

 profits accruing from my business to ex- 

 tend its ramifications in every possible 

 way. Constantly in the habit of pur- 

 chasing horses both in London and 

 country fairs, I was looked upon as a 



