36 THE COACHING ERA 



Mr. Palmer was appointed Controller General of the 

 Post Office in 1786, and eventually granted a commis- 

 sion of 2| per cent upon any excess of net revenue 

 over the sum at which the annual proceeds of the Post 

 Office stood at the date of appointment. Eventually he 

 received a pension of ^3000. 



The new Controller was an admirer of the stage- 

 coaches, but in no way blind to their defeats, and he 

 installed so many improvements that coaching was 

 completely revolutionized. Palmer was a martinet for 

 punftuality; stage-coaches were not, and they had to 

 alter their ways very considerably if they wished for the 

 privilege of carrying His Majesty's Mails. The mail- 

 coaches were timed to a minute at the different stages, 

 fresh horses, warned by the blast of the guard's horn, 

 stood ready waiting, and with lightning rapidity were 

 put to the coach. Dinners had to be despatched in the 

 brief period of twenty minutes, whilst the coach started 

 prompt to time, and coachmen could no longer be 

 cajoled into granting an extra hour; passengers who 

 loitered on a mail-coach were simply left behind. 



The stages were shortened and rarely exceeded eight 

 miles, and better bred and highly fed horses employed, 

 by which means the pace of the coaches was very materi- 

 ally increased, and the official speed raised from eight 

 miles an hour to ten or even twelve. Time lost on one 

 stage had to be made up on the next, and at places where 

 the coach changed drivers unpun6f uality was a sin hard to 

 forgive. "They ex-p-p-p-p-ped: me to k-k-k-k-k-keep 

 t-t-t-t-t-t-time up, but d-d-d-d-d-devil a b-b-b-b-bit 



