242 THE COACHING ERA 



post in 1840 the national correspondence increased so 

 enormously that the Post Office officials were at their 

 wits' end to know how to cope with it. The heaviest 

 nights were those when the American mails came in, 

 and on such occasions the bags often weighed as much 

 as 16 cwt. When this was the case, the capacity of the 

 mail-box proved hopelessly insufficient, so the mail- 

 bags had to be piled up on the roof, and fewer passengers 

 could be carried in consequence. 



The contra6lors too, owing to increased competition 

 with the fast day coaches, evinced a growing disinclina- 

 tion to carry the mails. Instead of evincing anxiety for 

 the privilege because it exempted the coaches from 

 turnpike tolls, they demanded better contrails. The 

 Oxford and Cheltenham coach, which had previously 

 carried the mails free, put in a claim for ;^I50 in addition 

 to the turnpike dues, and this was paid by the Post 

 Office till the coach ceased to run. 



When it dawned on the country that railways, so far 

 from being a mere fallacy, were about to become an 

 important institution, it was startled from its position 

 of smug superiority, and endeavoured ineffeftually to 

 drive the steam kettle from the land. 



The railway question became the chief topic of 

 conversation, and the country was divided into two 

 fa6lions: for and against. The columns of contemporary 

 newspapers were the fields where the partisans of coach 

 and railway fought their battles, and said exceeding 

 bitter things of each other. 



Whole towns with a blind disregard for futurity 



