THE COMING OF THE RAILWAY 247 



A turnpike keeper seeing a steam carriage for the 

 first time, threw open his gates in dismay. 



"How much toll?" asked the driver. 



"There's nothing to pay, nothing at all, my dear 

 Mister Devil, I assure you, only please drive on as fast 

 as ever you can," quavered the terror-stricken gate- 

 keeper. 



Steam carriages were liable to a good many accidents, 

 so that wits and poets waxed humorous at their expense: 



"Instead of journeys, people now 



May go upon a Gurney, 

 With steam to do the horses' work 



By power of Attorney. 



Tho' with a load it may explode, 



And you may all be undone; 

 And find you're going up to Heaven, 



Instead of up to London." 



A correspondent of the Sporting Magazine for 1839 

 gravely discussed the pros and cons of railway travelling, 

 and delivered himself thus: "When once the novelty 

 has subsided we shall seldom hear of a gentleman con- 

 descending to travel to assume this hasty mode of 

 transit, compatible only with men of business and 

 merchantile travellers." One of the charges that he 

 urged against the railways was their unpundluality 

 as compared to the coaches, but what he regarded as a 

 bitter and insurmountable objeftion was the fa£l that 

 travellers by rail were unable to keep their luggage 

 under their dire6l supervision. When going by coach 



