CH. Ill LEAD-BARS 55 



especially in France, it is bright, as on a drag. 

 This looks much better, and it is really but little 

 more trouble to polish it than to keep revarnishing 

 it. On a long route, however, and in bad weather, 

 the bright steel becomes tarnished toward the end 

 of the day. Of course, the chains must correspond 

 to the pole-head, and it is more trouble to varnish 

 them than to brighten them by shaking in a bag. 

 In old public-coaches the chains were usually made 

 fast to the pole-head, as they now are on farm- 

 wagons, and they had to be blackened. 



Pole-heads, chains, or lead-bar fittings, should al- 

 ways be of bright steel, never plated with silver or 

 with brass. The plating soon wears off at the 

 rubbing surfaces. 



Public-coaches, or private coaches on long trips, 

 sometimes carry a spare pole made in three pieces 

 to screw together, the joints being strengthened by 

 collars which slide over them. This pole is strapped 

 to the perch. Its head is of a simple form and 

 painted black. 



Lead-Bars. — The lead-bars are made after one 

 regular pattern. Fig. 30 gives a better idea of 

 them than any description can give. They should 

 be rather heavy than light. The main-bar is 3 ft. 4 

 in. lone ; the single-bars are 2 ft. 11 in. 



The D fixture on the main-bar is better than the 

 eye fixture shown alongside of it. It is somewhat 

 the fashion to use the eye for drags and the D for 



