293 DRIVING. 



was proprietor, though it was driven by his son Ernest, was 

 put on to Hampton Court. There was no change on the St. 

 Albans, Guildford, Dorking, or Virginia Water roads, and these, 

 together with the Excelsior, were the coaches of the year. 



In 1888 the Wonder, the Perseverance, the Vivid, now the 

 property of Arthur Fownes, and the New Times held their 

 way ; the Defiance ran to Bentley Priory ; and the Old Times, 

 after its winter course was done, ran to Brighton on alternate 

 days. Another coach of Selby's ran to Oatlands Park ; it was 

 called the Express at the commencement of the season, but it 

 was subsequently renamed the Old Times, so that really there 

 were two coaches of the same name, and owned by the same 

 proprietor, running at the same time. Mr. Webling this year 

 changed his plans, and ran from London to Tunbridge Wells. 

 Mr. F. Davis, formerly of the Windsor, also ran the Surbiton 

 coach. On the Brighton road, however, there was great op- 

 position, for Mr. Freeman put on the Comet double coach, 

 so that on three days in the week there were two coaches 

 to Brighton, and on the remaining three days there were two 

 up coaches. The Old Times kept to the 15^. fare ; but the 

 Comet charged only half a guinea, the same as the railway 

 charge. When the summer season was over, Selby deter- 

 mined to run the Old Times to Brighton all the winter, and 

 as Mr. Freeman, with whom Mr. M'Calmont was associated, 

 resolved to keep on one of the Comets as well, there was 

 every prospect of the Brighton road showing great activity. 

 What the ultimate arrangements may be remains to be seen, 

 as on Friday, December 14, the coaching world was startled 

 by the announcement that James Selby, the proprietor of the 

 Old Times, had breathed his last in the forenoon of that day. 

 On Friday, the yth, he brought the coach from Brighton, but 

 complained of a cold. Bronchitis supervened, and, together 

 with disease of the heart, proved fatal on the above day. 

 Selby, who was only forty-five at the time of his death, was 

 originally intended for an auctioneer, and was articled to that 

 calling ; but horses proved a superior attraction, and in course 



