THE GOLDEN AGE, 1824— 1848 187 



husband, "they've hiid gas-pipes all the way 

 frae Glasgae Cross to Paisley ! " But they had 

 done nothing of the sort ; the gas was carried, as 

 already indicated, in a reservoir stowed away in 

 the front hoot. 



Competition having already raged around the 

 question of speed, and having introduced un- 

 wonted luxuries in travelling, turned next to 

 the more deadly form of rate-cutting. In 1834^ 

 the coach-proprietors on three great routes were 

 engaged in this game of Beggar-my-neighhour. 

 In that year the fares to Birmingham, Liverpool, 

 and Manchester fell to less than half their former 

 price, and it was possil)le to travel to Birmingham 

 for 206'. inside and lO.s-. out, or to Liverpool or 

 Manchester for iOs. inside or 20.s\ out. They had 

 little chance of heing raised again, for, by the 

 time the Aveaker men had been crushed out of 

 existence, the railways were threatening the 

 whole industry of coaching. 



But reducing the fares by one-half Avas not 

 always the last word in these bitter contests. 

 There was a period on the Brighton lload Avhen 

 one might have been carried those 52 miles in 

 G hours for hs., Avith a free lunch and Avine at 

 the end of the journey and your money returned 

 if the coach did not keep its time. The " Golden 

 Age," indeed ! 



At this period, Avhen the long-distance coaching 

 business was so severely cut up, those proprietors 

 Avho served the districts surrounding London did ex- 

 ceedinglv Avell. Coaching annals are almost silent 



