200 STAGE-COACH AND MAIL IN DAYS OF YORE 



In 1838, when his coaching business had 

 reached its full height, Chaplin owned or part- 

 owned no fewer than G8 coaches, Avith 1,800 

 liorses. Twenty-seven mails left London every 

 night, and of these he liorsed fourteen on the first 

 stages out of and into town. The annual returns 

 from his business were tlien put at half a million 

 sterling. 



At this critical period he resided at an hotel 

 he owned and managed in the .Vdel2)hi, Avhere 

 he worked literally day and night, sujiervising 

 the general affairs of his vast business, and yet 

 finding time for correcting details. Those coach- 

 men who thought themselves secure from observa- 

 tion in tlie midst of all these extensive operations 

 Avofnlly deceived themselves, Tlu>y had to reckon 

 with one to Avhom every detail was familiar — 

 Avho had driven coaches himself, and Avas tho- 

 roughly informed in the opportunities tliat existed 

 in the stables and on tlie road for cheating an 

 employer. He knew the measure of every corn- 

 box, and Avas cognisant of the "shouldering" of 

 fares and " s\\ allowing " of passengers that con- 

 tinually Avent on. Eor the guards thus to pocket 

 the short fares, not entering them on the way-bill, 

 afterwards sharing tliem Avith the coachman, a\ as 

 a practice that Avent back to the Aery early days of 

 coacliing, and not only lasted as long as coaching 

 itself, but survived in a somewhat altered form 

 on omnibuses until th(; introduction, in recent 

 years, ot* tickets and tin; bell-])uiich. It Avould 

 have been impossil)le for coacli-])roprietors to end 



