WHAT BECAME OF THE COACHMEN 313 



of his being so sure and safe a coachman on 

 the night mail 02)eratecl at first against liis heing 

 transferred to a coach not calling in so great a 

 degree for those qualities, but in 1838 he obtained 

 the offer of the Brigliton Day Mail, Avhicli Chaj^lin 

 Avas about to start, together with the chance of 

 horsing it a stage. Like many coachmen, am- 

 bitious of becoming a pro2)rietor. Ward closed 

 with this oft'er, but the Day Mail did not load 

 Avell, and he soon gave vc^ his share. He might 

 have known that Chaplin, so keen a business man, 

 Avas not precisely the person to offer any one else 

 a share Avortli retaining. 



Ward then left Chaplin, and went over to the 

 Exeter " Telegraph," the fast day coach run l)y 

 Mrs. Ann Nelson, in opposition to Chaplin's 

 " Quicksilver Mail." Mrs. Nelson was glad to 

 get so steady a Avhip as Ward, who for three 

 years from this time drove the " Telegraph " 

 daily betAveen Exeter and Ilminster, a double 

 journey of Qi^ miles. In 18tl the Bristol and 

 Exeter Railway, a continuation of the Great 

 Western, Avas opened as far as BridgcAvater, and, 

 by consequence, the "Telegraph" Avas Avithdrawn 

 by Mrs. Nelson and her co-2:)artners. Ward, 

 however, held on, and, Avith the coachman on 

 the other side of his stage and the tAVO guards, 

 extended the journey at one end as the raihvay 

 cut it short at the other. Prom 1811 to 

 April 30th, 1811, the "Telegraph" therefore 

 ran the 1)5 miles between BridgcAvater and 

 Devonport, taking up the railway passengers at 



