CHAPTER IV. 



HACKNEY-COACHES, CABS, AND STAGE-CARRIAGES. 



Hobson's choice — Origin of hackney-carriages — Hackney-coaches in 

 Paris — The first cab-stands — Cabs — Police supervision — Acts 

 relating to hackney-carriages — Abstract of Acts — Mrs. Prodgers 

 — A smart hansom — S. and T. — Station broughams — Amateur 

 cabmen — Growlers — Stage-carriages — First omnibuses — Acts 

 relating to the same — Omnibus companies — Tramways and 

 tram-cars — Steam and electric tramways. 



I DO not think that a work on Highways and Horses is 

 complete without some mention of hackney-carriages. 

 A hackney-carriage is a carriage kept for hire and ex- 

 posed in the streets for that purpose. The derivation 

 of the word " hackney," seems to have more to do 

 with the horse than the vehicle to which he is harnessed. 

 Hackney-coaches were said to be derived from the 

 French Coche-a-haqiiende, a vehicle with a hired horse, 

 haqiiende. That they originated in Hackney, near 

 London, is a mistake. 



The word "hackney" was evidently first applied 

 to horses let for hire, and then, by a very natural 

 transition, extended itself to carriages ; these horses 

 being used exclusively on the road may, perhaps, also 

 have originated the word "hack," as applied to a horse 

 used exclusively on the road. 



Cabs of all descriptions are hackney-carriages ; they 

 are also sometimes called " flys." The word "cab" 

 is evidently derived from cabriolet, which is frequently 

 called cab ; it is a one-horse vehicle, and was introduced 

 in the streets of London in 1823. 



