212 HIGH WAYS AND HORSES. 



owners formed themselves into bodies of similar 

 character. In the course of a few years the association 

 system was almost universally adopted in the metropolis. 

 For some years the traffic from Paddington to the 

 Bank through Holborn was managed by the London 

 Conveyance Company, with more than eighty omni- 

 buses, and not less than a thousand horses. Each of 

 the omnibuses performed upon an average six double 

 journeys per day, and required at least ten horses to 

 work it, independent of casualties. These horses were 

 selected for strength and activity, and an experienced 

 veterinary surgeon, with a staff of assistants and 

 farriers, was employed to attend to them. The annual 

 receipts of this company alone were roughly estimated 

 at ;!^8o,ooo to ^ico,ooo. 



About the year 1844, it was found that, out of 

 1400 metropolitan omnibuses, 200 were engaged 

 on various routes to Paddington. In 1855, a " London 

 General Omnibus Company " was established. It was 

 of French origin, as a SocUtd en Commandite , but was 

 afterwards transformed into an English company with 

 limited liability. A capital was raised by shares ; and 

 the company proceeded, not to establish new omnibuses 

 and omnibus routes, but to purchase those already 

 existing. The sets of omnibuses known as the 

 " WeUington," "Atlas," "Waterloo," "Favourite," 

 etc., were one by one bought up. On an average 

 the company purchased eleven horses with each 

 omnibus. In order to propitiate the public, the 

 company promised new and superior vehicles. They 

 offered a prize of ^100 for a design for an improved 

 omnibus ; but though the prize was awarded, the 

 company have not adopted that or any other particular 

 model in the build of their omnibuses. The operations 



