LIGHT COACHES. 



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coach-builders recognise the fact that the old style of 

 coach, in which few improvements can be claimed daring 

 the present century, the better for their reputation.* 

 The drive on a four-In-hand through the country would 

 be infinitely more enjoyable if we knew that the powers 

 of the willing horses were not unnecessarily taxed." 



This letter was signed " Four-in-Hand," and was 

 followed by a number of letters on the same subject, 

 written by men of some experience. One remarks 

 that "coaches themselves, unloaded, are quite sufficient 

 to tax the powers of any team ; but with a full load 

 of passengers they are simply killing to the poor 

 horses." This gentleman goes on to speak of the 

 light coaches running in the Lake districts, which, he 

 says, are built by Mr. Rigg, of Windermere. Captain 

 Hargreaves, who once ran the London and Ports- 

 mouth coach, drove one of these coaches daily from 

 Windermere to Keswick, and was so pleased with 

 their lightness and easy-running qualities that he 

 ordered one for himself in the South. This writer, 

 after making some rather foolish remarks about our 

 London coach-builders taking a lesson from Mr. Rigg, 

 of Windermere, concludes his letter by signing himself 

 " Four-horse Whip." 



This letter was followed by another, which men- 

 tioned the late Captain Cooper, who, it will be 

 remembered, owned a beautiful place called Pain's 

 Hill, near Esher. He, for some time, had the London 

 and Boxhill coach, when driving which he had a bad 

 accident, the pole having broke. He got a coach 

 by Wand, of the Old Kent Road, and had it copied by 

 modern firms. In this coach iron was almost done 



* This writer is mistaken in supposing no improvements have 

 been made ; there have been numerous improvements made in 

 coaches of late years. 



