ACROSS THE NUMBER 67 



century, when its staff was very limited. In 1798 

 Dickey Sagg was its prized and only postman. Mr. 

 Sagg was a small man, and wore a swallow-tailed 

 coat — a combination of facts which passed not mi- 

 noticed by the boys of the grammar-school. But 

 Richard, though small, was himself again when 

 delivery-time came round. He had the reputation 

 of being the fastest walker in England ; and he 

 delivered the letters for the whole of Hull by his 

 single hand, covering one half of the town in the 

 morning, the other in the afternoon. 



Mr. Sagg was autocratic in his methods. He would 

 take his stand in a square or court, and call out the 

 names on the letters for people residing there. The 

 inhabitants then came out for their letters. If thev 

 kept Sagg waiting, his language was more vigorous 

 than polished ; and he would rebuke the slothful by 

 taking the letters to his home, for them to fetch at 

 their pleasure. It would be a deeply interesting- 

 experience to see how Mr. Sagg's successor would 

 now, a hundred years later, be received by the public 

 at Hull if he acted thus. 



I am glad that I know where the dust of this 

 doughty Yorkshireman rests. His gravestone stands, 

 or once did, in Holy Trinity churchyard, against the 

 wall on the south side, near the west door. I have 

 ascended the belfry of Trinity Church : would that I 

 had paused at the foot to take a copy of the in- 

 scription to the memory of the fastest postman on 

 record. 



