PROCESSION OF THE MAILS. 69 



tion ; after the expiration of that time they drew 

 upon him quarterly, but still in advance. In order, 

 however, to provide against the contingency of the 

 mail being taken off the road, or the coaches not 

 being duly provided, B. W. Horpe, pf the Golden 

 Cross, used to take the precaution, when the bills 

 were left at his counting-house for acceptance, of 

 writing across them, ' For work if done.' So if there 

 was no mail there was.no bill to pay. 



The other claim which Messrs. Vidler used to make 

 on the proprietors was in what were called their bills 

 for incidents, sent in once or twice a year for broken 

 glass, splinter bars, or minor accidents, which might 

 occur from the mail running against anything and 

 being damaged. Unlike the arrangements entered 

 into between the coach-proprietors and coach-builders 

 for providing their ordinary stage-coaches, the latter 

 furnished the leader-bars, whereas on the mails the 

 proprietors furnished them. 



The procession was certainly a gay spectacle, with 

 either entirely new or newly painted and varnished 

 coaches, and as about thirty-six new ones were built 

 every year, it could be easily arranged that they 

 should make their first appearance on the day of the 

 annual procession. This was all Messrs. Vidler 's part 

 in it. 



Next came providing the horses to draw the coaches, 



