120 THE COACHING AGE. 



there are no coaches equal to many of the mails ; 

 even those coaches that run in the day cannot match 

 them : but it is as much as the mail-contractors 

 can dp to keep up to the speed, and they will be 

 obliged to make every exertion in their power to 

 do so.' 



By-the-bye, in reference to the accomplishment, or 

 whatever it may be called, of ' shouldering,' there is 

 a curious story told of a toast given by Chaplin at a 

 dinner at which some guards and coachmen of his 

 own were present. Coming from a large coach-pro- 

 prietor, and in such company, the toast seems rather 

 singular ; but I have no doubt of the authenticity 

 of the story, as I have heard it from more than two 

 persons. It was : ' Here's success to shouldering, but 

 do it well !' which I conclude meant, ' Don't let me 

 find you out.' 



In the following instance, however, the man was 

 found out. It happened that a guard of the name of 

 Jenks contrived to shoulder a passenger nearly all 

 the way from Manchester ; in other words, to convey 

 the passenger up by the coach without his name 

 being put on the way-bill, but receiving his fare, the 

 whole of which he pocketed. 



The rule used to be that the coachman and guard 

 always shared short fares ; but in Jenks's case there 

 were changes of coachmen during the passenger's 



