CHAPTER VIII. 



COACH PROPRIETOBS {Continued). 



Having now shown something of Sherman's business 

 and position in the coaching world before he was 

 in any way interfered with by railways, I propose 

 to show how they aflfected him ; and in pointing 

 out what were the results to him, it may be 

 observed that they were only the same as were 

 experienced I might almost say by hundreds of 

 other men, as they had the same eflFect upon the 

 business of nearly all the coach-proprietors throughout 

 the kingdom. Some of them had laid by sufficient to 

 enable them to live very comfortably, and, if they 

 had an inn in a town which had been considerably 

 enlarged and its trade increased by the establish- 

 ment of a railway, may have done as well, or perhaps 

 better than they had with coaching, for although 

 coaches might load well, it was not all profit. 

 Expenses were heavy, and if there was great competi- 

 tion the wear and tear of stock working in fast 

 opposition coaches was very great, even granting 



