142 THE COACHING AGE. 



from the office saying they could go by the railroad 

 for a pound, so then he offered to book them as 

 outsides, and put them inside ; but that made the 

 shares so small, that the proprietors were constantly 

 giving notice to take off their horses. 



' If some alteratio]^ does not take place,' Sherman 

 said, referring to the heavy duties assessed on stage- 

 coaches, ' this summer will close the whole of the 

 coaching. I do not expect there will be a coach 

 running at all in the winter.' 



There was not a day-coach then running, but some 

 people had asked him to try one ; his answer was 

 that there was no chance of doing any good unless 

 some assistance was given in the reduction of duty, 

 tolls, etc. Nothing but great reductions would enable 

 them to compete with the railroad, and it was not 

 fair competition as they then were. He thought to 

 satisfy part of the public who were timid and not 

 disposed to go by the railroad. Some portion would 

 go by coach, but not many. The generality of coach 

 passengers he described as timid people, who did not 

 like to go by the railroad except at very low fares 

 indeed — that induced the lower orders to go ; but 

 the people who travelled by coach were also so poor, 

 that the coachmen and guards said they got nothing, 

 and their places were not worth having. 



Before all Sherman's coaches were off the Bir- 



