THE POST OFFICE. 257 



taken as an infallible test of time, and a means by 

 which you could set your watch or clock. 



Such was the mode in which the postal business of 

 the country was conducted and the admirable way in 

 which it worked up to the time when the railways 

 stepped in and swept it all away, so far as the mode 

 of conveyance was concerned. 



The mail-coach era commenced in the year 1784 

 with the London and Bristol, and terminated gradu- 

 ally — the mails being partially or wholly taken off, 

 as the railways were opened and became available. 

 Probably by the year 1844 there was not an)^ mail 

 running on the road out of London. In 1839 th© 

 Bath, Bristol, Gloucester and Stroud mails were all 

 put on the Great Western Eailway ; at a later period 

 the Devonport, Southampton, and Portsmouth went 

 by the South Western, the terminus of which was 

 then at Nine Elms. In the same year all the northern 

 mails were off the road, Chaplin and Home having 

 thrown their interest into the North-Western Eailway 

 Company. 



Shortly after the establishment of the first mail- 

 coach to Bristol, a medal, rather larger than the 

 present halfpenny, was struck, having on each side 

 a mail-coach and horses ; on one side was this in- 

 scription underneath the horses : ' To trade expedi- 

 tion. To property protection.' On the other : ' To 



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