,,omnibuses ,,and ,,cabs ,,omnibuses ,,and ,,cabs ,,their ,,origin ,,and ,,history ,,by ,,henry ,,charles ,,moore ,,with ,,thirty-,,one ,,illustrations ,,london3 ,,chapman ,,hall1 ,,ld4 #aijb ,,note ,it is with great pleasure that ,i acknowledge my indebtedness to ,mr4 ,george ,a4 ,glover1 who kindly placed at my disposal much valuable information concerning the early history of omnibuses and cabs1 and several rare pictures1 which are now reproduced for the first time4 ,i desire1 also1 to thank ,mr4 ,g4 ,a4 ,thrupp1 the venerable author of 8,the ,history of the ,art of ,coach-,building10 for permitting me to have access to his interesting collection of illustrations of vehicles1 and to reproduce several engravings dealing with the subject of this book4 ,for a similar courtesy ,i am greatly indebted to the ,worshipful ,company of ,coach ,makers and ,coach-,harness ,makers4 ,h4 ,c4 ,m4 ,,london1 ,august #bc1 #aija4 ,,contents ,,part ,i--,,omnibuses ,,chapter ,i ,,page ,carrosses a cinq sous invented--,inauguration ceremony--,m4 ,laffitte's omnibuses--,the origin of the word 8omnibus0 as applied to coaches #c ,,chapter ,,ii ,george ,shillibeer introduces omnibuses into ,england--,the first omnibus route--,shillibeer's conductors defraud him--,his plans for preventing fraud--,an omnibus library--,shopkeepers complain of omnibus obstruction #aj ,,chapter ,,iii ,shillibeer runs omnibuses in opposition to a railway--,extraordinary action of the ,stamp and ,taxes ,office--,shillibeer is ruined--,he appeals to the ,government for compensation--,government promises not fulfilled--,shillibeer becomes an undertaker #bh ,,chapter ,,iv ,introduction of steam omnibuses--,the 8,autopsy10 the 8,era10 and the 8,automaton0--,steam omnibuses a failure #cf ,,chapter ,v ,some old omnibus names--,story of the 8,royal ,blues0--,omnibus racing--,complaints against conductors--,passengers' behaviour--,the well-conducted conductor--,the ill-conducted conductor--,the 8equirotal omnibus0 #df ,,chapter ,,vi ,twopenny fares introduced--,the first omnibus with advertisements--,penny fares tried--,omnibus improvements--,longitudinal seats objected to by the police--,omnibus associations--,newspapers on the 8,favorites0--,foreigners in omnibuses--,fat and thin passengers--,thomas ,tilling starts the 8,times0 omnibuses--,mr4 ,tilling at the ,derby--,tilling's gallery of photographs #fb ,,chapter ,,vii ,compagnie ,gnrale des ,omnibus de ,londres formed--,the ,london ,general ,omnibus ,company starts work--,businesses purchased by the ,company--,it offers a prize of #ajj for the best design of an omnibus--,the knife-board omnibus introduced--,correspondence system tried--,packets of tickets sold--,yellow wheels--,the ,l4,g4,o4,c4 becomes an ,english ,limited ,liability ,company--,the first board of directors--,present position of the ,company--,the ,omnibus3 a satire--,the ,omnibus3 a play #gi ,,chapter ,,viii ,the opening of ,holborn ,viaduct--,an omnibus is the first vehicle to cross it--8,viaduct ,tommy0--,skid-men #ie ,,chapter ,,ix ,a new ,company--,the ,london and ,district ,omnibus ,company1 ,limited--,the ,london ,road ,car ,company1 ,limited--,its first omnibuses--,the garden seats--,the flag and its meaning--,foreigners' idea of it--,the ticket system--,the great strike--,the ,london ,co-operative ,omnibus ,company--,mr4 ,jenkins and advertisements--,the ,street ,traffic ,bill--,outside lamps #ajj ,,chapter ,x ,the ,motor ,traction ,company's omnibus--,an electric omnibus--,the ,central ,london ,railway--,the ,london ,county ,council omnibuses--,the 8corridor 'bus0--,the latest omnibus struggle--,present omnibus routes #aai ,,chapter ,,xi 8,jumpers0--8,spots0--,some curious passengers--,conductors and coachmen--,the ,rothschild ,christmas-boxes--,mr4 ,morris ,abrahams and the ,omnibus ,men's ,superannuation ,fund--,horses--,cost of omnibuses--,night in an omnibus yard #acg ,,chapter ,,xii ,pirate omnibuses--,their history and tricks #afd ,,part ,,ii--,,cabs ,,chapter ,i ,the introduction of hackney-coaches--8,the world run on wheels0--,the first hackney-coach stand and the oldest cab rank in ,england--,sedan chairs introduced--,charles ,i4 and ,charles ,,ii4 prohibit hackney-coaches--,hackney-coaches and the ,plague--,william ,congreve--,threatened strike of hackney-coachmen--,hackney-chariots introduced--,prince of ,wales drives a hackney-coach--,licences--,funeral coaches ply for hire in the streets--,a pedometer for hackney-coaches suggested--,dickens on hackney-coaches--,origin of the word 8hackney0 #aha ,,chapter ,,ii ,cabs introduced into ,england--,restrictions placed upon them--,a comical-looking cab--,dickens on cabs--,hackney-coachmen wish to become cabmen--,the cab business a monopoly--,restrictions are removed--,the ,cab paper--,the ,boulnois cab invented--,the 8minibus0--,the 8duobus0--,bilking--,a peer's joke #bje ,,chapter ,,iii ,hansom invents a cab--,chapman designs and patents the present hansom--,francis ,moore's vehicles--,the ,hansom patent infringed--,litigation a failure--,pirate cabs called 8shofuls0--,the 8,clarence0 or four-wheeler introduced--,an unpleasant fare--,the decoration of cabs--,cabmen compelled to wear badges--,the 8,tribus0--,the 8,curricle ,tribus0--,the 8,quartobus0 #baf ,,chapter ,,iv ,a strike--,cabmen's revenge on ,members of ,parliament--,cab radius altered--,cabmen object to knocking at doors--,the ,king of ,cabmen--,nicknames--,a lady feared by cabmen--,the kilometric reckoner--,lord ,john ,russell and 8,palace ,yard ,jack0--,cab fares altered--,a strike against the introduction of lamps--,another strike--,the ,cab-drivers' ,benevolent ,association--,the ,london ,cabmen's ,mission--,the ,hackney ,carriage ,proprietors' ,provident ,institution--,the ,cabmen's ,shelter ,fund #bca ,,chapter ,v ,cab show at ,alexandra ,palace--,forder's cab--,the strike of #ahid--;,cabmen become organ-grinders--,the ,asquith award--,boycotting the railway stations--,the 8,bilking ,act0 #bdi ,,chapter ,,vi ,gentlemen cabmen--,an applicant's nerve--,the doctor-cabby--,john ,cockram--,a drunken cabman's horse #beh ,,chapter ,,vii ,the ,shrewsbury and ,talbot cabs--,the ,court hansom--,the ,parlour four-seat hansom--,electric cabs introduced--,the 8taxameter0--,empty cabs--,number of cabs in ,london--,cab fares--,two-horse cabs #bfg ,,list ,,of ,,illustrations ,,page ,,shillibeer',s ,,first ,,omnibus #ac ,,shillibeer',s ,,third ,,omnibus #ai ,,gurney',s ,,steam ,,carriage #cg ,,the 8,,autopsy0 ,,steam ,,omnibus #ci ,,the 8,,era0 ,,steam ,,omnibus #dj ,,the 8,,automaton0 ,,steam ,,omnibus #dd ,,adams',s ,,equirotal ,,omnibus #fa ,a ,,knife-,,board ,,omnibus #fe ,,omnibus ,,built ,,by ,,rock ,,and ,,gowar #fi ,,tilling',s ,,four-,,horse 8,,times0 #ge ,,richmond ,,conveyance ,,company ,,omnibus #ia ,,richmond ,,conveyance ,,company ,,omnibus4 ,,end ,,view #ic ,,the ,,first ,,vehicle ,,to ,,cross ,,holborn ,,viaduct #ih ,,the ,,london ,,road ,,car ,,company',s ,,first ,,omnibus #ajc ,a ,,road ,,car ,,company ,,omnibus1 #aija #ajg ,a ,,metropolitan ,,railway 8,,umbrella0 ,,omnibus1 #aija #aji ,a ,,red 8,,favorite40 #aija #aaj ,,hackney-,,coach4 ,,about #afhj #ahi ,,hackney-,,coach4 ,,about #ahjj #aid ,,london ,,cab ,,of #ahbc1 ,,with ,,curtain ,,drawn #bjg ,,the 8,,coffin-,,cab0 #baj ,,boulnois',s ,,cab #bad ,,the ,,first ,,hansom #bag ,,an ,,improved ,,hansom #bai ,,francis ,,moore',s ,,vehicle #bba ,,the ,,first ,,four-,,wheeled ,,cab #bbe ,,the ,,tribus4 ,,back ,,view #bbi ,,the ,,tribus4 ,,side ,,view #bcj ,,john ,,cockram #bfa ,,parlour',s ,,hansom #bfi ,,electric ,,cab #bgb ,,part ,i ,,omnibuses ,,omnibuses ,,and ,,cabs ,,chapter ,i ,carrosses a cinq sous invented--,inauguration ceremony--,m4 ,laffitte's omnibuses--,the origin of the word 8omnibus0 as applied to coaches4 ,omnibuses1 under the name of carrosses a cinq sous1 were started in ,paris in #affb4 ,the leading spirits in this enterprise were the ,duc de ,rouans1 ,governor of ,poitou1 the ,marquis de ,sourches1 ,grand ,prvt1 the ,marquis de ,crnan1 ,grand ,cup-bearer1 and ,blaise ,pascal1 the author of 8,lettres ,provinciales40 ,the idea was ,pascal's1 but not being sufficiently wealthy to carry it out unaided1 he laid the matter before his friend the ,duc de ,rouans1 who suggested that a company should be formed to start the vehicles4 ,pascal consented to this being done1 and the ,duc de ,rouans set to work at once to prevail upon members of the aristocracy to take shares in the venture4 ,the ,marquis de ,sourches and the ,marquis de ,crnan he induced to take an active part in the management and1 best of all1 he obtained from ,louis ,,xiv4 a decree authorising the establishment of carrosses a cinq sous4 ,seven vehicles to carry eight passengers each1 all inside1 were built1 and on ,march #ahth1 #affb1 they began running4 ,the first one was timed to start at seven o'clock in the morning1 but an hour or two earlier a huge crowd had assembled to witness the inauguration ceremony1 which was performed by two ,commissaires of the ,chtelet1 attired in their official robes4 ,accompanying them were four guards of the ,grand ,prvt1 twenty men of the ,city ,archers1 and a troop of cavalry4 ,the procession1 on arriving at the line of route1 divided into two parts1 one ,commissaire and half of the attendants proceeded to the ,luxembourg1 and the others to the ,porte ,st4 ,antoine4 ,at the latter place three of the twopenny-halfpenny coaches were stationed1 the other four being at the ,luxembourg4 ,each ,commissaire then made a speech1 in which he pointed out the boon that carrosses a cinq sous would be to the public1 and laid great stress on the fact that they would start punctually at certain times1 whether full or empty4 ,moreover1 he warned the people that the king was determined to punish severely any person who interfered with the coaches1 their drivers1 conductors1 or passengers4 ,the public was also warned that any person starting similar vehicles without permission would be fined #cjjj francs1 and his horses and coaches confiscated4 ,at the conclusion of his address the ,commissaire commanded the coachmen to advance1 and1 after giving them a few words of advice and caution1 presented each one with a long blue coat1 with the ,city arms embroidered on the front in brilliant colours4 ,having donned their livery1 the drivers returned to their vehicles and climbed up to their seats4 ,then the command to start was given1 and the two vehicles drove off amidst a scene of tremendous enthusiasm4 ,the first coach each way carried no passengers--a very unbusinesslike arrangement--the conductor sitting inside in solitary state4 ,but the next two1 which were sent off a quarter of an hour after the first1 started work in earnest1 and it need scarcely be said that there was no lack of passengers4 ,the difficulty experienced was in preventing people from crowding in after the eight seats were occupied4 ,at the beginning of every journey the struggle to get into the coach was repeated1 and many charming costumes were ruined in the crush4 ,paris1 in short1 went mad over its carrosses a cinq sous1 and the excitement soon spread to the suburbs1 sending their inhabitants flocking to the city to see the new vehicles4 ,but very few of the visitors managed to obtain a ride1 for day by day the rush for seats became greater4 ,the king himself had a ride in one coach1 and the aristocracy and wealthy classes hastened to follow his example1 struggling with their poorer brethren to obtain a seat4 ,many persons who possessed private coaches drove daily to the starting-point and yet failed to get a ride in one for a week or two4 ,four other routes were opened in less than four months1 but at last the fashionable craze came to an end1 and as soon as the upper classes ceased to patronise the new coaches the middle and lower classes found that it was cheaper to walk than to ride4 ,the result was that ,pascal1 who died only five months after the coaches began running1 lived long enough to see the vehicles travelling to and fro1 half1 and sometimes quite1 empty4 ,for many months after ,pascal's death the coaches lingered on1 but every week found them less patronised1 and eventually they were discontinued4 ,they had never been of any real utility1 and were regarded by the public much in the same light as we regard a switchback railway4 ,after the failure of the carrosses a cinq sous1 a century and a half elapsed before vehicles of the omnibus class were again tried in ,paris1 but one or two feeble and unsuccessful attempts to start them in ,england were made in the year #ahjj4 ,a vehicle with six wheels and drawn by four horses was the most noticed of these ventures4 ,in #ahai ,monsieur ,jacques ,laffitte1 the banker-politician1 who became1 later1 the ,minister of ,louis ,philippe1 introduced the vehicles now called 8omnibuses0 into ,paris4 ,they carried sixteen or eighteen passengers1 all inside1 and the fare was twopence halfpenny from one side of ,paris to the other4 ,from the day that they began running they were highly successful1 and the first year's profits1 it is said1 repaid the outlay4 ,monsieur ,laffitte must not1 however1 be given the credit of applying the name 8omnibus0 to the vehicles which he introduced1 for it belongs to ,monsieur ,baudry1 a retired military officer4 ,in #ahbg ,baudry was the proprietor of some hot-water baths in the suburbs of ,nantes1 and for the convenience of his patrons ran a vehicle at fixed hours to and from the town4 ,this coach1 which was similar in build to the ,parisian ones1 he named the 8,voiture des ,bains de ,richebourg10 but quickly came to the conclusion that the title was too long1 and therefore endeavoured to think of a more suitable one4 ,it happened that just at that time a local grocer named ,omns caused considerable amusement in the town by painting over his shop 8,omns ,omnibus40 ,no sooner did ,baudry see this than he declared that he had found the very word which he required1 and straightway renamed his vehicle 8,l',omnibus40 ,later1 he started lines of omnibuses at ,paris and ,bordeaux1 but they were not very successful1 and the severe winter of #ahbi1 which made forage very dear and the streets almost impassable1 ruined him completely and drove him to commit suicide4 ,but before he died he had made the word 8omnibus0 familiar to ,parisians4 ,many of the vehicles belonging to other proprietors bore the inscription 8,enterprise ,gnrale des ,omnibus10 which1 while not making people believe that the coach so inscribed was one of ,baudry's1 ensured its being called an ,omnibus4 ,,chapter ,,ii ,george ,shillibeer introduces omnibuses into ,england--,the first omnibus route--,shillibeer's conductors defraud him--,his plans for preventing fraud--,an omnibus library--,shopkeepers complain of omnibus obstruction4 ,laffitte's omnibuses were so exceedingly well managed that they continued to prosper in spite of the many new lines started in opposition to them4 ,with a view to maintaining the superiority of his omnibuses over those of his rivals1 ,laffitte decided to have two vehicles built which should eclipse in comfort and appearance any others on the streets4 ,he gave the order to ,mr4 ,george ,shillibeer1 a well-known ,parisian coach-builder4 ,shillibeer had been a midshipman in the ,british ,navy1 but quitted the service and went to ,hatchett's1 in ,long ,acre1 to learn coach-building4 ,later1 he started business for himself in ,paris1 and as ,english carriages were then becoming very fashionable1 he met with considerable success1 and built carriages and coaches for the most influential men of the day4 ,while executing ,laffitte's order it occurred to ,shillibeer that he might1 with considerable advantage to himself1 start omnibuses in ,london4 ,he decided to do so1 and1 disposing of his business1 returned to ,london and took premises at ,bury ,street1 ,bloomsbury1 whence he made it known that he was about to introduce 8a new vehicle called the omnibus40 ,the word 8omnibus0 was received with marked disapproval by every person to whom ,shillibeer spoke concerning his new venture4 8,if one vehicle is to be called an omnibus1 what are two or more to be called80 people said to him4 8,omnibuses10 ,shillibeer replied promptly1 but his questioners were horrified1 and to their dying days preferred to call them 8,shillibeers40 ,some people called them 8omnis10 and ,mr4 ,joseph ,hume1 speaking years later in the ,house of ,commons1 created much laughter by referring seriously to the vehicles as 8omnibi40 ,the route which ,shillibeer chose for his first omnibus was from the ,yorkshire ,stingo at ,paddington1 along the ,new ,road to the ,bank4 ,the ,new ,road was the name by which ,marylebone1 ,euston and ,pentonville ,roads were then known4 ,three or four short-stage-coaches had been running on that road for many years1 but as they took three hours to get from ,paddington to the ,city1 and charged two shillings for outside seats and three shillings for inside ones1 they were not patronised by able-bodied people1 who usually preferred to walk4 ,moreover1 the short-stage-coaches were uncomfortably loaded with luggage1 which they collected and delivered every journey4 ,on the morning of ,july #d1 #ahbi1 ,shillibeer's two new omnibuses began to run4 ,a large crowd assembled to witness the start1 and general admiration was expressed at the smart appearance of the vehicles1 which were built to carry twenty-two passengers1 all inside1 and were drawn by three beautiful bays1 harnessed abreast4 ,the word 8,omnibus0 was painted in large letters on both sides of the vehicles4 ,the fare from the ,yorkshire ,stingo to the ,bank was one shilling2 half way1 sixpence4 ,newspapers and magazines were provided free of charge4 ,the conductors1 too1 came in for considerable notice1 for it had become known that they were both the sons of ,british naval officers--friends of ,shillibeer4 ,these amateur conductors had resided for some years in ,paris1 and were1 therefore1 well acquainted with the duties of the position which they assumed4 ,the idea of being the first omnibus conductors in ,england pleased them greatly1 and prompted them to work their hardest to make ,shillibeer's venture a success4 ,they were attired in smart blue-cloth uniforms1 cut like a midshipman's2 they spoke ,french fluently1 and their politeness to passengers was a pleasing contrast to the rudeness of the short-stage-coach guards--a most ill-mannered class of men4 ,illustration3 ,,shillibeer',s ,,first ,,omnibus4 ,each omnibus made twelve journeys a day1 and was generally full4 ,so great a success were they that the takings averaged a hundred pounds a week4 ,nevertheless1 ,shillibeer had much to contend with4 ,the short-stage-coach proprietors1 disliking competition1 endeavoured to incite the populace against ,shillibeer by declaring that he was a ,frenchman1 and ought not to be allowed to run his foreign vehicles in ,england4 ,moreover1 the aristocratic and wealthy residents of ,paddington ,green objected strongly to the omnibuses coming into their select neighbourhood1 and petitioned the local authorities to prevent their doing so4 ,and when they found that their endeavours were futile1 they declared solemnly that ,paddington ,green was doomed4 ,if they saw the neighbourhood to-day1 they would consider1 no doubt1 that their prophecy was fulfilled1 although1 as a matter of fact1 it was railways and not omnibuses that1 from a residential point of view1 ruined the neighbourhood4 ,but the threatened doom of ,paddington ,green did not deter the sentimental poke-bonneted young ladies1 who resided in the charming suburb1 from spending a considerable amount of their time in watching the omnibuses start4 ,in the middle of the day many of them were in the habit of taking a ride to ,king's ,cross and back1 for the sole purpose of improving their ,french by conversing with the conductors4 ,that praiseworthy amusement was short-lived1 however1 for as soon as the omnibuses were in good working order1 the gentlemen-conductors relinquished their posts and were succeeded by paid officials4 ,the new conductors were dressed in dark velvet suits1 and as far as politeness was concerned were all that could be desired4 ,unfortunately they became possessed of the belief1 not yet quite extinct1 that to rob an omnibus proprietor was no sin4 ,the amount of money handed in to ,shillibeer grew less daily--a very suspicious decrease1 considering that people living on the road which the omnibuses travelled declared that the vehicles were as well patronised as ever4 ,shillibeer therefore made arrangements with various trustworthy people to ride in his omnibuses1 as ordinary passengers1 and check the number of people carried and the amount of fares which they paid4 ,for a few days every journey that the omnibuses made there was a male or female passenger watching the conductors1 and from their reports ,shillibeer discovered that the two men were1 between them1 robbing him to the extent of #bj a week4 ,this was corroborated by the conductors themselves1 whose style of living had become decidedly luxurious4 ,in their time of affluence they did not forget their poorer friends1 and one night1 after work was finished1 they treated a number of them to a champagne supper at the ,yorkshire ,stingo4 ,the whole party became hilariously drunk1 and while in that condition the hosts threw discretion to the winds1 and bragged loudly that they made #aj each a week out of the omnibuses1 in excess of their pay4 ,among their guests were detectives employed by ,shillibeer1 who repeated the confession of fraud to their employer1 with the result that the first professional omnibus conductors were discharged4 ,shillibeer's leniency1 due to his anxiety not to have his omnibuses mixed up in any scandal1 encouraged succeeding conductors to steal4 ,shillibeer was at his wits' end what to do1 when a man called on him with a patent register guaranteed to put a stop to the conductors' pilferings4 ,the register was designed to be placed underneath the omnibus1 and people entering or leaving the vehicle trod on a plate fixed in the step1 the register recording every person who stepped upon it4 ,shillibeer liked the idea1 and bought one of the registers on the condition that the inventor acted as conductor until its reliability had been proved thoroughly4 ,for two weeks everything went well1 and the conductor was anticipating an order for a second register1 when a gang of men1 in sympathy with the discharged conductors1 attacked the omnibus while it was standing outside the ,yorkshire ,stingo1 smashed the patent register with sledge-hammers1 and half murdered its inventor4 ,shillibeer1 who had paid #cjj for the demolished register1 did not order another one to be made1 but tried a new and less expensive check1 which was in use in the ,paris omnibuses4 ,a specially made clock was fixed in a prominent position in each omnibus1 with a notice beneath it informing the public that it was the conductor's duty to move the hand a certain distance whenever a passenger entered1 and requesting that any neglect of that duty should be reported to the proprietor4 ,but1 in spite of that appeal1 the conductors neglected persistently to act according to instructions1 and not one report of their breach of duty was ever received by ,shillibeer from an ordinary passenger4 ,some of them1 indeed1 amused themselves by turning the hand round until the register showed that the omnibus had carried an impossible number of people4 ,this amusement was getting very popular when ,shillibeer put an end to it by removing the clocks and trusting to his conductors' honour--a confidence which was proved1 time after time1 to be entirely misplaced4 ,illustration3 ,,shillibeer',s ,,third ,,omnibus4 ,but1 in spite of all obstacles1 ,shillibeer prospered1 and in less than nine months had twelve omnibuses at work4 ,a few of these were two-horse omnibuses carrying twelve passengers inside and two outside4 ,some ran from ,paddington to the ,bank1 vi ,oxford ,street and ,holborn4 ,on all these new vehicles 8,shillibeer0 was painted in large letters on the sides1 instead of 8,omnibus40 ,the ,post ,office authorities were the first to copy ,shillibeer's vehicles4 ,they had four built1 resembling the originals in every respect save the painting and lettering4 ,on ,september #bc1 #ahbi1 these vehicles--accelerators they were called--started at half-past eight in the morning from the back of the ,general ,post ,office for the western and north-western districts4 ,each accelerator carried twelve or thirteen letter-carriers1 who were put down at various points to begin their delivery4 ,a little later1 ,shillibeer's brother-in-law started some omnibuses which ran along the ,caledonian ,road1 and were known as 8,caledonians40 ,these1 too1 were successful1 and many years later became the property of ,mr4 ,wilson1 the once famous ,islington omnibus proprietor4 ,wilson's 8,favorites0 were known to every ,londoner1 and the 8,caledonians0 were merged into them4 ,at the present day the 8,favorites0 belong to the ,london ,general ,omnibus ,company1 ,limited1 and on their way from the ,nag's ,head1 ,holloway1 to ,west ,kensington and ,fulham traverse their original road4 ,in #ahcb1 wishing to still further increase the number of his omnibuses1 ,shillibeer took into partnership ,mr4 ,william ,morton1 a ,southwell publican1 who sold his business to join him4 ,the partnership was dissolved in ,january1 #ahcd1 ,morton taking as his share of the business the whole of the ,new ,road omnibuses4 ,he failed1 however1 to make them pay1 and sold them at a great loss4 ,eventually he became so reduced in circumstances that he applied for1 and obtained1 a position as an omnibus conductor1 but was discharged for drunkenness1 and1 in a fit of despondency1 committed suicide at his lodgings in ,little ,carlisle ,street1 ,edgware ,road4 ,at the inquest1 ,shillibeer's enemies--of whom he had a large number among short-stage-coach proprietors--endeavoured to prove that the deceased had been swindled over his omnibus partnership4 ,but these charges were shown to be the outcome of jealousy and petty spite1 and it was proved that1 in giving over the ,new ,road omnibuses to his late partner1 ,shillibeer had behaved with great generosity1 for that was the only line on which there was no opposition4 ,the omnibuses were paying excellently at the time of the dissolution of partnership1 but ,morton mismanaged them4 ,the person to whom he sold them soon made them as remunerative as they had been under ,shillibeer's management4 ,in fact1 the ,new ,road route was the best patronised1 and1 in #ahcg1 there were fifty-four omnibuses on that road4 ,the fares were then sixpence any distance4 ,in the same year that ,shillibeer took ,morton into partnership1 there were several lines of omnibuses running in opposition to him1 for the old short-stage-coach proprietors were now alive to the fact that there was much money to be made out of omnibuses2 but the original vehicles had the reputation of being excellently conducted1 and1 consequently1 were preferred by the public4 ,aware of this1 the proprietors of some opposition omnibuses had the impudence to paint on the panels of their vehicles the word 8,shillibeer40 ,shillibeer then named his omnibuses 8,shillibeer's ,original ,omnibuses40 ,some of the opposition proprietors1 however1 were men of sufficient enterprise to object to remaining mere imitators of ,shillibeer1 and tried their hardest to make their omnibuses more attractive than those of their great rival4 ,one man made all his coachmen wear a wooden ring on each arm with strings attached to them which ran along each side of the roof of the omnibus and out at the back to the conductor4 ,the passenger would then pull the cord or tell the conductor which side he wished to be put down1 and if it were the near side the left string would be pulled2 but if the passenger desired to get out on the off side the conductor would pull the right string1 and the coachman would drive across the road and come to a standstill on what is now the wrong side of the road4 ,it seems strange that such a proceeding should have been allowed in ,london1 but the arrangement was very popular with passengers1 who grumbled and wrote letters to the proprietors if the strings were absent or defective4 ,very soon after the introduction of such strings there were few omnibuses in ,london without them1 and they remained in fashion for many years4 ,many omnibuses had clocks fixed in them for the convenience of passengers1 and to ensure conductor and coachman keeping their time4 ,bells did not come into use until many years later4 ,when a conductor wanted his coachman to stop he usually shouted to him4 ,when he wished him to go on he shouted again or banged the door4 ,mr4 ,cloud1 who ran omnibuses from the ,white ,horse1 ,haymarket1 to ,chelsea and ,hammersmith--fares one shilling and half a crown--eclipsed ,shillibeer in one respect4 ,shillibeer supplied his patrons with newspapers and magazines2 ,cloud provided his with books by well-known authors4 ,a little bookcase1 well filled1 was fixed in each of his omnibuses at the end near the horses4 ,books were expensive in those days1 and many people rode to ,hammersmith and back for the sole purpose of reading a particular one which they knew to be in the omnibus library4 ,but this admirable innovation was abused shamefully by the passengers1 who appeared to consider it no sin to purloin the volumes4 ,disgusted at the dishonesty of his patrons1 ,mr4 ,cloud announced publicly that1 in consequence of the thefts1 his libraries would be discontinued4 ,the bookcases were removed1 and in place of each a seat was fixed1 thereby enabling the omnibus to accommodate thirteen inside passengers instead of twelve4 ,other omnibus proprietors decided that their vehicles should also carry thirteen passengers1 but provided no additional accommodation4 ,a conductor would tell a person that there was room inside1 but when the passenger entered he would find the six seats on either side occupied4 ,if he happened to be a stout party1 the burning question was on which side ought he to sit4 ,the matter was generally settled by the new-comer flopping down on some one's lap4 ,then a quarrel would ensue4 ,as late as #ahhb an omnibus with a seat in front of the fareboard was running from ,oxford ,circus to ,hendon1 vi ,kilburn4 ,it was a most uncomfortable seat1 but1 nevertheless1 it was nearly always occupied1 for the conductor1 being a very amusing fellow1 had a knack of quickly soothing passengers who protested against sitting on a small1 cramped seat4 ,soon after the removal of the bookcases1 some of the ,hammersmith omnibuses acquired the habit of loitering1 and thereby obstructing the streets4 ,by ,act of ,parliament1 the police had the power to take into custody the driver of any public vehicle who obstructed the high road and refused to move on4 ,one morning they exercised their power by pulling two omnibus-drivers from their boxes and taking them to the police-station4 ,the following day the drivers were fined forty shillings or a month's imprisonment4 ,for a few days there was no loitering on the ,hammersmith ,road4 ,but one ,saturday evening an omnibus pulled up at ,knightsbridge in such a position as to obstruct the traffic4 ,a policeman shouted fiercely to the driver to move on1 but the coachman calmly shook his head and would not budge an inch4 ,two policemen promptly rushed forward to pull him from his seat and take him into custody1 but1 to their astonishment1 found that he was chained to the box and the chain fastened by a huge padlock4 ,their attempts to remove him were useless4 ,then several other omnibuses came along1 and pulled up close to the first one4 ,the drivers of these were also chained to their boxes1 and amused themselves and the crowd by chaffing the police and shaking their chains at them4 ,after remaining at ,knightsbridge for some considerable time1 they drove away in triumph1 only1 however1 to be fined a few days later4 ,about this time shopkeepers began to complain that omnibuses prevented their customers driving up to their doors in their carriages1 and ,mr4 ,shufflebotham1 a silk mercer of ,ludgate ,hill1 championing their cause1 applied for summonses against twenty-four conductors for loitering4 ,under an old ,act of ,parliament1 any stage-coach driver taking up or setting down passengers in the streets was liable to a penalty of not less than #e4 ,all the conductors were fined1 but public opinion was by no means favourable to the shopkeepers1 and further attempts to prove that private carriages had a greater right to the public streets than omnibuses failed completely4 ,on one occasion an alderman had before him a hundred and twenty conductors charged with the fearful offence--in tradesmen's eyes--of stopping their omnibuses a few moments in front of a shop when a carriage was waiting to pull up there4 ,the alderman discharged every one of the defendants1 and his action was so popular that1 until a year or two ago1 no one had the impudence to suggest that the days of class legislation should be restored--that omnibuses which carry twenty-six passengers should be turned out of the main streets to make room for private carriages with their burden of four4 ,on ,january #g1 #ahcb1 a new ,stage-,coach ,act came into force4 ,it had been passed specially to permit omnibuses and short-stage-coaches to take up and set down passengers in the streets4 ,,chapter ,,iii ,shillibeer runs omnibuses in opposition to a railway--,extraordinary action of the ,stamp and ,taxes ,office--,shillibeer is ruined--,he appeals to the ,government for compensation--,government promises not fulfilled--,shillibeer becomes an undertaker4 ,shortly after dissolving partnership with ,morton1 ,shillibeer relinquished his metropolitan business and began to run omnibuses from ,london to ,greenwich and ,woolwich1 placing twenty vehicles on the road4 ,it was a very bold step1 considering that a railway from ,london to ,greenwich had been decided upon2 but there were many people who believed that the railway was doomed by his action4 ,in fact1 the following song1 entitled 8,shillibeer's ,original ,omnibus versus the ,greenwich ,railroad10 which expressed that opinion1 was sold extensively in the streets4 8,by a ,joint-,stock ,company taken in hand1 ,a railroad from ,london to ,greenwich is plann'd1 ,but they're sure to be beat1 'tis most certainly clear1 ,their rival has got the start--,george ,shillibeer4 8,i will not for certainty vouch for the fact1 ,but believe that he means to run over the ,act ,which ,parliament pass'd at the end of last year1 ,now made null and void by the new ,shillibeer4 8,his elegant omnis1 which now throng the road1 ,up and down every hour most constantly load2 ,across all the three bridges how gaily appear1 ,the ,original ,omnibus--,george ,shillibeer4 8,these pleasure and comfort with safety combine1 ,they will neither blow up nor explode like a mine2 ,those who ride on the rail-road might half die with fear-- ,you can come to no harm in the safe ,shillibeer4 8,how exceedingly elegant fitted1 inside1 ,with mahogany polished--soft cushions--beside ,bright brass ventilators at each end appear1 ,the latest improvements in the new ,shillibeer4 8,here no draughts of air cause a crick in the neck1 ,or huge bursting boiler blows all to a wreck1 ,but as safe as at home you from all danger steer1 ,while you travel abroad in the gay ,shillibeer4 8,then of the exterior ,i safely may say ,there never was yet any carriage more gay1 ,while the round-tire wheels make it plainly appear ,that there's none run so light as the smart ,shillibeer4 8,his conductors are famous for being polite1 ,obliging and civil1 they always act right1 ,for if just complaint only comes to his ear1 ,they are not long conductors for ,george ,shillibeer4 8,it was meant that they all should wear dresses alike1 ,but bad luck has prompted the tailors to strike4 ,when they go to their work1 his men will appear la ,franaise1 ,conducteur ,mons4 ,shillibeer4 8,unlike the conductors by tailors opprest1 ,his horses have all in new harness been drest3 ,the cattle are good1 the men's orders are clear1 ,not to gallop or race--so says ,shillibeer4 8,that the beauties of ,greenwich and ,deptford may ride ,in his elegant omni is the height of his pride-- ,so the plan for a railroad must soon disappear ,while the public approve of the new ,shillibeer40 ,but1 unfortunately for ,shillibeer1 the plan for the ,greenwich railway did not disappear4 ,it was carried out1 and when1 in #ahce1 the railway was opened1 the earnings of ,shillibeer's omnibuses began to decrease ominously4 ,for a time ,shillibeer struggled on manfully1 but the fight with the railway was an expensive one1 and getting into arrears with his payments to the ,stamp and ,taxes ,office1 his omnibuses were seized and not permitted to be worked until the money was paid4 ,this unreasonable action on the part of the ,stamp ,office was repeated three or four times1 and the heavy expenses and hindrance to business caused thereby brought about ,shillibeer's failure4 ,acting on the advice of his many sympathisers1 ,shillibeer appealed1 in #ahch1 to the ,lords of the ,treasury for compensation for the injustice done to him1 with the result that1 shortly after1 he was offered the position of ,assistant ,registrar of ,licences1 created by the ,bill just passed for the better regulation of omnibuses in and near the ,metropolis4 ,this ,act1 the second one dealing with omnibuses1 made it compulsory that the words 8,metropolitan ,stage ,carriage10 the ,stamp ,office number1 and the number of passengers that each vehicle was licensed to carry should be painted1 in a conspicuous manner1 both on the inside and outside of every omnibus4 ,drivers and conductors were compelled to wear numbered badges1 so as to afford means of identification in case of misconduct4 ,licences were not to be transferred or lent under a penalty of #e1 and the omnibus proprietors were forbidden1 under a penalty of #aj1 to allow any unlicensed person to act as driver or conductor1 except in the case of sudden illness of the licensed man4 ,shillibeer had been led to believe that he would receive the appointment of ,registrar of ,licences1 and was1 therefore1 greatly disappointed when the ,assistant ,registrarship was offered him4 ,he declined it1 and renewed his applications to the ,lords of the ,treasury for compensation for the loss he had suffered through the almost criminal stupidity of the ,stamp and ,taxes ,office4 ,at length their ,lordships appointed their ,financial ,secretary1 ,mr4 ,gordon1 to inquire into his case1 and that gentleman's investigation of the facts proved to their complete satisfaction that ,shillibeer had been cruelly wronged by the ,stamp and ,taxes ,office4 ,thereupon1 they promised ,shillibeer that he should receive a ,government appointment1 or a sum of money1 that would compensate him for the loss he had suffered4 ,mr4 ,gordon was then instructed to apply to the ,marquis of ,normanby and the ,right ,hon4 ,henry ,labouchere1 the heads of two ,government departments1 to appoint ,shillibeer ,inspector-,general of ,public ,carriages1 or to give him an appointment on the ,railway ,department at the ,board of ,trade4 ,unfortunately both of these applications were unsuccessful4 ,mr4 ,gordon then applied for and obtained for ,shillibeer the promise of one of the twenty-five appointments of ,receiver-,general of ,county ,courts1 which were just then being established4 ,but once again ,shillibeer was doomed to disappointment4 ,mr4 ,gordon resigned his position of ,secretary to the ,lords of the ,treasury1 but1 before ceasing his duties1 he told ,shillibeer that1 if the ,miscellaneous ,estimates for the year had not been made up1 his name would have been placed in them for a grant of #ejjj4 ,moreover1 he promised to impress upon his successor the necessity of seeing that ,shillibeer received his appointment and grant4 ,he received neither4 ,his claims were not disputed1 but unjustly ignored4 ,at last ,shillibeer came to the conclusion that it was useless to place reliance in ,government promises4 ,he1 therefore1 started business as an undertaker1 in premises adjoining ,bunhill ,fields ,burial-ground1 and the following advertisement appeared continually in the daily papers and elsewhere3-- 8,aux trangers4 ,pompes4 8,funbres sur le systeme de la ,compagnie ,gnrale des ,inhumations et ,pompes ,funbres ,paris4 ,shillibeer's1 ,city ,road1 near ,finsbury ,square1 o l'on parle ,franais4 ,every description of funerals1 from the most costly to the most humble1 performed much lower than any other funeral establishment4 ,catholic fittings from ,paris4 ,gentlemen's funerals from #aj guineas4 ,tradesmen's and artisans'1 #h1 #f1 and #d40 ,in a few years ,shillibeer was well known as an undertaker1 and gave evidence before the ,board of ,health on the subject of the scheme for extra-mural sepulture4 ,but his success as an undertaker1 which must have been very gratifying to him after losing many thousands of pounds as an omnibus proprietor1 robbed him of posthumous fame by preventing his name becoming as much a household word as is ,hansom's4 ,for several years after his pecuniary interest in omnibuses had ceased the vehicles which he had introduced into ,england were called 8,shillibeers0 more frequently than 8,omnibuses10 but as soon as his 8,shillibeer ,funeral ,coaches0 became well advertised1 people did not like to say that they were going for a ride in a ,shillibeer1 in case they might be misunderstood4 ,so the word 8,shillibeer10 which would in time have superseded 8,omnibus10 and been spelt with a small 8s10 was discarded1 and is now almost forgotten4 ,shillibeer was also associated with ,mr4 ,g4 ,a4 ,thrupp1 the author of 8,the ,history of the ,art of ,coachbuilding10 ,mr4 ,john ,peters1 ,mr4 ,robson1 and ,mr4 ,lewis ,leslie in efforts to obtain a reduction of the heavy taxes on carriages4 ,mr4 ,thrupp has described ,shillibeer to me as a big1 energetic man1 with a florid complexion1 and brisk both in his movements and his speech4 ,shillibeer died at ,brighton on ,august #bb1 #ahff1 aged sixty-nine1 and it is not to our credit that we have done nothing to perpetuate the memory of one to whom we owe as delightful a form of cheap riding as could be desired4 ,,chapter ,,iv ,introduction of steam omnibuses--,the 8,autopsy10 the 8,era10 and the 8,automaton0--,steam omnibuses a failure4 ,some years before ,shillibeer introduced omnibuses into ,england1 a number of experienced engineers had devoted themselves to the invention of steam carriages1 and so satisfied were they with their achievements that they felt justified in predicting that horse-drawn vehicles were doomed4 ,once more1 however1 we see the truth of the saying that threatened institutions live long for the elimination of the horse is still an event of the distant future4 ,sir ,charles ,dance1 ,dr4 ,church1 ,colonel ,maceroni1 ,messrs4 ,frazer1 ,goldsworthy ,gurney1 ,hancock1 ,heaton1 ,maudsley1 ,ogle1 ,redmond1 ,john ,scott ,russell1 ,squire1 and ,summers were the leading men interested in the building of steam carriages1 but few of them produced vehicles which are deserving of being remembered4 ,mr4 7afterwards ,sir7 ,goldsworthy ,gurney was the first to invent a steam carriage that ran with anything like success4 ,his 8,improved ,steam ,carriage0--an ordinary barouche drawn by an engine instead of horses--accomplished some very creditable journeys1 including a run from ,london to ,bath and back at the rate of fifteen miles an hour4 ,illustration3 ,,gurney',s ,,steam ,,carriage4 ,the first real steam omnibuses1 the 8,era0 and 8,autopsy10 were invented by ,walter ,hancock1 of ,stratford1 and placed on the ,london roads in #ahcc4 ,hancock had invented steam carriages before ,shillibeer's omnibuses were introduced1 but the 8,autopsy0 and the 8,era0 were the first which he constructed with the idea of entering into competition with the popular horse-drawn vehicles4 ,the 8,era0 was the better omnibus of the two1 and the most flattering things were said and predicted of it4 ,enthusiasts declared that omnibuses of the 8,era0 type would enable passengers to be carried at a cheaper rate and greater speed than by ,shillibeer's vehicles4 ,illustration3 ,,the 8,,autopsy0 ,,steam ,,omnibus4 ,the 8,era0 ran from ,paddington to the ,bank1 the same route as the horse-drawn omnibuses1 and carried fourteen passengers1 the fare being sixpence all the way4 ,it travelled at the rate of ten miles an hour1 and consumed from #h to #ab lbs4 of coke1 and #ajj lbs4 of water per mile4 ,but1 in spite of what the enthusiasts of the day wrote1 the 8,era0 was by no means a success1 for it broke down continually1 and frequently a considerable time elapsed before it could resume the journey4 ,our grandfathers1 who took life more leisurely than we1 did not appear to be greatly annoyed at these collapses4 ,an hour's delay in reaching their destination was of little consequence to those who could afford to live in the suburbs1 and as the steam omnibuses--when they did run--were guided easily and escaped collisions1 they were perfectly satisfied1 assuring themselves that in a few years1 at the most1 some means would be found for making the vehicles stop only when required4 ,moreover1 they were a novelty1 and as such were patronised for a time4 ,unfortunately for ,hancock1 the eccentricities of the 8,autopsy0 and 8,era0 increased as the months went on1 although the two vehicles continued to run after all the steam omnibuses by other makers had been taken off the roads4 ,nevertheless1 ,hancock was not dispirited1 and in ,july1 #ahce1 started his last1 and best1 steam omnibus--the 8,automaton40 ,this was a larger vehicle than his previous ones1 being built to carry twenty-two passengers1 and to travel at an average speed of thirteen miles an hour4 ,on its trial trip to ,romford and back1 it did not1 however1 succeed in attaining a better average than eleven miles an hour4 ,certainly faster travelling was not desirable in ,london streets1 but on one occasion the 8,automaton0 was driven at full speed along the ,bow ,road1 and covered a mile at the rate of twenty-one miles an hour4 ,and that record run was the more remarkable as1 when it was made1 the omnibus carried twenty passengers4 ,illustration3 ,,the 8,,era0 ,,steam ,,omnibus4 ,mr4 ,hancock was delighted with the working of the 8,automaton10 and1 on the strength of its performance1 forgot all his previous failures and wrote light-heartedly3 8,years of practice have now put all doubts of the economy1 safety1 and superiority of steam travelling on common roads at rest1 when compared with horse travelling2 and ,i have now in preparation calculations founded upon actual practice1 which1 when published1 will prove that steam locomotion on common roads is not unworthy the attention of the capitalist1 though the reverse has been disseminated rather widely of late by parties who do not desire that this branch of improvement should prosper against the interests of themselves40 ,the 8parties0 referred to were the ,london horse-drawn omnibus proprietors1 who1 according to the steam omnibus owners1 indulged in various tricks for making their rivals' vehicles come to grief4 ,their chief offence was said to be covering the roads with loose stones some inches deep1 a proceeding well calculated to injure the steam omnibuses4 ,unfortunately for the steam omnibus people's story1 there is no explanation given of how it was that their rivals were permitted to interfere with the public roads4 ,but how the rumour arose is easily explained4 ,the inventors of steam carriages had proclaimed loudly that their vehicles would not wear out the road as quickly as ordinary carriages1 for they had wide tyres and1 of course1 no horses' hoofs4 ,but1 before long1 the local authorities came to the conclusion that the reverse was the case--that the steam carriages damaged the roads much more quickly than horse-drawn ones did--and grew anxious to put a stop to the increase of such vehicles4 ,gloucester had shown them in #ahca how that could be done4 ,a steam carriage ran between ,gloucester and ,cheltenham twice a day for three months1 but when the local authorities discovered that it was cutting up the roads1 they came to the conclusion that strong measures would have to be adopted to put an end to the nuisance4 ,so they strewed with loose stones nearly two feet deep the road which the horseless vehicle traversed1 and in trying to pass over this obstruction the steam carriage was disabled4 ,other towns in ,england and ,scotland hastened to follow the example of ,gloucester1 and in a few months the number of steam carriages in ,great ,britain was reduced considerably4 ,then ,parliament passed a sheaf of local ,turnpike ,bills1 imposing exceedingly heavy tolls upon steam carriages1 with the result that soon all such vehicles had ceased to run in the provinces4 ,but no such thing as strewing the roads with loose stones was ever adopted in ,london1 and ,hancock's omnibuses had as fair a trial as any reasonable being could desire4 ,the 8,automaton10 the best steam omnibus ever built1 was1 unmistakably a failure1 although ,hancock1 by publishing some statistics of its first five months at work1 gave people the impression that it was a great success4 ,in the #gab journeys which it made it carried #ab1gfa passengers--not a remarkable number1 considering that it ran under favourable circumstances4 ,that is to say1 that when it was found that the interest in the 8,automaton0 was waning on one route1 it was put immediately to another4 ,the majority of journeys were from the ,city to ,islington and back1 but on some days the omnibus ran to ,paddington1 and on others to ,stratford4 ,one morning1 on its way to the ,bank1 it came into collision with a waggon at ,aldgate1 and ,hancock1 in his report of its performances1 declared that to be the only accident worth mentioning4 ,apparently occasional break-downs did not count4 ,illustration3 ,,the 8,,automaton0 ,,steam ,,omnibus4 ,but the public's patronage of the 8,automaton0 grew less as time went on4 ,people soon found that riding in horse omnibuses was far more enjoyable4 ,moreover1 they discovered that they were much more reliable1 the falling of a horse and a minute or two's delay caused thereby1 being the worst that ever happened to them4 ,the 8,automaton10 however1 could not even be relied upon to start when desired4 ,in spite of loss of patronage1 the 8,automaton0 dragged on its existence until #ahdj1 when the ,turnpike ,acts were enforced in ,london1 and gave ,hancock the opportunity of discontinuing his steam omnibus and posing as an ill-used man4 ,and so came to an end the first attempt to run horseless omnibuses in ,london4 ,,chapter ,v ,some old omnibus names--,story of the 8,royal ,blues0--,omnibus racing--,complaints against conductors--,passengers' behaviour--,the well-conducted conductor--,the ill-conducted conductor--,the 8,equirotal ,omnibus40 ,while ,hancock's steam omnibuses were endeavouring to win public support1 horse omnibuses were in a very flourishing condition1 and their proprietors were opening new lines in all the chief parts of ,london4 ,in #ahcg there were fourteen omnibuses running from ,blackheath to ,charing ,cross2 twenty-seven from ,chelsea to ,mile ,end ,gate2 forty-one from ,piccadilly to ,blackwall2 nineteen from ,hampstead to ,holborn1 ,charing ,cross1 and the ,bank2 seventeen from the ,angel1 ,islington1 to the ,elephant and ,castle2 and twenty-five from ,edgware ,road 7the spot where ,sutherland ,avenue now joins ,maida ,vale7 to the ,bank4 ,there were also many omnibuses running into the ,city from ,putney1 ,kew1 ,richmond1 ,deptford1 ,greenwich1 ,lewisham1 ,holloway1 ,highbury1 ,hornsey1 ,highgate1 ,hackney1 ,homerton1 ,clapton1 ,enfield1 ,edmonton1 ,peckham1 ,brixton1 ,norwood1 ,kennington1 ,dulwich1 ,streatham1 and elsewhere4 ,at that time it was the fashion to give each omnibus line a distinctive name1 and people soon understood that a 8,favorite0 went to ,islington1 an 8,eagle0 to ,pimlico1 and so on4 ,the chief lines were the 8,favorites10 the 8,eagles10 the 8,wellingtons10 the 8,king ,williams10 the 8,napoleons10 the 8,victorias10 the 8,nelsons10 the 8,marlboroughs10 the 8,hopes10 8,les ,dames ,blanches10 the 8,citizens10 the 8,emperors10 the 8,venuses10 and the 8,marquess of ,westminsters40 ,at the present day the 8,atlases10 the 8,favorites10 the 8,paragons10 the 8,royal ,blues10 and the 8,times10 are the only omnibuses which have names4 ,the 8,eagles0 were green omnibuses1 and ran from the 8,compasses10 at ,pimlico1 to ,blackwall1 vi ,piccadilly4 ,they belonged to a ,mr4 ,john ,clark1 and old 'busmen declare that one day1 as an 8,eagle0 was passing ,hyde ,park ,corner1 ,her ,majesty ,queen ,victoria1 then unmarried1 overtook it1 and by some means or other her long habit was caught by the handle of the open door4 ,clark1 who1 so the story runs1 was acting as conductor on that occasion1 released it instantly1 and ,her ,majesty graciously thanked him for his promptitude4 ,in commemoration of this incident1 ,clark had the omnibus painted blue1 and substituted for the word 8,eagle0 on the panels1 the words 8,royal ,blue40 ,moreover1 he had a picture of ,her ,majesty on horseback painted on the panel of the door4 ,after a time he called all his omnibuses on that line 8,royal ,blues10 but the original 8,royal ,blue0 was the only one that bore a picture of the ,queen4 ,but the first half of the above story is not correct4 ,what really happened is as follows3--,clark was driving one of his omnibuses by ,hyde ,park ,corner1 when suddenly ,her ,majesty approached on horseback4 ,he endeavoured to pull out of the way1 but1 as the road was partially blocked1 it was not an easy thing to do4 ,however1 being an excellent whip1 he succeeded1 and the ,queen1 who had witnessed his efforts1 most graciously bowed to him as she rode by4 ,for many years the picture of the ,queen painted on the ,royal ,blue omnibus was one of the sights pointed out to visitors to ,london4 ,eventually1 wishing to preserve the picture1 ,clark had it cut out of the omnibus door and framed1 and it is now in the possession of his daughter4 ,the 8,royal ,blues10 which were among the first omnibuses sold to the ,london ,general ,omnibus ,company1 now run from ,victoria to ,king's ,cross vi ,piccadilly and ,bond ,street4 ,the 8,favorites0 were named after a ,parisian line of omnibuses called ,les ,favorites4 ,the drivers and conductors wore dark blue suits with brass buttons4 ,these omnibuses had1 as at present1 the word 8,favorite0 painted in large letters along the panels1 and an opposition proprietor imitated them as closely as he dared by having 8,favor me0 painted on the sides of his omnibus4 ,but the most formidable rivals of the 8,favorites0 were the 8,hopes10 and the racing between these omnibuses became decidedly exciting4 ,a 8,favorite0 and a 8,hope0 would start together from the corner opposite the ,angel1 and race madly down the ,city ,road to the ,bank4 ,but the accidents which they caused in their wild career became so appallingly numerous that the ,islington ,vestry offered a reward to any one giving such information as would lead to the conviction of any driver4 ,this action certainly checked the racing proclivities of the ,islington omnibus drivers1 but in other parts of ,london racing flourished for many years4 ,down the ,haymarket from ,coventry ,street was a favourite racing-ground4 ,then1 as now1 there was a cab-rank in the centre of the road1 and two omnibuses would race down1 one each side of it and frequently come into collision with each other at the end4 ,many passengers encouraged the coachmen to race1 and when accidents occurred to the horses or omnibuses1 frequently subscribed to pay for the damage4 ,some of the omnibus proprietors possessed very inferior stock1 and the horses to be seen pulling their vehicles were a disgrace to ,london4 ,a story is told of a coachman out of work who applied to one of these proprietors for a job4 8,ever driven a 'bus before80 the proprietor asked4 8,yes1 sir4 ,i drove a ,kingsland 'bus40 8,h'm4 ,discharged1 ,i suppose40 8,no1 sir4 ,i left because ,i wanted a change40 8,how many accidents have you had80 8,none at all1 sir40 8,smart coachman6 ,have you let many horses down80 8,never let one down1 sir40 8,get out of my yard10 shouted the proprietor1 fiercely2 8you're no good to me4 ,i want a man who's had plenty of practice at getting horses up4 ,mine are always falling down40 ,about this time1 the latter part of the thirties1 omnibus conductors began to fall into disrepute4 ,the chief complaints against them1 apart from their ordinary rudeness to passengers1 were that when they were wanted to stop the omnibus they were always busy talking to the coachman along the roof1 and that they banged the doors too violently whenever a person entered or got out4 ,others complained of their shouting unnecessarily1 and of standing at the door gazing in at the passengers1 thereby preventing fresh air from coming in1 and polluting the atmosphere with their foul breath4 ,moreover1 the 8cads10 as the conductors were now called1 were not at all careful to keep objectionable people out of their omnibuses1 and one passenger1 an old lady1 had an exciting experience4 ,she entered an omnibus1 and the door was banged behind her in the usual nerve-shattering way4 8,right away1 ,bill60 the conductor shouted1 and before the poor old lady had recovered from the shock of the door slamming1 the omnibus started1 and she was pitched into the far dark corner1 and fell against some men sitting there1 who answered her timid apologies with an outburst of the vilest language imaginable4 ,the old lady1 horrified at their abuse1 began to rebuke them1 but stopped short1 terrified1 when she discovered that her fellow-passengers were three villainous-looking convicts1 chained together and in charge of a warder4 ,she screamed to the conductor to stop the omnibus1 but the conductor was1 as usual1 talking to the driver1 and did not heed her cries4 ,then she opened the door to get out1 and1 in her excitement1 fell into the road4 ,the conductor jumped down1 picked her up1 demanded the fare1 and got it4 8,right away1 ,bill60 he shouted1 and the omnibus drove on1 leaving the old lady1 bruised and trembling1 in the middle of the road4 ,while many people were complaining of the omnibus conductors' behaviour1 a large number of regular riders declared that it was but little worse than that of many passengers1 and in ,january1 #ahcf1 the ,times published the following guide to behaviour in omnibuses3-- ,,omnibus ,,law4 #a4 ,keep your feet off the seats4 #b4 ,do not get into a snug corner yourself1 and then open the windows to admit a northwester upon the neck of your neighbour4 #c4 ,have your money ready when you desire to alight4 ,if your time is not valuable1 that of others may be4 #d4 ,do not impose on the conductor the necessity of finding you change2 he is not a banker4 #e4 ,sit with your limbs straight1 and do not let your legs describe an angle of forty-five1 thereby occupying the room of two persons4 #f4 ,do not spit upon the straw4 ,you are not in a hog-sty1 but in an omnibus1 travelling in a country which boasts of its refinement4 #g4 ,behave respectfully to females1 and put not an unprotected lass to the blush because she cannot escape from your brutality4 #h4 ,if you bring a dog1 let him be small and confined by a string4 #i4 ,do not introduce large parcels2 an omnibus is not a van4 #aj4 ,reserve bickerings and disputes for the open field4 ,the sound of your own voice may be music to your own ears--not so1 perhaps1 to those of your companions4 #aa4 ,if you will broach politics or religion1 speak with moderation2 all have an equal right to their opinions1 and all have an equal right not to have them wantonly shocked4 #ab4 ,refrain from affectation and conceited airs4 ,remember you are riding a distance for sixpence which1 if made in a hackney-coach1 would cost you as many shillings2 and that should your pride elevate you above plebeian accommodations1 your purse should enable you to command aristocratic indulgences4 ,excellent advice1 undoubtedly1 and some of it might be taken to heart1 with good results1 by hundreds of omnibus passengers of to-day4 ,as time passed1 the behaviour of the conductors grew worse4 ,this was due chiefly to the indifference of the omnibus proprietors4 ,if their conductors paid in a certain amount daily1 they were quite satisfied with them1 and by no means thankful to passengers who complained of their misbehaviour4 ,the omnibus proprietor of this period was a much lower class of man than ,george ,shillibeer4 ,in most cases he himself had been a driver or conductor1 and1 on becoming an employer1 his chief anxiety was to prevent his men growing rich at his expense4 ,knowing from experience what an omnibus could earn in various seasons and weather1 he took every precaution possible to guard against his men retaining as large a portion of the earnings as he himself had pocketed when a conductor4 ,the men who paid daily the sum he demanded were the conductors he preferred1 and these usually were the passenger-swindling1 bullying specimens1 and thoroughly deserved their name--8cads40 ,in ,january1 #ahda1 the ,times printed the following description of two classes of conductors3-- ,,the ,,well-,,conducted ,,conductor #a4 ,never bawls out 8,bank--,bank--,city--,bank60 because he knows that passengers are always as much on the look-out for him as he is for them1 so that these loud and hideous shouts are quite unnecessary4 #b4 ,never bangs the omnibus door after he has let a passenger in or out1 but makes it a rule to shut it as quietly as possible4 #c4 ,always takes care that there are two check strings or straps running along the roof of the omnibus1 on the inside1 and communicating with the arms of the driver by two large wooden or other rings which are easily slipped on and off4 #d4 ,is careful also to have a direction conspicuously placed inside the omnibus1 announcing to the passengers that if they wish to be set down on the right hand they will pull the right-hand check-string or strap1 and if they wish to be set down on the left hand they will pull the left-hand check-string4 ,by this arrangement the passenger is set down exactly where he wishes to be1 and all the bawling is prevented4 #e4 ,never stands at the omnibus door staring in upon the passengers1 but sits down upon the seat provided for him outside4 ,in this way he knows that he gains a double advantage3 he is saved the fatigue of standing during a whole journey1 and by looking backwards as the driver looks forwards1 persons who wish to ride are more easily seen than if the driver and conductor are both looking the same way4 #f4 ,never allows the driver to go on till the passengers are safely seated1 and always directs him to pull up close either to the right or left hand of the street or road4 ,,the ,,ill-,,conducted ,,conductor #a4 ,always bawls out 8,bank--,bank--,city--,bank--,bank--,ban k--,city--,city--,bank--,bank--,bank60 by which disgusting noise his own lungs are injured1 the public peace is disturbed1 and not any advantage gained4 #b4 ,always bangs the door so violently that if you are sitting next the door you are likely to be deafened for life4 #c4 ,never provides any check-string1 but compels the passengers who want to be set down to use their sticks1 canes1 and umbrellas1 and loud shouts into the bargain1 thereby creating a most intolerable nuisance4 #d4 ,always takes up and sets down his passengers in the middle of the street2 by which rudeness they are sometimes bespattered with mud and always exposed to danger4 #e4 ,always stands at the door of the omnibus staring in upon the passengers1 particularly after he has been eating his dinner of beefsteak1 strong onions1 and stale beer2 and generally has some cad or other crony standing and talking with him4 ,the air that would otherwise circulate through the omnibus1 in the way of ventilation1 is obstructed and poisoned4 #f4 ,always bawls out 8,all right60 before the passengers have taken their seats1 by which gross carelessness great inconvenience and even danger are often occasioned4 ,but it was not only of the drivers and conductors that the public complained4 ,the officials at the inquiry offices stationed at the starting-point of each line1 were denounced as being utterly unfitted for the positions they occupied4 ,all were rude1 and most of them possessed but little intelligence4 ,one afternoon1 about twenty minutes past four1 a gentleman entered the omnibus office at the ,george and ,blue ,boar1 ,holborn1 and inquired of the clerk whether omnibuses started from there to a certain railway-station4 8,yes10 was the reply4 8,at what hours80 8,one hour before each train40 8,then ,i'm just in time to catch the #e4cj one40 8,it's all down in writing on that there board40 ,the traveller turned to the board1 and1 finding the #e4cj train entered upon it1 went out into the street to await the arrival of the omnibus4 ,but after pacing up and down for a quarter of an hour1 and seeing no sign of a conveyance1 he returned to the office and enquired when it would arrive4 8,it's gone10 the official said4 8,then it didn't start from here10 the traveller declared4 8,i've been waiting outside since twenty past four40 8,what train do you want to catch80 8,the half-past five1 to be sure4 ,i told you so40 8,oh1 we ain't got no omnibus to catch that train40 8,but1 man1 you said that you had one to each train40 8,i told you it was all down in writing on that there board1 and you ought to have seen for yourself there ain't no omnibus for the half-past five40 ,the traveller again turned to the board1 and after glancing at it1 declared angrily1 8,there's nothing of the kind stated here60 ,the official pointed to a small cross against the #e4cj train1 and said triumphantly1 8,this here mark means there ain't no omnibus40 8,well1 how was ,i to know that80 8,most gentlemen1 when they sees it1 asks me what the deuce it means1 and ,i tells them40 8,but what do the others do80 ,the clerk did not condescend to answer1 but took out his pocket-knife and busied himself in peeling an apple4 ,while the public was busily denouncing the behaviour of 'busmen1 a quaint vehicle1 named the 8equirotal omnibus10 was placed on the streets4 ,the inventor1 ,mr4 ,w4 ,b4 ,adams1 maintained that all vehicles should have four large wheels1 instead of two large and two small1 and his omnibus was constructed on that principle4 ,it was built in two parts1 which were joined together in the middle by a flexible leather passage1 to enable it to turn easily4 8,it will turn with facility in the narrowest streets1 without impeding the passage along the interior10 ,mr4 ,adams declared1 8as the flexible sides move in a circle4 ,with this omnibus two horses will do the work of three2 there will be great facility of access and egress2 perfect command over the horses2 increased ease to the passengers2 greater head-room and more perfect ventilation2 greater general durability and absence of the usual rattling noise1 accompanied by entire safety against overturning40 ,in spite of ,mr4 ,adams's recommendation1 the 8equirotal omnibus0 did not become popular1 and had but a short career4 ,illustration3 ,,adams',s ,,equirotal ,,omnibus4 ,,chapter ,,vi ,twopenny fares introduced--,the first omnibus with advertisements--,penny fares tried--,omnibus improvements--,longitudinal seats objected to by the police--,omnibus associations--,newspapers on the 8,favorites0--,foreigners in omnibuses--,fat and thin passengers--,thomas ,tilling starts the 8,times0 omnibuses--,mr4 ,tilling at the ,derby--,tilling's gallery of photographs4 ,on ,october #ba1 #ahdf1 a line of omnibuses was started from ,paddington to ,hungerford ,market1 ,charing ,cross1 with twopenny fares for short distances4 ,hitherto the lowest fare had been fourpence4 ,in the same year advertisements appeared for the first time in an omnibus4 ,mr4 ,frederick ,marriott1 of #cce1 ,strand1 who started the practice1 registered an omnibus1 with advertisements displayed on the roof inside1 as an article of utility with the title of a 8publicity omnibus40 ,possibly ,mr4 ,marriott--who traded under the name of ,the ,omnibus ,publicity ,company--reaped little profit from his idea1 which was scarcely one that could be protected1 but omnibus proprietors are deeply indebted to him1 for advertisements are as necessary to them as they are to newspaper and magazine proprietors4 ,nevertheless1 an important newspaper made an amusing slip some years ago about omnibus advertisements4 ,a money-lender advertised in certain omnibuses1 and the newspaper in question1 becoming aware of the fact1 made some very strong remarks concerning the proprietor's conduct in permitting such advertisements to appear4 ,the omnibus proprietor wrote at once to the ,editor1 pointing out the inconsistency of his paper1 which censured him on one page for publishing a money-lender's advertisement1 and contained1 on another1 four advertisements of a similar nature4 ,this letter was not published1 and nothing more was said on either side4 ,penny fares were introduced in #ahdi by some omnibuses running from the ,bank to ,mile ,end4 ,for a penny a passenger could ride the whole distance4 ,these omnibuses had but a brief career4 ,in #ahej several attempts were made to improve the style of omnibuses1 with the result that in ,january1 #ahea1 the knife-board omnibus became general4 ,it was not1 however1 like the knife-board omnibuses which we still see occasionally1 for it carried only nine outside passengers4 ,two sat on either side of the coachman1 and the other five on an uncomfortable seat1 about a foot high1 running the length of the omnibus4 ,they climbed up at the back on the right-hand side of the door1 and sat with their faces to the road4 ,there were no seats on the near side1 but occasionally1 when passengers were numerous1 the conductor would permit men to sit there1 with their legs dangling down1 over a little rail1 in front of the windows4 ,but he always extracted a promise from such passengers that if they smashed the windows they would pay for them4 ,that was a very necessary precaution1 as the glass was not of the substantial description now in use4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,knife-,,board ,,omnibus4 ,these new outside seats were very popular with the public1 but the police objected to them1 on the ground that the climbing up to them was dangerous4 ,the police were undoubtedly in the right1 as many accidents testified later1 and when they summoned ,mrs4 ,sophia ,gaywood for having such seats on the roof of one of her ,bayswater omnibuses1 they obtained a conviction4 ,but ,mrs4 ,gaywood1 like most ladies who have been omnibus proprietors1 before and since her time1 was rather fond of litigation1 and appealed against the conviction4 ,mr4 ,wilson of ,islington1 and other leading omnibus proprietors1 gave evidence in her favour1 and finally the appeal was allowed and the conviction quashed4 ,on ,march #ac1 #ahea1 a new patent omnibus was placed on the ,bayswater and ,charing ,cross road4 ,each passenger had a seat entirely to himself1 and every seat was shut off and as secluded as a private box at the theatre4 ,but its career was short4 ,so was that of the ,london ,conveyance ,company1 which ran omnibuses to the ,bank1 vi ,holborn4 ,this ,company's vehicles had the initials ,l4,c4,c4 painted on them1 but not in such large letters as the ,london ,county ,council have on their omnibuses4 ,in ,october of the same year a meeting of ,london omnibus proprietors was held at the ,duke of ,wellington1 ,bathurst ,street1 ,argyle ,square1 to consider a suggestion made by ,mr4 ,crawford1 the originator of the ,hungerford and ,camden ,town ,association--now known as the ,camden ,town ,association--for choosing and working new routes at cheap fares4 ,the ,hungerford and ,camden ,town ,association1 and one or two similar bodies1 had come into existence a few years previously through the omnibus proprietors arriving at the conclusion that it would be more remunerative to cease their fierce struggles one with another1 and to work harmoniously together4 ,they ran their omnibuses at regular intervals1 and the coachmen and conductors were strictly ordered to keep their time4 ,it was an excellent idea1 although it afforded little satisfaction to lawyers1 many of whom had grown prosperous on the quarrels of omnibus proprietors4 ,but a reduction in legal expenses was by no means the only saving effected by the amalgamation4 ,office and management expenses were reduced considerably4 ,the conductors1 instead of being engaged by the various proprietors1 were now employed and controlled by the secretary of the ,association4 ,at the meeting at the ,duke of ,wellington new lines were decided upon1 the most important one being from ,bayswater to the ,bank--fourpence all the way1 with intermediate twopenny fares4 ,twenty omnibuses1 the majority built by ,messrs4 ,rock and ,gowar1 were placed on that road1 and were successful from the day of starting4 ,the ,associations now in existence are-- ,atlas and ,waterloo ,omnibus ,association4 ,camden ,town 0 0 ,john ,bull 0 0 ,king's ,cross and ,barnsbury ,omnibus ,association4 ,king's ,cross and ,victoria ,omnibus ,association4 ,victoria ,station ,omnibus ,association4 ,westminster 0 0 ,nearly all of the above were in existence before the ,london ,general ,omnibus ,company was started4 ,the ,atlas and ,waterloo is the largest of the ,associations1 and its omnibuses run as far south as ,gipsy ,hill and north as ,finchley4 ,moreover1 it claims1 and its claim cannot be disputed1 to have the prettiest omnibus route in ,london4 ,that route is from ,oxford ,circus to ,hendon1 vi ,finchley ,road1 ,child's ,hill and ,golder's ,green4 ,illustration3 ,,omnibus ,,built ,,by ,,rock ,,and ,,gowar4 ,the chief proprietors having omnibuses in some1 or all1 of the above ,associations are3 ,the ,london ,general ,omnibus ,co41 ,ltd42 ,the ,star ,omnibus ,co41 ,london1 ,ltd42 ,the ,associated ,omnibus ,co41 ,ltd42 ,the ,london ,omnibus ,carriage ,co41 ,ltd42 ,thos4 ,tilling1 ,ltd42 ,birch ,bros41 ,ltd42 and ,messrs4 ,cane1 ,clinch1 ,french1 ,glover1 and ,hearn4 ,the ,associated ,omnibus ,co41 ,ltd41 was formed last year to acquire and carry on the businesses of ,the ,omnibus ,proprietors1 ,ltd41 ,mr4 ,john ,watkins and ,mr4 ,p4 ,willing ,tibbs4 ,the ,london ,road ,car ,company1 ,ltd41 and ,messrs4 ,balls ,bros1 work in friendly opposition to the above ,associations4 ,the 8times0 in these ,associations are very valuable1 and when any are placed on the market--which rarely happens--they are snapped up immediately4 ,until he has bought his 8times10 no proprietor is recognized in the omnibus business4 ,in ,november1 #ahea1 newspapers were placed in the 8,favorite0 omnibuses for the convenience of passengers4 ,a rack was fixed at the end opposite the door1 with a printed notice beneath1 asking passengers to replace the papers when done with1 and put a penny in the money-box provided for that purpose4 ,it was soon seen that the ,british public had not changed1 in the matter of forgetfulness1 since ,shillibeer and ,cloud's omnibus days4 ,the passengers were continually taking papers away with them1 and it was very rarely that the money-box was found to contain anything more valuable than buttons4 ,in the year of the ,great ,exhibition1 when ,london was crowded with foreigners1 the number of omnibuses was increased considerably2 but there were not too many1 and proprietors and conductors grew rich in a few months4 ,many of the conductors fared better than their masters1 and when the ,exhibition was at an end settled down to some other business with a comfortable sum in hand to give them a good start4 ,of course1 the conductors did not obtain the money in a legitimate manner4 ,the way in which they did obtain it is1 however1 no secret4 ,every morning1 before starting work1 they provided themselves with a quantity of pence1 half-pence1 and small pieces of silver1 for change4 ,then their chief aim was to fill their omnibuses with foreigners1 and give them wrong change when they alighted4 ,if a foreigner gave one of those conductors half a crown for a four-penny fare1 the latter would count out two sixpences and four half-pence1 put them in the man's hand1 shout out 8,right away1 ,bill60 jump on the step and drive off1 leaving the poor fellow puzzling his brain to understand the change4 ,on other occasions the conductor would tell the foreigners that they had reached their destination before they had gone half-way1 and the unsuspecting aliens would get out1 paying the full fare without a murmur4 ,quarrels among the passengers were of everyday occurrence1 and the cause of the discord was1 almost invariably1 the windows4 ,there were usually five windows on each side of the omnibus1 which could be opened or closed according to the passenger's fancy4 ,an arrangement better calculated to breed discord could scarcely have been made4 ,the quarrels concerning them were usually somewhat ludicrous--from the fact that the ten windows rattled fearfully1 compelling the disputants to yell at each other to make themselves heard4 ,one day a ,frenchman and an ,italian chanced to be sitting side by side in an omnibus4 ,the ,italian pulled up a window just behind them4 ,the ,frenchman promptly1 and indignantly1 lowered it4 ,the ,italian excitedly pulled it up again1 and this ding-dong performance was continued for some little time1 greatly to the amusement of the other passengers4 ,at last1 the ,frenchman grew desperate1 and shattered the glass with his elbow1 exclaiming1 8,now1 ,monsieur1 you can have ze window up if you likes60 ,many ,londoners objected strongly to the overcrowding of omnibuses during the time of the ,exhibition1 and some1 who knew the law1 insisted upon having their proper amount of space1 no matter who suffered in consequence4 ,the law had declared that every passenger was entitled to sixteen inches of room on the seat2 that he might measure it1 and any person hindering him from doing so was liable to a penalty of #e4 ,consequently1 many cantankerous people carried yard-measures in their pockets1 and insisted upon having their full space4 ,certainly1 sixteen inches is not much room for any man or woman1 and a large proportion of the passengers could not possibly squeeze themselves into it2 and1 because of their inability to do so1 quarrels between thin and stout people were of everyday occurrence4 ,in the year of the ,great ,exhibition was started the first of ,tilling's omnibuses4 ,there have been many ,english proprietors who have conducted their businesses successfully and honourably1 but none came so prominently before the public as ,george ,shillibeer and ,thomas ,tilling4 ,both men had interesting careers1 but there the similarity ends4 ,shillibeer1 if not a rich man1 was very well-to-do when he started his famous omnibuses1 and yet he was driven at last into the bankruptcy court1 and finished his omnibus career under a financial cloud4 ,tilling1 however1 began work without capital1 and with but one solitary horse for his stock-in-trade1 yet by hard work he achieved success and built up the large business so well known to all ,londoners4 ,by #ahea1 four years after his modest start1 he had prospered to an extent which enabled him to put on the road his first omnibus4 ,it was called the 8,times10 and ran from ,peckham to ,oxford ,circus4 ,at the present day there are some twenty-four 8,times0 omnibuses on that road4 ,tilling's 8,times0 are excellently horsed1 and share with the ,john ,bull ,association's omnibuses the honour of being the fastest travelling omnibuses in ,london4 ,tilling's four-horsed 8,times0 doing its first morning journey to the ,west ,end is the most picturesque omnibus sight in ,england4 ,illustration3 ,,tilling',s ,,four-,,horse 8,,times40 ,when the first 8,times0 had proved a success1 ,mr4 ,tilling started omnibuses on other roads1 and before many years had elapsed there was no name better known to ,south ,londoners than his4 ,at that period it was the morning custom of ,south ,london omnibuses to go round the streets1 in the district from which they started1 to pick up their regular riders at their houses2 but ,mr4 ,tilling would not conform to this practice4 ,he made it known that his omnibuses would not collect passengers1 but would start from a certain place at a stated time1 and people understood that if they wanted to travel by them they would have to go to the starting-place4 ,mr4 ,tilling was by no means an omnibus proprietor only4 ,before he had been established many years he was the owner of coaches1 cabs1 wedding carriages1 and1 in short1 carried on the ordinary business of a job master4 ,on ,derby ,day he had1 usually1 as many as two hundred horses on the course1 and although he was present at ,epsom thirty consecutive years1 he had always so much to attend to that he never once saw the great race run4 ,in fact1 on one occasion1 when he got back to ,peckham1 he surprised his chief clerk1 who had been in the office all day1 by asking what horse had won4 ,after that it need scarcely be said that ,mr4 ,tilling did not indulge in betting4 ,indeed1 betting and swearing were practices which he would not tolerate among his men1 although he was one of the most considerate employers that ever lived4 ,unspoiled by success1 unostentatiously charitable and simple in his tastes1 he was held in the highest esteem by every man in his employ1 and when he died1 in #ahic1 the loss was felt by each of them to be a personal one4 ,there exists1 at ,messrs4 ,tilling's chief offices1 a good-sized room containing a pleasing testimony to the interest which the founder of the firm took in his employees4 ,mr4 ,tilling1 many years ago1 ordered that a photograph should be taken1 and hung in that room1 of every man who had been in his employ for twenty years4 ,as other men completed their twenty years' service their photographs were taken and added to the collection1 and now--for the practice is still maintained--the walls are covered with them4 ,many of the men whose photographs adorn the room have been in the ,tillings' employ for nearly half a century4 ,one of their 8,times0 coachmen1 whose face is very familiar to frequenters of ,regent ,street1 has driven an omnibus through that thoroughfare for over forty years4 ,his brother has been in the same employ for a still longer period4 ,the office also has its representatives of long service1 one gentleman having been engaged there nearly forty years4 ,mr4 ,tilling1 as already stated1 began business with one horse1 but the limited liability company which bears his name has now a stud of over four thousand1 and possesses one hundred and sixty omnibuses4 ,the horse with which ,mr4 ,tilling started business was a grey1 and for many years1 in fact until he was compelled by his customers' requirements to break the rule1 he would purchase no horses that were not of that colour4 ,,chapter ,,vii ,compagnie ,gnrale des ,omnibus de ,londres formed--,the ,london ,general ,omnibus ,company starts work--,businesses purchased by the ,company--,it offers a prize of #ajj for the best design of an omnibus--,the knife-board omnibus introduced--,correspondence system tried--,packets of tickets sold--,yellow wheels--,the ,l4,g4,o4,c4 becomes an ,english ,limited ,liability ,company--,the first board of directors--,present position of the ,company--,the ,omnibus3 a satire--,the ,omnibus3 a play4 ,in #ahee the most important event in the history of ,english omnibuses occurred1 for on ,december #d of that year a 8,socit en ,commandite0 was established in ,paris with the title of the 8,compagnie ,gnrale des ,omnibus de ,londres10 for the purpose of running omnibuses in ,london and its suburbs4 ,the directors of this ,society1 or ,company1 were sufficiently astute to refrain from making it known to the ,london public that the enterprise was a ,french one4 ,they chose an ,english name for public use1 and the earliest notices of their contemplated operations were headed the 8,london ,omnibus ,company40 ,apparently they were unaware that a company of that name had existed and come to a disappointing end1 but doubtless this was intimated to them1 for the name was changed speedily--before they started work--to the 8,london ,general ,omnibus ,company40 ,moreover1 as the first managers of the company were well-known ,london omnibus proprietors1 there was nothing to make the public suspect that the company was not an ,english one4 ,monday1 ,january #g1 #ahef1 was the day selected by the ,london ,general ,omnibus ,company for taking over and beginning to work the old-established businesses which they had purchased4 ,on that morning ,wilson's ,islington and ,holloway 8,favorites0 came out of the yards with 8,london ,general ,omnibus ,company0 painted on them4 ,the company could not possibly have started work under more auspicious circumstances1 for ,mr4 ,wilson was the largest omnibus proprietor in ,london1 and his vehicles1 which were known all over the ,metropolis1 had the reputation of being exceedingly well conducted4 ,the property which ,wilson sold to the ,company consisted of fifty omnibuses and five hundred horses1 and his employees1 numbering about one hundred and eighty men1 passed into the service of the new ,company4 ,on the same day ,mr4 ,leonard ,willing and his partners--the former the oldest omnibus proprietor in ,london--transferred to the ,company the ,stoke ,newington1 ,kingsland and ,dalston lines1 consisting of twenty-two omnibuses1 two hundred horses1 and seventy men4 ,in a few days several other lines passed into the hands of the ,company1 making it the owner of one hundred and ninety-eight vehicles and nineteen hundred and forty horses1 and the employer of six hundred and seventy men4 ,of the vehicles purchased seven were four-horse mails1 five running to ,woodford and two to ,barnet4 ,the ,company had hoped to start work with five hundred omnibuses1 but many of the well-established proprietors could not be persuaded to sell their businesses1 and consequently the ,london ,general ,omnibus ,company had to be content1 for a time1 with three hundred4 ,the proprietors who did dispose of their businesses1 and retired altogether from omnibus proprietorship were3 ,messrs4 ,bennet1 ,breach1 ,chancellor1 ,clark1 ,forge1 ,fox1 ,hartley1 ,hawtrey1 ,hinckley1 ,horne1 ,hunt1 ,johnson1 ,kerrison1 ,macnamara1 ,martin1 ,proome1 ,roads1 ,seale1 ,smith1 ,webb1 ,westropp1 ,williams1 ,willing1 ,wilson1 and ,woodford4 ,one of the ,company's first concerns was to obtain an improved omnibus1 and with that end in view the directors offered a prize of #ajj for the best plan of one suited to their requirements4 ,there were seventy-four competitors1 and the results of their efforts were displayed1 in ,february1 #ahef1 at the ,company's office1 #ded1 ,strand4 ,the two best plans were sent in respectively by ,mr4 ,r4 ,f4 ,miller and ,mr4 ,wilson1 but the judges1 ,messrs4 ,george ,godwin1 ,joseph ,wright1 and ,charles ,manby1 were by no means pleased with the work submitted to them1 and reported to the directors3-- 8,we have first to express our regret that although many of the propositions display considerable ingenuity and offer here and there improvements1 we do not find any one design of supereminent merit1 or calculated in its present shape to afford that increased amount of comfort and accommodation your company1 with praiseworthy foresight1 desires to give the public1 and which1 moreover1 will doubtless be looked for at your hands4 8,inasmuch1 however1 as we are required to select one of the designs as the best of those submitted1 considered with regard to your stipulations and wants1 we beg leave to point out the design ,no4 #fd sent in by ,mr4 ,miller1 of ,hammersmith4 ,inquiry of ,mr4 ,miller1 and the examination of a full-sized omnibus built by him 7after arriving at this determination7 have shown us that if his intentions were more completely expressed in his drawing than is the case1 the design would be more worthy of the premium4 8,we must repeat that we find no design that we can recommend for adoption intact1 or which1 to speak truly1 is worth the premium offered2 but there are points about some of them which1 being combined1 would aid in producing what you and the public desire--a light1 commodious1 and well-ventilated omnibus4 8,,george ,,godwin1 8,,joseph ,,wright1 8,,charles ,,manby40 ,mr4 ,miller was awarded the prize1 but the directors1 acting on the advice contained in the judges' report1 had their new omnibuses built from a design which combined the best suggestions of several competitors4 ,in #aheg further improvements were made in the construction of omnibuses1 the most important being the placing of five more seats on the roof1 thereby making accommodation for fourteen outside passengers4 ,these seats were placed on the near side1 and made the 8knife-board0 omnibus1 which has now almost entirely disappeared from ,london streets1 but may be found passing the eventide of its existence in sleepy country towns and populous watering-places4 ,before the ,london ,general ,omnibus ,company was a year old it introduced the system of 8correspondence10 which in ,paris had proved profitable to the proprietors and convenient to the public4 ,it was the ,company's idea that a passenger might be able to travel from any part of ,london to another for sixpence4 ,the passenger would get into the omnibus starting from the neighbourhood in which he resided and ride in it until another of the ,company's omnibuses1 going in the direction he wished to travel1 crossed the road1 when he would change into it4 ,by that arrangement people were able to ride from ,bow to ,hammersmith or from ,starch ,green to ,peckham for sixpence--a tremendous ride for the price1 and cheaper than it is at the present day4 ,the ,london ,general ,omnibus ,company was now increasing rapidly1 by purchase and by starting new lines1 the number of its omnibuses1 and in ,november1 #aheg1 when the 8correspondence0 system was at its height1 it possessed five hundred and ninety-five on the roads4 ,for these omnibuses1 with horses1 harness1 and good will1 the ,company paid #djj1jjj--nearly #gjj per omnibus4 ,with an increased number of omnibuses the advantages of 8corresponding0 became greater1 and upwards of four thousand people daily showed their appreciation of the system by 8corresponding0 at the ,company's offices opened for that purpose in ,oxford ,circus1 ,cheapside1 and ,bishopsgate4 8,the system is only in its infancy10 the directors declared at that period1 and promised that it would be improved greatly4 ,difficulties1 however1 arose in the working of the system1 which1 after a time1 was discontinued1 never to be tried again4 ,while the ,london ,general ,omnibus ,company was giving the 8correspondence0 system a trial1 it was making other attempts to win the favour of the public4 ,on the first day of #aheg it began the sale of packets of omnibus tickets1 allowing a reduction of ten per cent1 on every purchase of #a1 and so greatly was this innovation appreciated that on the inauguration day ten thousand tickets were sold at the ,company's ,strand office alone4 ,later the sales increased considerably1 and many linen-drapers in a large way of business purchased thousands of tickets at a time1 and retailed them to their customers at a reduced rate4 ,to ladies whose purchases reached a certain sum they presented tickets free of charge4 ,evidently the directors found1 after a time1 that the practice of selling tickets was not sufficiently remunerative1 for it was discontinued4 ,the directors were astute men of business1 and while they neglected nothing that would conduce to the efficiency of their service and the comfort of their patrons1 they made a number of alterations which reduced to a considerable extent the working expenses of their omnibuses4 ,one of these alterations caused a complete revolution in the colour of omnibus wheels4 ,when the ,company started work1 omnibus wheels were painted the same colour as the body of the vehicles1 and consequently it was necessary to keep a stock of red1 blue1 green1 brown1 white1 yellow1 and chocolate wheels4 ,the directors1 however1 soon came to the conclusion that if all the wheels were painted one colour it would not be necessary to keep so large a stock in reserve4 ,therefore they had the wheels of all their omnibuses painted yellow1 and the other proprietors1 seeing the convenience and saving to be derived from such an arrangement1 followed their example1 and to-day nearly every omnibus in ,london1 with the exception of those belonging to the railway companies1 has yellow wheels4 ,in the autumn of #aheh it was decided to convert the 8,compagnie ,gnrale des ,omnibus de ,londres0 into an ,english ,limited ,liability ,company1 and for that purpose the ,french ,society was dissolved and the ,london ,general ,omnibus ,company1 ,limited1 started to take over its property1 good will1 existing engagements and liabilities4 ,the latter was registered on ,november #af1 #aheh1 as a ,limited ,liability ,company1 with a nominal capital of #gjj1jjj1 divided into #age1jjj shares of #d each4 ,the head office of the ,company was1 of course1 in ,london--#ded1 ,strand--but a branch office was opened in ,paris1 where ,french shareholders could obtain any information which they required1 and where a duplicate transfer-book was kept for the registering of transfers of shares held in ,france4 ,the number of directors was to be not more than twelve nor less than nine1 and at least four of them were to be ,frenchmen4 ,the first ,board of ,directors of the ,london ,general ,omnibus ,company1 ,limited1 was constituted as follows3-- ,anthony ,nicholas ,armani1 ,esq4 ,m4 ,felix ,carteret4 ,edwin ,chadwick1 ,esq41 ,c4,b4 ,william ,halliday ,cosway1 ,esq4 ,william ,stratford ,dugdale1 ,esq4 ,m4 le ,comte de ,lantivy4 ,arthur ,macnamara1 ,esq4 ,william ,sheldon1 ,esq4 ,reginald ,thornton1 ,esq4 ,m4 ,franois ,frederic ,toch4 ,m4 ,antoine ,vacossin4 ,james ,willing1 ,esq4 ,in his early days ,mr4 ,willing was a man of many businesses4 ,among other things he was the owner of several toll-gates1 the proprietor of many omnibuses1 and an advertising contractor4 ,one day he would be found standing at a toll-gate1 collecting money from passing vehicles1 and the following one he would be seen driving an omnibus4 ,while acting as a 'bus driver he was able to keep a sharp eye on his advertising business1 and was frequently annoyed to see that his bills1 which were being posted as he drove ,citywards1 were covered by other people's bills when he returned an hour or two later4 ,to put a stop to that annoyance he started the protected hoardings1 which are now so numerous throughout the land4 ,at the present time there are only two ,french directors of the ,london ,general ,omnibus ,company1 the number of shareholders resident in ,france having decreased to seven hundred4 ,the office in ,paris is still maintained4 ,the number of ,english shareholders is seventeen hundred4 ,from the day that the ,london ,general ,omnibus ,company became an ,english concern1 it has enjoyed almost unbroken prosperity4 ,during the half-year ending ,june #cj1 #aija1 #aja1aji1egb passengers were carried by its #acgc omnibuses1 which ran #ae1ife1fjb miles4 ,the number of horses which it possessed was #af1gad4 ,the oats1 maize1 beans1 and peas consumed by the company's horses in six months weighed #be1bii tons4 ,the ,company builds its own omnibuses at its works at ,highbury4 ,its stables are dotted all over ,london1 and some of the newly erected ones are enormous places4 ,those at ,dollis ,hill1 which accommodate over six hundred horses1 are at present surrounded by fields1 and so far away from public-houses and other delights of ,london civilization1 that the 'busmen1 in disgust1 have named it 8,klondyke40 ,from 8,klondyke0 and many other omnibus stables1 a large number of horses have been sent to the seat of war in ,south ,africa4 ,some time ago the ,government made an arrangement with various omnibus companies for the purchase of a certain number of horses in time of war4 ,for each horse the ,government pays1 in time of peace1 #ajs4 per annum4 ,the average price paid for each horse claimed for active service was #fj4 ,the horses taken were well seasoned and accustomed to hard work4 ,the sudden requisitioning of many hundreds of their best animals caused the various omnibus companies considerable inconvenience4 ,the daily journeys of many of their omnibuses were reduced in number1 and coachmen and conductors were consequently unable to earn their usual wages4 ,illustration3 ,,richmond ,,conveyance ,,company ,,omnibus4 ,two years after the formation of the ,london ,general ,omnibus ,company there were about #abjj omnibuses in ,london1 only a small proportion of which worked on ,sundays4 ,on the majority of roads they ran on week-days at intervals of five minutes1 the fares being1 in most cases1 from twopence to ninepence4 ,many of the omnibus lines in existence at that time have been altered or curtailed in consequence of railway competition4 ,among these are the following long-distance routes3--,stratford and ,oxford ,street1 ,brentford and ,st4 ,paul's1 ,greenwich and ,charing ,cross1 ,richmond1 ,kew and ,bank1 ,finchley and ,bank1 ,angel and ,hampton ,court4 ,the ,richmond ,conveyance ,company had some excellent omnibuses1 which ran from ,richmond to the ,bank1 vi ,mortlake1 ,barnes1 ,hammersmith1 and ,piccadilly4 ,they were built by ,mr4 ,h4 ,gray of ,blackfriars4 ,illustration3 ,,richmond ,,conveyance ,,company ,,omnibus4 ,,end ,,view4 ,in the early sixties it began to be recognized that1 for men1 the best way to see ,london was from the top of an omnibus4 ,an anonymous poet published1 in #ahfe1 a satire on life seen from an omnibus roof4 ,it was entitled 8,the ,omnibus40 ,here are a few lines from it-- 8,august four-wheeler6 ,rolling ,paradise6 ,thou ,juggernaut to dawdling men and mice6 ,thou blissful refuge to the footsore cit6 ,thou boast of science and inventive wit6 ,to thee1 in pride careering o'er the stones1 ,the homeward labourer drags his weary bones4 ,the burdened porter1 staggering on the road1 ,climbs up thy hulk and there forgets his load4 ,for thee the merchant his dull desk forsakes1 ,and leaves ,cornhill to night1 and thieves1 and rakes4 ,the lover finds thee pensioner of bliss1-- ,by thee he speeds to reap the promised kiss4 ,on thy #8outside1' no muff can plead his qualms1 ,and us forbid to colour our meerschaums2 ,thy ramparts hold we by an ancient lease1 ,and there unchallenged1 smoke the pipe of peace4 ,all hail6 thou kindest gift of human sense6 ,thou envy of the wretch--who lacks three-pence6 ,all hail6 thou huge1 earth-born leviathan6 ,thou rattling1 rambling1 two-horse caravan6 ,thou dry-land ship1 breasting in scorn the waves ,of traffic's whirlpool that round ,cheapside raves4 ,behind thee1 competition lies1 ,and jealousy but breathes a curse and dies4 ,poor ,francis ,train just hissed at thee his spite1 ,then1 with his #8,tramways' sank in endless night2 ,and jobbing railways1 near thy presence found1 ,smitten with shame1 hide1 fuming #8,under-ground4' ,though trampled curs may curse thee with a bark1 ,and godless cabmen call thee--#8,noah's ,ark2' ,majestic vehicle6 much slandered friend1 ,to lowest ,tophet we their libels send1 ,and chaunt thy praises to the ,city's end4 ,an eighth world-wonder thine arrival bodes1 ,thou greatest1 best1 ,colossus of our roads40 ,some years prior to the publication of the above satire1 a farcical comedy1 entitled 8,the ,omnibus10 had been produced at the ,theatre ,royal1 ,covent ,garden4 ,a man and his wife1 seeking rural quietude1 take a house in a charming suburb1 only to find that omnibuses run to it from ,london4 ,nearly every omnibus brings them a load of visitors1 who drive the poor man to distraction4 ,,chapter ,,viii ,the opening of ,holborn ,viaduct--,an omnibus is the first vehicle to cross it--8,viaduct ,tommy0--,skid-men4 ,after a frost or a slight fall of rain1 asphalted ,victoria ,street and ,tottenham-court ,road1 innocent of sand until many poor horses have slipped and fallen and struggled and strained to rise again1 are a saddening sight to horse-lovers4 ,but those1 and other notorious streets1 at their worst never present such a sight as was witnessed daily on ,holborn ,hill in the first half of the #aith century4 ,it was a cruel1 heart-breaking hill for horses to climb1 and people who lived on the spot declared that from morning until night1 in all weathers1 piteous sights were always to be seen4 ,year after year the cruelty of compelling horses to pull heavily-laden vehicles up the hill was denounced by hundreds of ,londoners1 and1 eventually1 the ,city ,corporation put an end to the pitiful sight by building the ,holborn ,valley ,viaduct4 ,the chief stone was laid by ,mr4 ,thomas ,henry ,fry1 chairman of the ,improvement ,committee of the ,corporation1 on ,june #c1 #ahfg1 and on ,saturday1 ,november #f1 #ahfi1 the ,viaduct was opened by ,queen ,victoria1 who came1 accompanied by ,princess ,louise1 straight from ,blackfriars ,bridge1 where she had just performed a similar ceremony4 ,in spite of the weather1 which threatened at first to be a repetition of the previous day1 when ,london was enveloped in a fog1 the crowd was the largest which had ever assembled to greet ,her ,majesty4 ,on the ,viaduct1 the tiers of seats erected on either side were filled with a brilliant gathering invited by the ,corporation4 ,after the ,queen had opened the bridge and departed1 and the ,corporation's guests had dispersed1 the work of clearing away the stands and preparing for the real opening to the public was begun4 ,punctually at nine on ,monday morning the barrier across the roadway was removed1 and at once there was a rush of vehicles whose drivers were eager for the honour of being first across the ,viaduct4 ,thomas ,grayson1 driving one of the ,london ,general ,omnibus ,company's 8,city-,atlas0 omnibuses1 whipped up his horses and won an exciting race amidst the enthusiastic cheers of his passengers4 ,in commemoration of this event1 ,grayson's regular riders presented him with a new whip1 on the handle of which was inscribed the occasion of its presentation4 ,some of the riders1 proud of having been present on the memorable morning1 expressed a wish to have a photograph of the omnibus1 and ,grayson had one taken4 ,in it he is to be seen sitting upright on the box1 holding the presentation whip in his hand and driving the pair of horses with which he won the race4 ,grayson had a large number of copies of this photograph printed1 with the following record on the back of each3-- ,first over the ,holborn ,viaduct1 ,on ,november #h1 #ahfi1 at #i a4m4 ,copies may be had of the ,driver1 ,,thomas ,,grayson1 #a1 ,victoria ,place1 ,kilburn4 ,these photographs ,grayson offered for sale at sixpence a copy1 and the whole stock was soon purchased by the ,st4 ,john's ,wood people--to whom he was already well known--and his fellow 'busmen4 ,the latter promptly and unanimously dubbed him 8,viaduct ,tommy10 and by that name he was known as long as he lived4 ,no ,london omnibus driver was ever so well known as 8,viaduct ,tommy0 became1 for1 as he drove along the streets1 quite conscious that he was a public character1 other 'bus drivers would say to the passengers sitting beside them1 8,that's #8,viaduct ,tommy1'0 and the story of his achievement would follow4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,first ,,vehicle ,,to ,,cross ,,holborn ,,viaduct4 8,viaduct ,tommy0 continued to drive an omnibus for about a score of years after he became famous1 and when1 at last1 he retired he was not forgotten4 ,the people in the neighbourhood where he resided1 during the latter years of his life1 took pride in pointing him out to strangers1 many of whom1 when they heard the story1 went up to the old man and had a chat with him about the great event of his life4 ,every innovation for the public good ruins a few people who prospered under the old order of things1 and the building of ,holborn ,viaduct was no exception to the rule4 ,a number of men had for years made a living by putting the skids on vehicles before they started down the hill1 and one of them1 who was largely patronised by omnibus men1 earned every day between twelve and fifteen shillings4 ,but when the ,viaduct was opened their occupation was gone4 ,,chapter ,,ix ,a new ,company--,the ,london and ,district ,omnibus ,company--,the ,london ,road ,car ,company1 ,limited--,its first omnibuses--,the garden seats--,the flag and its meaning--,foreigners' idea of it--,ticket system--,the great strike--,the ,london ,co-operative ,omnibus ,company--,mr4 ,jenkins and advertisements--,the ,street ,traffic ,bill--,outside lamps4 ,in ,may1 #ahgh1 several influential ,city men came to the conclusion that there was an opening in ,london for a new omnibus company1 and1 believing that the venture would be very profitable1 they decided to start one4 ,remembering1 perhaps1 where ,shillibeer and the ,london ,general ,omnibus ,company received their inspiration1 the promoters deputed one of their number to visit ,paris1 to inspect the omnibuses at work in that city and to take particular notice of the new vehicles being displayed at the ,exhibition by the ,paris ,omnibus ,company4 ,after a stay at ,paris1 this gentleman proceeded to other ,continental capitals1 and made himself acquainted with the latest improvements in the omnibuses at work in those cities4 ,on his return to ,london1 with a stock of useful ideas1 the formation of the new ,london company was proceeded with at once4 ,the prospectus was drawn up1 ,memorandum and ,articles of ,association were prepared1 a ,board was formed1 and everything was proceeding satisfactorily1 when quarrels broke out among the proposed ,directors4 ,one of them was the owner of a patent omnibus1 and proprietorship invested it1 in his eyes1 with an excellence and superiority over all other omnibuses which his colleagues could not perceive4 ,they refused his request to make this patent omnibus the vehicle of the new company1 and that was the cause of the first quarrel4 ,the second1 which followed it closely1 was also of a personal nature1 one man being convinced that he was the best qualified of the ,board to become ,managing ,director1 while the others expressed quite a contrary opinion4 ,the result of these quarrels was that the scheme for a new ,london omnibus company was withdrawn1 and not brought forward again until two years had elapsed4 ,everything went smoothly at the second attempt1 and on ,august #c1 #ahhj1 the ,london and ,district ,omnibus ,company1 ,limited1 was incorporated1 under the ,companies ,act1 with a capital of #bjj1jjj1 divided into #bj1jjj shares of #aj each4 ,on ,april #g1 #ahha1 the name of the ,company was changed to the ,london ,road ,car ,company1 ,limited4 ,six days later the ,company began work in a very modest way with three omnibuses1 which ran between ,hammersmith and ,victoria4 ,these omnibuses1 all drawn by three horses1 were very different from those which the ,company now possesses1 and in appearance were rather ungainly4 ,the front wheels were very small1 and the back ones large4 ,there was no door1 or staircase1 at the back of the omnibus1 and all passengers had to get on the vehicle just behind the coachman4 ,it was found1 however1 that many accidents occurred to passengers whilst entering and alighting1 and1 consequently1 an alteration was decided upon4 ,the omnibus was turned right about1 the back being made the front4 ,the old wheels1 which had a crank action1 were removed1 and ordinary ones substituted4 ,the coachman was promoted to a seat on top of the omnibus1 but the door remained unaltered4 ,the steps were considerably improved4 ,the ,company now possesses #dee omnibuses1 or 8cars10 as it prefers to call them1 and a stud of #ebjf horses1 not including those used in the ,jobbing ,department4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,london ,,road ,,car ,,company',s ,,first ,,omnibus4 ,in the matter of outside accommodation for passengers1 the improved omnibuses of the ,london ,road ,car ,company were far in advance of those belonging to all other companies and proprietors4 ,in place of the ordinary uncomfortable longitudinal seats1 which so frequently led to squabbles between people sitting back to back1 the ,london ,road ,car ,company had the now common and popular garden seats4 ,it was an innovation which met with unqualified approval from the public4 ,to ladies it was a boon which they had never even expected1 so accustomed were they to being relegated to the inside of omnibuses4 ,to clamber to the top of the knife-board omnibuses was an impossibility with most of them1 and the athletic few who did not find the task an arduous one were rewarded by being considered exceedingly unladylike4 ,in fact1 until the ,london ,road ,car ,company started work1 it was an unusual sight to see a female on the top of an omnibus4 ,but now1 when the weather is fine1 few ladies ride inside if there be room for them on the roof4 ,truly1 the fair sex should be very grateful to the ,london ,road ,car ,company4 ,pickpockets1 certainly1 were deeply indebted to it1 for the backs of the garden seats were open1 and afforded them special facilities for the exploration of ladies' pockets4 ,after a time this defect was altered4 ,the popularity of the garden-seat omnibuses did not benefit the ,london ,road ,car ,company alone1 for other companies and proprietors1 following its example1 built all their new omnibuses with similar seats and staircases4 ,many of their knife-board omnibuses--too new to be discarded--were converted into the popular style of vehicle4 ,some of these converted omnibuses were1 it must be confessed1 a ghastly failure1 for1 although there was no fault to be found with the staircase1 the arrangement on the roof was not only inconvenient1 but highly dangerous4 ,the gangway was raised1 sometimes almost to a level with the outside rail1 and passengers had to be very careful1 in stepping down from it to take their seats1 that they were not pitched head-first into the road4 ,fortunately1 the worst specimens of these converted omnibuses have long since disappeared from the ,london streets4 ,it is surprising that garden-seat omnibuses were not introduced into ,london long before the ,road ,car ,company was formed1 as they had been in use in some ,continental cities for thirty years4 ,at the outset of its career1 the ,london ,road ,car ,company adopted1 as a distinctive sign1 the diminutive ,union ,jack which flies at the fore of all its omnibuses4 ,this flag was intended1 also1 to intimate to the public that the ,company was floated with ,british capital1 but1 as very few ,londoners were aware of the ,french origin of the ,london ,general ,omnibus ,company1 the hint was not generally understood4 ,strangely enough1 this appeal to the patriotism of ,englishmen1 has resulted in the ,company receiving a large amount of support from foreigners visiting ,london4 ,they imagine that the ,union ,jack is a sign that the omnibuses are ,state-subsidised vehicles1 and1 to avoid falling into the hands of the dreaded pirates--for the ,london pirates' notoriety has reached the chief ,continental cities--they will ride in no omnibus which does not carry a flag4 ,sometimes they stand for a long while looking for an omnibus with the ,union ,jack flying1 to discover1 eventually1 that there are no ,road ,car omnibuses on that route4 ,one ,french lady stood at ,marble ,arch for more than half an hour before a policeman could convince her that no 8'bus with a flag0 ran to what she called ,crick-le-,wood4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,road ,,car ,,company ,,omnibus1 #aija4 ,the ,london ,road ,car ,company's flags have on several occasions been utilised for arousing the enthusiasm of ,london crowds4 ,on ,sunday1 ,september #bd1 #ahii1 a few unpatriotic ,englishmen desecrated the plinth of ,nelson's ,column by expressing therefrom sympathy with ,great ,britain's enemies4 ,the reception accorded to them was1 naturally1 very hostile1 and1 while the excitement was at its height1 a ,road ,car omnibus passed slowly through the crowd4 ,a passenger1 riding on top of the omnibus1 no sooner discovered the meaning of the angry shouts1 than he pulled the flagstaff from its socket1 and waved aloft the little ,union ,jack4 ,loud cheers greeted his action1 and the pro-,boer orators were taught speedily that ,londoners had a healthy objection to their foolish1 un-,english ravings4 ,another innovation of the ,london ,road ,car ,company was the ticket system1 which1 although it had been in use on trams for many years1 had not1 hitherto1 been tried on omnibuses4 ,tickets had certainly been issued on the omnibuses belonging to the ,metropolitan ,railway1 which ran from ,portland ,road ,station to ,piccadilly ,circus1 but it was on a different system entirely4 ,the ,metropolitan ,railway omnibuses of those days were not like those in use at the present day4 ,they were larger1 and the inside was divided into two compartments1 the first-class being the portion near the horses4 ,the compartments were separated by a curtain4 ,these omnibuses were patronised chiefly by people residing in the suburbs1 tickets being issued at the ,metropolitan ,railway stations to carry passengers through by train and 'bus to ,piccadilly ,circus4 ,the conductor collected the railway tickets on the omnibus1 and issued other tickets to passengers who had not come by train4 ,these omnibuses were drawn by three horses harnessed abreast4 ,at the present day1 almost the only omnibuses drawn by three horses abreast are the red 8,favorites0--big1 ungainly things1 which run from ,highgate and ,islington to the ,city4 ,they carry nearly fifty passengers1 but1 in consequence of their size1 are not allowed to be in the ,city after #aj a4m4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,metropolitan ,,railway 8,,umbrella0 ,,omnibus1 #aija4 ,the ticket system having worked successfully on the ,london ,road ,car ,company's omnibuses1 the ,london ,general ,omnibus ,company1 and the companies and proprietors working in conjunction with it1 announced1 at the beginning of ,may1 #ahia1 their intention of adopting it--a decision which created the greatest indignation among their conductors and coachmen1 whose incomes had for many years been greatly in excess of the value of their services4 ,scores of conductors have declared since1 that in those days they made frequently as much as eight or ten shillings a day beyond their wages1 and that1 too1 after they had paid their coachman his share of the plunder4 ,the companies and proprietors were well aware that the men had been in the habit of keeping back a portion of the daily earnings1 but it is doubtful whether they knew the extent to which the practice had grown1 for 'busmen1 before the strike1 were too cautious to talk of what they earned4 ,it was only years after that they began to speak regretfully1 and yet with pride1 of the prosperous days which preceded the introduction of the ticket system4 ,however1 the companies and proprietors promised the men an increase in their wages1 to atone for the pilferings which had been winked at4 ,but the additional money promised--two shillings a day--did not make the men's income anything like as large as that to which they were accustomed1 and1 in their wrath1 they vowed to strike4 ,on the night of ,saturday1 ,may #f1 #ahia1 after the majority of omnibuses had finished running1 large meetings of 'busmen were held in various parts of ,london1 and1 amidst intense enthusiasm1 the men pledged themselves not to return to work until their grievance had been satisfied4 ,the following morning the strike began all over ,london1 the ,road ,car men1 who were scarcely interested in the matter1 seeing that they had used tickets for years1 ceasing work also4 ,some men remained loyal to their employers1 but their efforts to take out their omnibuses were frustrated by the angry mobs of strikers gathered around the stable gates4 ,day after day the strike dragged on1 and for a week the ,london streets looked quite unfamiliar--devoid of the omnibuses which lend so much life to them4 ,pirates1 of course1 did not cease work1 but they were comparatively few in number1 and were scarcely noticed4 ,every day the pirates contributed to the strike fund1 conscious that the longer the strike lasted1 the more profitable it would be for them4 ,it did not1 however1 last nearly so long as they had hoped1 for1 on ,sunday1 ,may #ad1 the majority of the men returned to work--and to begin issuing tickets4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,red 8,,favorite10 #aija4 ,but the men who did not go back to work decided to start a ,company of their own4 ,it was called the ,london ,co-operative ,omnibus ,company1 and all the conductors1 coachmen1 and horsekeepers employed by it were to be shareholders in the venture4 ,it started operations with one omnibus1 which created a little sensation in the streets by having a broom fixed conspicuously at its fore4 ,this broom was a public intimation of the new ,company's intention to sweep the ,london ,general1 the ,road ,car and other companies and associations off the roads4 ,but1 in spite of its boldness1 the ,london ,co-operative ,omnibus ,company did not prosper4 ,that single omnibus never had a companion1 and1 after a brief career1 it disappeared from the roads1 and was bought1 it is rumoured1 by one of the big companies it was intended to smash4 ,shortly after the strike a clergyman1 named ,jenkins1 who had gained considerable notoriety by1 among other eccentricities1 persistently refusing to show his ticket to tramway inspectors1 turned his attention to omnibuses4 ,but as omnibus inspectors have not the power to compel a passenger to show his ticket1 ,mr4 ,jenkins was able to enjoy himself with impunity4 ,however1 after many quarrels with 'busmen about various trivial matters1 he hit1 eventually1 upon a real grievance4 ,on nearly all omnibuses a long narrow board bearing some advertisement1 such as 8,to ,swan and ,edgar's10 was fixed1 outside1 across the middle of the side windows4 ,mr4 ,jenkins1 declared1 with truth1 that the boards obstructed the view of passengers inside the omnibus1 and thereby frequently caused them to be carried beyond the place where they wished to alight4 ,on the same grounds he denounced the transparent advertisements stuck on the side and front windows4 ,his complaint was warmly supported by the public1 and the objectionable boards1 together with the advertisements on the front windows1 were ordered to be removed4 ,the front window advertisements had been abolished but a very short time when the police authorities compelled the proprietors to block up those windows by placing on them the route the omnibus travelled4 ,consequently the state of affairs1 as far as the front windows were concerned1 was worse than before4 ,these route-bills have since been reduced in size4 ,while ,mr4 ,jenkins was denouncing omnibus tickets1 inspectors and advertisements1 a quarrel occurred between the ,london ,general ,omnibus ,company and the ,camden ,town ,omnibus ,association4 ,the ,london ,general ,omnibus ,company had become a member of this old-established association many years previously by purchasing the stock and 8times0 of retiring members1 and worked amicably with its fellow proprietors until about #ahif1 when a difference of opinion arose concerning an extension of a line of omnibuses4 ,the ,company severed its connection with the ,association1 and at once started working in opposition to it by taking omnibuses from the ,finsbury ,park and ,london ,bridge route and running them on the ,camden ,town road4 ,this rivalry was continued for several weeks1 but eventually the dispute was settled and the ,company rejoined the ,association4 ,had the quarrel been protracted the other associations would1 in all probability1 have sided with the ,camden ,town body1 and ,londoners would have witnessed an exciting1 although perhaps not very edifying1 struggle4 ,the ,camden ,town omnibus fight was followed quickly by a more prolonged one on the ,putney road4 ,a new line of omnibuses was started by the ,era ,association--which was formed by certain proprietors not working in conjunction with any of the companies or associations--from ,fulham to ,charing ,cross1 vi ,west ,kensington4 ,each of these omnibuses carried1 at first1 a red flag1 fixed by the side of the coachman1 bearing the inscription 8,no ,monopoly40 ,as their fares were considerably cheaper than those of other omnibuses1 the ,london ,general ,omnibus ,company and the ,road ,car ,company's men began to oppose them1 and some very amusing scenes were witnessed in the ,brompton ,road and ,piccadilly4 ,the ,era ,association made a stout fight and started omnibuses from ,putney to ,charing ,cross at the exceedingly low price of twopence for the whole distance4 ,for a time these omnibuses scarcely ever made a journey without being full inside and out1 but when the two companies lowered their fares to those of the ,era there was a great falling off in the number of the latter's passengers4 ,that was1 of course1 natural1 for when the fares were the same in all omnibuses there was no reason for a thrifty person to wait until an 8,era0 came along4 ,after a protracted struggle the ,london ,general ,omnibus ,company1 the ,road ,car ,company1 and the ,era raised their fares4 ,the ,era ,omnibus ,association1 which still has some omnibuses on the roads1 deserves credit for having placed a list of fares outside their vehicles so that would-be passengers could see1 before entering1 how much they would have to pay4 ,they did so1 of course1 to show that their fares were lower than those of the two companies1 but1 nevertheless1 it was an innovation which might well be followed by all omnibus companies and proprietors4 ,if omnibuses were compelled to have a list of fares displayed on the nearside panel it would be a great convenience to the public1 and would1 moreover1 do much towards putting an end to 8pirates40 ,at present visitors to ,london do not know until they have entered an omnibus how much they will be charged4 ,if they sit near the doorway they have to trust to the conductor--for they cannot read the fares--and if it be a pirate omnibus they will assuredly be overcharged4 ,early in #ahii the ,home ,secretary1 ,sir ,matthew ,white ,ridley1 brought in a ,bill for the better regulation of the street traffic of ,london1 which proposed to confer upon the police the power to relieve the congested thoroughfares by diverting omnibuses from them4 ,the ,bill was a very unpopular one1 and ,metropolitan members of the ,house of ,commons were bombarded with letters from their constituents urging them to vote against it4 ,in ,june ,sir ,j4 ,blundell ,maple1 ,m4,p41 presented to the ,home ,secretary a petition signed by over one hundred thousand regular riders praying that the ,street ,traffic ,bill1 then before ,parliament1 should be altered to preclude the possibility of omnibuses being diverted from the main thoroughfares4 ,many thousands of signatures were received too late to be included in the monster petition1 which was presented in the form of a huge volume4 ,this unpopular ,bill was withdrawn and1 on ,october #ad1 as a compliment to ,sir ,j4 ,blundell ,maple1 who had worked hard to obtain such a result1 the 'busmen displayed his racing colours on their whips and bell-cords4 ,these favours they exhibited for three days4 ,in ,july of the same year the ,london ,county ,council issued an order that on and after ,september #a1 every omnibus should carry an outside front lamp on the offside4 ,red1 green1 blue1 and yellow lamps had for many years been displayed by omnibuses running to the more distant suburbs1 but these had to be changed for white ones4 ,when ,september #a arrived1 very few of the omnibuses were provided with the necessary lamps1 the demand for which was greater than the supply4 ,some days' grace was allowed1 and eventually every omnibus carried an outside lamp4 ,,chapter ,x ,the ,motor ,traction ,company's omnibus--,an electric omnibus--,the ,central ,london ,railway--,the ,london ,county ,council omnibuses--,the 8corridor 'bus0--,the latest omnibus struggle--,present omnibus routes ,on ,october #i1 #ahii1 the ,motor ,traction ,company1 ,limited1 placed an oil-motor omnibus on the roads4 ,no horseless omnibus had been licensed in ,london for over sixty years1 and1 naturally1 considerable interest was taken in the new venture4 ,a trial run over the course1 from ,kennington ,park to ,victoria ,station1 vi ,westminster ,bridge1 had been made a week earlier4 ,on that occasion the weather was very unpropitious1 but the passengers were cheerful and drank success to the trip in a glass of wine4 ,then1 midst cheers and blowing of trumpets1 the motor omnibus started on its journey4 ,it was a successful run1 and1 as already stated1 on ,october #i1 the omnibus began to earn money4 ,in appearance it resembled an ordinary omnibus robbed of its horses and pole4 ,the driver had a covered seat low down in the front4 ,the body of the vehicle was painted white1 and the lower and storage part blue4 ,while the omnibus was travelling no great fault could be found with it1 but its warmest admirers could not say truthfully that when it stopped the sensation was pleasant4 ,it vibrated abominably1 and when ,i had my first ride on it1 ,i echoed inwardly the hope expressed by a fellow-passenger that there was no bilious person present4 ,in the spring of #aijj the motor omnibus was running from ,kennington to ,oxford ,circus1 but1 towards the end of the year1 it disappeared from the ,london streets4 ,some months before the ,motor ,traction ,company's omnibus was placed on the roads an electric 'bus1 belonging to a company which was being floated1 ran1 on many afternoons1 from ,marble ,arch to ,notting-hill ,gate4 ,it was not licensed1 and therefore all rides were free4 ,this omnibus carried no outside passengers1 an omission which would have doomed it to failure had it entered into competition with other omnibuses4 ,the proprietors of horse-drawn omnibuses have been accused of want of enterprise because they have not yet adopted motor vehicles1 against which they are said to have a prejudice4 ,but these accusations are absurd4 ,omnibus proprietors are convinced that when a really reliable electric 'bus has been invented1 it will pay them to adopt it4 ,so far that omnibus has not been discovered1 although for two or three years the proprietors have examined carefully every vehicle brought before them4 ,in the spring of #aijj the ,central ,london ,railway was opened1 and proved to be the most formidable rival that omnibuses have had since the introduction of tramways4 ,the new electric railway runs from ,shepherd's ,bush to the ,bank1 the fare for the whole journey being twopence4 ,the omnibus fare for the same distance was fivepence4 ,the ,london ,general ,omnibus ,company1 which has practically a monopoly of the road between ,shepherd's ,bush and ,marble ,arch1 soon felt the effects of the ,central ,london ,railway's cheap fares and quick travelling1 and found it necessary to transfer many of their ,shepherd's ,bush omnibuses to other routes4 ,with other electric railways projected1 it is said1 by some people1 that the long-continued prosperity of omnibuses is drawing to a close4 ,there seems1 however1 to be no real reason for such an assertion4 ,the ,district and ,metropolitan ,railways1 when first opened1 inflicted greater damage to the omnibuses than the ,central ,london has done1 and yet to-day their directors complain of omnibus competition4 ,railway directors bemoaning omnibus competition6 ,shillibeer was not1 after all1 wrong in believing that omnibuses could compete successfully with a railway4 ,the prosperity of electric railways by no means implies ruin to omnibuses4 ,in fact1 omnibus proprietors will1 no doubt1 before long1 regard electric railways as their benefactors1 for having removed a difficulty which has faced them for many years4 ,the rapid growth of the population of ,london has made it necessary for the number of omnibuses to be increased every year1 but the streets are already uncomfortably crowded with vehicles1 and it will be impossible to continue adding to them at the same rate as heretofore4 ,the electric railways1 by carrying a portion of the public1 will make an increase of omnibuses unnecessary4 ,the ,central ,london ,railway is not1 however1 the only formidable rival of omnibus proprietors which has recently sprung into existence4 ,in #ahih the ,london ,county ,council1 authorised by the ,tramways ,act of #ahif1 took over the business of the ,london ,tramways ,company1 ,limited4 ,this company1 having failed to obtain statutory powers to run their trams over ,blackfriars1 ,waterloo1 and ,westminster ,bridges1 started a service of halfpenny omnibuses connecting their termini with1 respectively1 ,farringdon ,road1 ,somerset ,house1 and ,trafalgar ,square4 ,the ,london ,county ,council1 on taking over the trams1 extended the two latter omnibus routes by running their vehicles along the ,strand1 thus connecting their tram terminus south of ,westminster ,bridge with the terminus south of ,waterloo ,bridge4 ,until then the lowest fare for a ride along the ,strand was a penny1 but the ,county ,council omnibuses took passengers from ,trafalgar ,square over ,waterloo ,bridge for a halfpenny4 ,naturally they were well patronised1 and the old-established omnibus proprietors found an alarming decrease in their profits4 ,the two big omnibus companies were the smallest sufferers by this competition4 ,the ,london ,road ,car ,company has no omnibuses crossing the bridges referred to1 and the ,london ,general ,omnibus ,company is less represented in the south of ,london than in any other part of the metropolis4 ,the action of the ,county ,council was1 therefore1 felt chiefly by individual proprietors1 who objected strongly to the rates1 to which they contributed1 being used for the purpose of injuring their business4 ,they contended that the ,county ,council had no more right to become omnibus proprietors than they had to start business as linen drapers or tobacconists1 and1 after taking counsel's opinion1 sought an injunction to put a stop to the competition4 ,mr4 ,justice ,cozens ,hardy decided that the ,county ,council were only authorised to purchase and work tramways1 and as they could not confine their omnibuses to tramway passengers--for omnibuses came under the regulation applying to hackney-carriages1 and were bound to take any passenger who paid his fare--their service was unlawful4 ,he refused to grant an injunction pending the hearing of an appeal1 but ordered the ,london ,county ,council to pay the costs of the action4 ,in the ,appeal ,court1 ,lords ,justices ,rigby1 ,vaughan-,williams and ,stirling held that the ,council had no power to run the omnibuses1 and dismissed the appeal with costs4 ,an injunction was granted restraining the ,london ,county ,council from continuing the omnibuses1 the operation of the injunction being1 however1 suspended1 provided that notice of an appeal to the ,house of ,lords was given within a month4 ,after this decision the proprietors offered to take over the ,london ,county ,council omnibuses and run them at the same fares and times1 but the offer was declined and the appeal was carried to the ,house of ,lords4 ,at the time of writing the appeal has not been heard4 ,to the ,london ,county ,council belongs the credit of having started all-night omnibuses1 which were a great boon to many scores of workers in ,fleet ,street and ,covent ,garden4 ,it may1 however1 be taken for granted that the venture was not a profitable one4 ,a new omnibus1 called 8the corridor 'bus10 was placed on the ,putney and ,liverpool ,street road in #aijj1 by ,mr4 ,william ,berg4 ,from the outside the vehicle appears to be similar to the ordinary omnibus1 but the inside seats are arranged crossways and some of the passengers sit back to back4 ,the windows are fitted with blinds--a much-needed innovation4 ,i have heard that one of the smaller omnibus companies intends to adopt 8the corridor 'bus40 ,one of the keenest struggles between rival omnibus companies that has been witnessed for some years began in ,may last4 ,it originated in the following way3--some twelve years ago the ,london ,general ,omnibus ,company opened a line of omnibuses from ,kilburn to the ,redcliffe ,arms1 ,fulham ,road4 ,these omnibuses1 which were painted blue1 tapped ,harrow ,road1 ,westbourne ,grove1 ,notting ,hill ,gate1 ,kensington ,high ,street1 and ,earl's ,court1 and1 before long1 the line became one of the best patronised in ,london4 ,but about a week before ,whit ,monday the ,london ,road ,car ,company started a service of twenty-five orange-coloured omnibuses from ,putney to ,brondesbury1 which traversed the entire route of the blue 'buses4 ,the ,london ,general ,omnibus ,company immediately extended the journey of some of its 8blues10 making them run from ,brondesbury to ,putney1 and its drivers at once began to oppose their 8orange0 rivals4 ,the ,london ,road ,car ,company then displayed in its omnibuses a 8,no ,monopoly0 protest1 stating that a determined attempt was being made to run its cars off the road1 and appealing to the public to 8rally round the flag40 ,a few weeks later a leaflet1 headed 8,no ,surrender60 was distributed in the districts through which the 8oranges0 and 8blues0 passed4 ,it bore an illustration of a smart1 well-patronised ,putney and ,brondesbury ,road ,car being followed by an almost empty knife-board omnibus4 ,beneath this amusing1 but somewhat misleading1 illustration were the following lines3-- 8,welcome1 welcome ,london ,road-,car1 beard the mammoth ,god of ,shares1 ,pioneers of all improvements1 handsome cars and cheaper fares2 ,no more #8tubs' and foreign gee-gees1 onward1 ,road-,car1 spread the light1 ,no more sixpence any distance after eight on ,sunday night4 8#8,no more turning back1' said ,buller1 to the gallant rank and file2 ,no white flag was ever hoisted by the #8,dubs' from ,erin's isle2 ,strike no flag1 and give no quarter1 for with them it's #8outing-dues1' ,good luck to the #8orange blossoms1' for we've long since had the #8blues4' 8,stand no nursing1 ,road-,car drivers1 you've a right as well as they1 ,forward1 valiant standard-bearers1 bravo 8,d0 and 8,b0 and 8,j40 ,come to stay's the public verdict1 bull-dog pluck cannot be beat1 ,men and masters1 pull together1 no surrender6 no retreat6 8,to the public ,i'm appealing2 forward help this gallant band1 ',neath the grand old flag of ,england in your thousands take your stand2 ,trace to them all known improvements1 now1 as in the days of yore1 ,when a change is really needed1 they'll send five-and-twenty more40 8,,cead ,a ,,mille ,,failthe40 8,d0 and 8,b0 and 8,j0 are ,mr4 ,duff1 the manager of the ,road ,car ,company1 and ,messrs4 ,bristow and ,jones1 two other officials4 ,the ,london ,road ,car ,company has certainly1 during its comparatively short career1 been more enterprising than its rivals in providing for the comfort of the omnibus-travelling public2 but it is scarcely entitled to much sympathy in connection with the ,putney and ,brondesbury struggle1 considering that1 not many years ago1 it meted out to a small company treatment similar to that of which it now complains4 ,it compelled that company--which also issued an appeal to the public--to submit to its terms1 in spite of the fact that1 unlike the ,london ,general ,omnibus ,company and other companies who are members of the various associations1 it does not pay compensation for placing its omnibuses on a route which another company has planned and worked into success4 ,it is somewhat surprising that the ,london ,general ,omnibus ,company and the proprietors associated with it have not thought it advisable to publish periodically1 for the convenience of the public1 a list of their routes4 ,visitors to ,london are frequently in need of such a guide4 ,the following is a list of omnibus lines which run through or into ,london4 ,acton and ,charing ,cross 7vi ,shepherd's ,bush1 ,bayswater ,road1 ,oxford ,street1 and ,regent ,street74 ,baker-street ,station and ,victoria 7vi ,baker ,street1 ,grosvenor ,square1 and ,hyde ,park ,corner74 ,baker-street ,station and ,waterloo 7vi ,baker ,street1 ,bond ,street1 and ,westminster ,bridge74 ,barnes and ,uxbridge ,road 7vi ,hammersmith ,broadway74 ,barnes ,common and ,liverpool ,street 7vi ,putney ,bridge1 ,walham ,green1 ,brompton ,road1 ,piccadilly1 and ,strand74 ,barnsbury and ,brixton 7vi ,liverpool ,road1 ,general ,post ,office1 and ,blackfriars ,bridge74 ,battersea and ,south ,hackney 7vi ,king's ,road1 ,chelsea1 ,sloane ,street1 ,piccadilly1 ,strand1 ,bank1 and ,bethnal-green ,road74 ,blackwall and ,piccadilly ,circus 7vi ,commercial ,road1 ,shoreditch1 ,bank1 and ,strand74 ,bow and ,oxford ,circus 7vi ,mile ,end ,road1 ,bank1 and ,strand74 ,brixton and ,gracechurch ,street 7vi ,kennington and ,london ,bridge74 ,brixton and ,oxford ,circus 7vi ,kennington1 ,westminster ,bridge1 and ,piccadilly ,circus74 ,brixton and ,paddington ,station 7vi ,kennington1 ,elephant and ,castle1 ,blackfriars ,bridge1 ,gray's-inn ,road1 ,euston ,road1 and ,marylebone ,road74 ,camberwell and ,camden ,town 7vi ,elephant and ,castle1 ,waterloo ,bridge1 ,strand1 ,oxford ,circus1 and ,portland ,road47 ,camberwell and ,clapham ,common 7vi ,loughboro' ,junction and ,brixton74 ,camberwell and ,king's ,cross 7vi ,elephant and ,castle1 ,waterloo ,bridge1 and ,gray's-inn ,road74 ,camberwell and ,shoreditch ,church 7vi ,elephant and ,castle1 ,london ,bridge1 and ,liverpool-street ,station74 ,camden ,town and ,kent ,road 7vi ,elephant and ,castle1 ,waterloo ,bridge1 ,strand1 ,oxford ,circus1 and ,portland ,road74 ,chalk ,farm and ,victoria 7vi ,hampstead ,road1 ,tottenham-court ,road1 ,charing ,cross1 and ,victoria ,street74 ,child's ,hill and ,charing ,cross 7vi ,finchley ,road1 ,baker ,street1 ,wigmore ,street1 ,oxford ,circus1 and ,piccadilly ,circus74 ,clapham ,common and ,victoria 7vi ,battersea ,bridge and ,buckingham-palace ,road74 ,clapham ,junction and ,hyde ,park 7vi ,albert ,bridge1 ,king's ,road1 ,chelsea1 and ,sloane ,street74 ,clapham ,junction and ,shepherd's ,bush 7vi ,albert ,bridge1 ,king's ,road1 ,sloane ,street1 ,kensington ,church1 and ,notting-hill ,gate74 ,clapton and ,elephant and ,castle 7vi ,dalston ,junction1 ,kingsland ,road1 ,shoreditch1 and ,london ,bridge74 ,clapton and ,finsbury-park ,station 7vi ,stoke ,newington1 ,green ,lanes1 and ,brownswood ,park74 ,cricklewood and ,charing ,cross 7vi ,kilburn1 ,oxford ,circus1 and ,piccadilly ,circus74 ,ealing and ,tottenham-court ,road 7vi ,acton1 ,shepherd's ,bush1 ,bayswater ,road1 and ,oxford ,street74 ,earl's ,court and ,elephant and ,castle 7vi ,cromwell ,road1 ,sloane ,street1 ,victoria ,station1 ,vauxhall ,bridge1 and ,kennington74 ,elephant and ,castle and ,islington 7vi ,london ,bridge1 ,bank1 ,general ,post ,office1 and ,goswell ,road74 ,farringdon ,road and ,blackfriars ,bridge 7vi ,ludgate ,circus74 ,finchley and ,charing ,cross 7vi ,east ,finchley1 ,highgate ,archway1 ,junction ,road1 ,camden ,town1 ,hampstead ,road1 and ,tottenham-court ,road74 ,finchley and ,oxford ,circus 7vi ,church ,end1 ,child's ,hill1 ,swiss ,cottage1 ,baker ,street1 and ,wigmore ,street74 ,finchley ,road 7,north ,star7 and ,fulham ,road 7vi ,kilburn1 ,harrow ,road1 ,westbourne ,grove1 ,notting-hill ,gate1 ,kensington1 and ,earl's-court ,road74 ,finsbury ,park and ,kent ,road 7vi ,highbury ,barn1 ,upper ,street1 ,new ,north ,road1 ,bank1 and ,elephant and ,castle74 ,finsbury ,park and ,victoria 7vi ,seven ,sisters' ,road1 ,camden ,road1 ,hampstead ,road1 ,tottenham-court ,road1 ,charing ,cross1 and ,victoria ,street74 ,fulham and ,bethnal ,green 7vi ,walham ,green1 ,king's ,road1 ,chelsea1 ,sloane ,square1 ,victoria ,station1 ,whitehall1 ,strand1 and ,bank74 ,fulham and ,liverpool ,street 7as above74 ,fulham and ,oxford ,circus 7vi ,king's ,road1 ,chelsea1 ,sloane ,street1 and ,piccadilly74 ,gospel ,oak and ,victoria 7vi ,ferdinand ,road1 ,hampstead ,road1 ,charing ,cross1 and ,victoria ,street74 ,gower-street ,station and ,edgware-road ,station 7vi ,tottenham-court ,road1 ,oxford ,street1 and ,edgware ,road74 ,hammersmith and ,caledonian ,road 7vi ,kensington1 ,piccadilly1 ,tottenham ,court ,road1 and ,euston ,road74 ,hammersmith and ,liverpool ,street 7vi ,kensington1 ,piccadilly1 ,strand1 and ,bank74 ,hammersmith and ,walham ,green 7vi ,fulham74 ,hammersmith and ,wandsworth 7vi ,fulham1 ,walham ,green1 and ,wandsworth ,bridge74 ,hampstead and ,oxford ,street 7vi ,haverstock ,hill1 ,hampstead ,road1 and ,tottenham-court ,road74 ,hanwell and ,oxford ,circus 7vi ,ealing1 ,acton1 ,shepherd's ,bush1 ,bayswater ,road1 and ,oxford ,street74 ,harlesden and ,charing ,cross 7vi ,kensal ,green1 ,harrow ,road1 ,paddington ,station1 ,edgware ,road1 and ,oxford ,circus74 ,hendon and ,oxford ,circus 7vi ,golder's ,hill1 ,child's ,hill1 ,st4 ,john's ,wood1 ,baker-street ,station1 and ,wigmore ,street74 ,highbury ,barn and ,putney ,bridge 7vi ,upper ,street1 ,rosebery ,avenue1 ,shaftesbury ,avenue1 ,piccadilly1 ,sloane ,street1 ,king's ,road1 and ,parsons ,green74 ,highgate and ,london ,bridge 7vi ,holloway ,road1 ,upper ,street1 and ,city ,road74 ,highgate and ,victoria 7vi ,junction ,road1 ,camden ,town1 ,tottenham-court ,road1 ,charing ,cross1 and ,victoria ,street74 ,holloway and ,bayswater 7vi ,camden ,road1 ,st4 ,john's-wood ,road1 ,maida ,vale1 ,westbourne ,grove1 and ,queen's ,road74 ,holloway and ,fulham 7vi ,caledonian ,road1 ,euston ,road1 ,portland ,road ,station1 ,oxford ,circus1 ,piccadilly1 ,south ,kensington and ,west ,kensington74 ,hornsey ,rise and ,sloane ,square 7vi ,islington1 ,euston ,road1 ,baker ,street1 ,park ,lane and ,sloane ,street74 ,hornsey ,rise and ,victoria 7vi ,seven ,sisters' ,road1 ,upper ,street1 ,gray's-inn ,road1 ,chancery ,lane1 ,strand1 and ,victoria ,street74 ,islington and ,kensington 7vi ,pentonville ,road1 ,euston ,road1 ,marylebone ,road1 ,westbourne ,grove1 and ,notting-hill ,gate74 ,kensal ,green and ,london ,bridge 7vi ,harrow ,road1 ,paddington ,station1 ,edgware ,road1 ,oxford ,street1 ,holborn1 and ,bank74 ,kentish ,town and ,elephant and ,castle 7vi ,college ,road1 ,gray's-inn ,road1 ,holborn1 and ,blackfriars ,bridge74 ,kentish ,town and ,london ,bridge 7vi ,college ,road1 ,gray's-inn ,road1 and ,holborn74 ,kilburn and ,charing ,cross 7vi ,maida ,vale1 ,oxford ,street1 and ,regent ,street74 ,kilburn and ,liverpool ,street 7vi ,maida ,vale1 ,oxford ,street1 ,holborn1 and ,bank74 ,kilburn and ,london ,bridge 7vi ,maida ,vale1 ,oxford ,street1 ,holborn1 and ,bank74 ,kilburn and ,victoria 7vi ,maida ,vale1 ,edgware ,road1 and ,park ,lane74 ,kilburn and ,willesden ,junction 7vi ,willesden ,lane and ,harlesden74 ,knightsbridge and ,battersea ,bridge 7vi ,sloane ,street74 ,mile ,end and ,west ,brompton 7vi ,bank1 ,holborn1 ,shaftesbury ,avenue1 ,piccadilly1 and ,brompton ,road74 ,moorgate-street ,station and ,london-bridge ,station 7vi ,bank74 ,muswell ,hill and ,charing ,cross 7vi ,highgate ,archway1 ,camden ,town1 and ,tottenham-court ,road74 ,notting ,hill and ,liverpool ,street 7vi ,westbourne ,grove1 ,paddington ,station1 ,oxford ,street1 ,holborn1 and ,bank74 ,notting ,hill and ,london ,bridge 7vi ,portobello ,road1 ,westbourne ,grove1 ,paddington ,station1 ,oxford ,street1 ,regent ,street1 ,strand1 and ,cannon ,street74 ,old ,ford and ,bank 7vi ,bethnal-green ,road1 and ,shoreditch74 ,old ,ford and ,oxford ,circus 7vi ,bethnal-green ,road1 ,bank1 and ,holborn74 ,paddington ,station and ,london ,bridge 7vi ,praed ,street1 ,edgware ,road1 ,oxford ,street1 ,regent ,street1 and ,strand74 ,peckham and ,oxford ,circus 7vi ,camberwell1 ,westminster ,bridge1 and ,regent ,street74 ,peckham and ,victoria 7vi ,camberwell1 ,kennington1 and ,vauxhall ,bridge74 ,putney and ,brondesbury 7vi ,fulham ,road1 ,earl's ,court ,road1 ,kensington1 ,notting-hill ,gate1 ,westbourne ,grove1 ,harrow ,road1 and ,kilburn74 ,putney and ,liverpool ,street 7vi ,walham ,green1 ,brompton ,road1 ,piccadilly1 ,strand1 and ,bank74 ,st4 ,john's ,wood and ,camberwell 7vi ,baker ,street1 ,oxford ,street1 ,regent ,street1 ,westminster ,bridge1 and ,elephant and ,castle74 ,st4 ,john's ,wood and ,kent ,road 7as above74 ,st4 ,john's ,wood and ,london ,bridge 7vi ,baker ,street1 ,oxford ,street1 ,holborn1 and ,bank74 ,shepherd's ,bush1 and ,burdett ,road1 ,mile ,end 7vi ,bayswater ,road1 ,oxford ,street1 ,holborn1 ,bank1 and ,mile-end ,road74 ,shepherd's ,bush and ,liverpool ,street 7vi ,bayswater ,road1 ,oxford ,street1 ,holborn1 and ,bank74 ,shepherd's ,bush and ,walham ,green 7vi ,olympia and ,west ,kensington74 ,south ,hackney and ,bank 7vi ,hackney ,road74 ,stamford ,hill and ,elephant and ,castle 7vi ,kingsland ,road1 ,shoreditch1 ,bank1 and ,london ,bridge74 ,starch ,green and ,liverpool ,street 7vi ,shepherd's ,bush1 ,bayswater ,road1 ,oxford ,street1 ,holborn1 and ,bank74 ,stoke ,newington and ,victoria 7vi ,newington ,green1 ,essex ,road1 ,angel1 ,gray's-inn ,road1 ,chancery ,lane1 ,strand1 and ,victoria ,street74 ,summer's ,town and ,hammersmith 7vi ,earlsfield1 ,wandsworth ,bridge1 and ,walham ,green74 ,tollington ,park and ,london ,bridge 7vi ,seven ,sisters' ,road1 ,upper ,street1 ,city ,road1 and ,bank74 ,tollington ,park and ,victoria 7vi ,seven ,sisters' ,road1 ,upper ,street1 ,gray's-inn ,road1 ,chancery ,lane1 ,strand1 and ,victoria ,street74 ,another route 7vi ,king's ,cross1 ,bond ,street1 and ,piccadilly74 ,tulse ,hill and ,king's ,cross 7vi ,herne ,hill1 ,loughboro' ,junction1 ,camberwell ,green1 ,elephant and ,castle1 ,waterloo ,bridge1 ,chancery ,lane1 and ,gray's ,inn ,road74 ,turnham ,green and ,clapham ,junction 7vi ,goldhawk ,road1 ,bayswater ,road1 ,notting-hill ,gate1 ,kensington ,church1 and ,sloane ,street74 ,turnham ,green and ,liverpool ,street 7vi ,hammersmith ,broadway1 ,kensington1 ,piccadilly1 ,strand1 and ,bank74 ,victoria and ,king's ,cross 7vi ,hyde ,park ,corner1 ,piccadilly1 ,long ,acre1 ,southampton ,row1 and ,russell ,square74 ,another route 7vi ,hyde ,park ,corner1 ,piccadilly1 ,bond ,street1 ,oxford ,street1 ,tottenham-court ,road1 and ,euston ,road74 ,victoria and ,liverpool ,street 7vi ,victoria ,street1 ,strand1 ,fleet ,street1 and ,bank74 ,walham ,green and ,islington 7vi ,brompton ,road1 ,piccadilly1 ,regent ,street1 ,portland-road ,station1 ,euston ,road1 and ,pentonville ,road74 ,walham ,green and ,highbury 7vi ,piccadilly1 ,euston ,road1 ,pentonville ,road1 and ,upper ,street74 ,wandsworth and ,liverpool ,street 7vi ,king's ,road1 ,chelsea1 ,victoria1 ,strand1 and ,bank74 ,waterloo ,station and ,liverpool ,street 7vi ,blackfriars ,bridge and ,bank74 ,waterloo ,station and ,westminster ,bridge 7vi ,strand74 ,westbourne ,grove and ,victoria 7vi ,praed ,street1 ,edgware ,road1 and ,park ,lane74 ,west ,hampstead and ,elephant and ,castle 7vi ,abbey ,road1 ,eyre ,arms1 ,baker ,street1 ,oxford ,street1 ,regent ,street1 and ,westminster ,bridge74 ,west ,hampstead and ,fulham ,road 7vi ,kilburn1 ,westbourne ,grove1 ,notting-hill ,gate1 ,kensington1 and ,earl's-court ,road74 ,west ,kensington and ,london ,bridge 7vi ,south ,kensington1 ,brompton ,road1 ,piccadilly1 ,holborn1 and ,bank74 ,west ,kensington and ,shoreditch 7vi ,south ,kensington1 ,strand1 ,bank1 and ,liverpool ,street74 ,west ,kilburn and ,charing ,cross 7vi ,shirland ,road1 ,edgware ,road1 ,oxford ,street1 and ,regent ,street74 ,west ,kilburn and ,london ,bridge 7vi ,shirland ,road1 ,edgware ,road1 ,oxford ,street1 ,holborn1 and ,bank74 ,west ,kilburn and ,victoria 7vi ,shirland ,road1 ,edgware ,road1 and ,park ,lane74 ,west ,norwood and ,oxford ,circus 7vi ,kennington1 ,westminster ,bridge1 and ,piccadilly ,circus74 ,westminster and ,liverpool ,street 7vi ,moreton ,street1 ,great ,smith ,street1 ,whitehall1 ,strand1 and ,bank74 ,willesden and ,charing ,cross 7vi ,willesden ,lane1 ,salusbury ,road1 ,shirland ,road1 ,edgware ,road1 and ,oxford ,street74 ,willesden and ,victoria 7vi ,willesden ,lane1 ,salusbury ,road1 ,shirland ,road1 ,edgware ,road1 and ,park ,lane74 ,wormwood ,scrubbs and ,liverpool ,street 7vi ,notting ,hill1 ,westbourne ,grove1 ,praed ,street1 ,oxford ,street1 ,holborn1 and ,bank74 ,wormwood ,scrubbs and ,london ,bridge 7vi ,notting ,hill1 ,westbourne ,grove1 ,praed ,street1 ,oxford ,street1 ,holborn1 and ,bank74 ,during the summer months many omnibuses are taken off the ,city ,roads on ,sundays1 and run into the suburbs4 ,the chief of these ,sunday routes are3-- ,bank and ,romford ,road 7vi ,bow and ,stratford74 ,charing ,cross and ,richmond 7vi ,kensington1 ,hammersmith1 ,chiswick1 and ,kew ,bridge74 ,kensal ,green and ,richmond 7vi ,shepherd's ,bush1 ,barnes1 ,mortlake74 ,oxford ,circus and ,hayes ,common 7vi ,shepherd's ,bush1 ,acton1 ,ealing1 and ,hanwell74 ,oxford ,circus and ,welsh ,harp 7vi ,kilburn and ,cricklewood74 ,stoke ,newington and ,hadley ,woods 7vi ,wood ,green and ,southgate74 ,tottenham-court ,road and ,stonebridge ,park 7vi ,kensal ,green and ,harlesden74 ,,chapter ,,xi 8,jumpers0--8,spots0--,some curious passengers--,conductors and coachmen--,the ,rothschild ,christmas-boxes--,mr4 ,morris ,abrahams and ,omnibus ,men's ,superannuation ,fund--,horses--,cost of omnibuses--,night in an omnibus yard ,it is said1 frequently1 that omnibus companies and proprietors have received little or no benefit from the introduction of the ticket system because of the expense connected with the working of it1 but that is a very great mistake4 ,the ,london ,general ,omnibus ,company saves #ajj1jjj a year by it1 and the other companies and associations have just as much cause for satisfaction4 ,but it must be confessed that at the outset the ticket system was more or less a farce1 the conductors omitting openly to give tickets and being encouraged in their breach of duty by the lower class of riders4 ,some conductors flung away their rolls of tickets and declared that they had been stolen4 ,others placed them under the omnibus wheels to be crushed1 and then pretended that the damage done was the result of an accident4 ,some of the more reckless spirits bragged that they had given the tickets to their children to play with4 ,the polite inspectors--called by the men 8jumpers0--came into existence with the introduction of tickets1 and for some time there was a considerable amount of excitement about their work1 for1 while conductors did not trouble to conceal from passengers the fact that they were not doing their duty1 they seemed to consider it a personal insult that an inspector should board their omnibuses to see if passengers had been given tickets4 ,some conductors assaulted the unwelcome inspectors1 but the police-court magistrates soon proved to them that it was a very unprofitable step to take1 and1 in course of time1 the men who wished to retain their posts settled down to issuing tickets in a proper fashion1 and to regarding with comparative calmness the sudden appearance of an inspector on their step4 8,we have to punch tickets in the dark10 one conductor declared indignantly to a passenger1 8and then a #8jumper' comes up with an electric light to see that we've punched them in the right section40 8,perhaps they'll fix electric lights on top of the 'buses before long10 the passenger said1 consolingly4 8,hope they won't1 guv'nor10 the conductor answered hurriedly4 8,shouldn't get any more two-shilling pieces for pennies if they did40 ,ticket-inspectors are known to all ,londoners1 but few people are aware that the omnibus companies have also private inspectors1 whose duty it is to ride about in their omnibuses1 as ordinary passengers1 for the purpose of noting and reporting anything that affects their interests adversely4 ,these people1 who are called 8spots0 and 8wrong 'uns0 by the 'busmen1 are not beloved by conductors and coachmen1 for the simple reason that they never know when they have one on their omnibus4 ,the man in evening dress who enters the omnibus in the ,strand after the theatres have closed may be one2 so1 too1 may be the man with a bag of workman's tools who rides up to town by the first omnibus4 ,the daintily dressed young lady who enters at ,peter ,robinson's or ,william ,whiteley's may1 from her seat in the corner1 be regarding the conductor with an interest which is not born of admiration1 and the palpably retired officer who gets in at ,piccadilly may be earning a welcome addition to his income by watching 'busmen's manuvres4 ,but it must be very embarrassing to these 8spots0 as they sit1 unobtrusively1 in the omnibus to see facing them1 as an advertisement of ,sapolio1 ,lady ,macbeth's exhortation1 8,out1 out1 damned spot60 ,private inspectors are by no means a modern addition to the staff of an omnibus company4 ,shillibeer1 as stated in ,chapter ,,ii41 employed them a few weeks after he placed the first ,english omnibuses on the road1 and succeeding omnibus proprietors followed his example4 ,the duties of these early inspectors were not very arduous1 for1 as there were only shilling and sixpenny fares1 known as 8longs0 and 8shorts10 and but two outside seats1 it was a simple matter to check the amount received by a conductor during a journey4 ,the defalcations of conductors were1 by the means of these inspectors1 kept from being extensive1 but when omnibuses had been in existence about fifteen years one of the largest proprietors received reports from his 8spot0 which he could not understand4 ,the 8spot0 would state that a certain omnibus1 on a certain journey1 had carried1 say1 twelve 8longs0 and sixteen 8shorts10 but the conductor would pay in the fares of fourteen 8longs0 and seventeen or eighteen 8shorts40 ,to unravel this mystery the proprietor persuaded a relation1 who was unknown to the 'busmen1 to ride in a certain omnibus on the same journey as his 8spot10 and check who was really right4 ,this man's reports agreed with the 8spot's40 ,both declared that the conductor had collected less money than he paid in4 ,the amateur 8spot0 then rode two journeys in that omnibus when the professional man was not there1 and on those occasions it was found that the conductor paid in only about three-quarters of the money he received4 ,eventually the conductor was arrested for fraud1 and confessed how he had been working his omnibus4 ,he had bribed the proprietor's clerk to tell him who the 8spot0 was1 and where he could be seen4 ,as soon as he had received that information1 and taken a good look at the man1 he felt that he was safe from being detected in his fraud4 ,whenever the 8spot0 rode in his omnibus1 he paid in more than he received1 relying upon getting back the extra money1 and a good bit more1 on the journeys when the 8spot0 was not present4 ,why he did not remain satisfied with simply paying in the exact amount he took on every occasion that the 8spot0 rode in his omnibus is a question that occurs to every one who hears the story4 ,in all probability he considered himself a very smart fellow1 and it is the fate of people possessed of an exaggerated idea of their own cleverness to make some silly blunder which proves that1 after all1 they are but fools4 ,in the forties and fifties several well-dressed women 8spots0 were employed by the omnibus proprietors1 and when a conductor suspected any lady passenger of being one1 he generally communicated his suspicion to the coachman1 with the result that when she wished to alight1 the coachman would pull up in the muddiest part of the road1 so that she would be compelled to get her boots and skirt dirty4 ,more often than not it was a perfectly innocent lady whom the conductor left stranded in the centre of a crowded1 muddy street4 ,these mistakes are still very common4 ,conductors are always on the look out for 8spots10 and every day hundreds of innocent passengers are suspected of being private inspectors because they happen1 perhaps unconsciously1 to watch the conductor punching tickets or to glance at his badge number4 ,although private inspectors are1 naturally enough1 very strongly disliked by 'busmen1 they are a great protection to them4 ,there are always a few cantankerous1 cross-grained people riding in omnibuses somewhere in ,london who abuse conductors with scarcely any reason1 and threaten1 when they have aggravated them into retort1 to report them for impertinence4 ,and sometimes they do report the man1 but if a 8spot0 happens to be in the omnibus he sends to his employers a full account of all that occurred4 ,he does not forget to mention the provocation the conductor received1 a point which people who write letters of complaint have a curious knack of overlooking4 ,sometimes conductors get very strange people in their omnibuses4 ,one night1 a year or two ago1 a 8,favorite0 started from ,victoria ,station with three inside passengers1 two of whom were women4 ,suddenly the woman sitting by the door pointed at the one at the other end of the omnibus and exclaimed dramatically3-- 8,that woman has stolen my purse40 8,she hasn't been near you10 the conductor declared2 but the woman repeated the accusation in a louder tone4 ,the accused woman remained very calm1 and it was not until the charge against her began to get monotonous through repetition that she told the conductor to stop the omnibus and call a policeman4 ,the conductor did so4 8,that woman has stolen my purse10 the passenger at the door shouted when the policeman arrived4 ,the policeman looked from one to the other1 and then said3-- 8,why1 there's your purse in your lap40 8,yes1 ,i know10 the accuser admitted4 8,then1 what do you mean by sayin' that lady stole it80 8,i did it out of kindness1 constable4 ,the lady has got the hiccoughs1 and ,i wanted to give her a start40 ,to be accused of having the hiccoughs seemed to annoy the woman in the corner far more than the charge of theft did1 and she appealed1 excitedly1 to the male passenger to say whether or not she had the hiccoughs4 ,he answered boldly that there was not the slightest ground for such an accusation4 8,but she was going to have them10 the woman by the door declared1 an assertion which so astonished the policeman that he felt prompt action was imperative4 8,out you come10 he said sharply1 and assisted her to make her exit with alacrity4 ,at times the eccentricity of some passengers takes very objectionable forms4 ,quite recently a well-dressed little woman jumped into an omnibus in ,fleet ,street1 pulled a man out of his seat and sat in it herself1 poked her umbrella into another man's eye1 swore horribly at everybody present for about half a minute1 then suddenly got up1 jumped out without paying1 and disappeared down a side street4 ,the man whose eye was injured had to hurry to ,charing ,cross ,hospital4 ,on another occasion a sane-looking man1 sitting on top of an omnibus1 suddenly started throwing pennies at the silk hats of passers-by and spitting contemptuously at female pedestrians4 ,before his fellow-passengers had made up their minds whether to pitch him off the omnibus or give him into custody1 he walked quietly down the steps and alighted4 ,many passengers leave strange things in omnibuses1 but ,i have heard of only one man who went away without his clothes4 ,a conductor looking round his omnibus at the end of his day's work1 kicked against a heap of clothes lying on the roof4 ,while examining the articles by the light of his lamp he heard a noise above him1 and1 looking up1 beheld a man1 stark naked1 climbing into the loft4 ,the poor fellow had gone mad4 ,but of all the eccentric characters known to 'busmen1 the most harmless and the most amusing is the respectable-looking little man with a black beard who runs in front of omnibuses1 excitedly waving a long stick above his head4 ,he is about forty years of age1 dressed generally in black clothes1 and sometimes carries a pair of gloves in his hand4 ,he singles out an omnibus1 gives a friendly shout to the coachman1 darts in front of the horses1 and leads the way through the streets1 coming occasionally to the side of the omnibus to give passengers an opportunity to throw money to him4 ,he delights in long runs and usually sticks to the omnibus he takes up with until it reaches the end of its journey4 ,he has been known to run with an omnibus from ,queen's ,road1 ,bayswater1 through the city1 to ,burdett ,road1 ,e41 and then to run back with another4 ,an eccentric person1 well known to 'busmen in one part of ,london1 is a gentleman who stands1 almost every night1 at certain corners where omnibuses stop and gives a searching look at each one as it comes up4 ,when he started that practice1 ten or fifteen years ago1 the 'busmen thought that he was some omnibus official1 but they soon discovered that he was not4 ,who or what he has been looking for all these years neither 'busmen1 policemen1 nor any one else1 know4 ,sometimes conductors say to him1 8,coming our way1 sir80 ,whereupon he answers sharply1 8,take your departure40 ,usually he allows about a hundred omnibuses to pass before he enters one1 but sometimes he lets the last go by and then walks home4 ,omnibus conductors are1 on the whole1 a very respectable and intelligent class of men1 and this is scarcely to be wondered at1 for their pay1 after one year's service1 is six shillings a day4 ,these wages cause hundreds of clerks and shopmen to resign their positions and become conductors4 ,many men who have been in business for themselves1 but failed to earn a good living1 are to be seen wearing the conductor's badge and punch4 ,the army1 it is pleasing to be able to say1 is very well represented--largely by ex-noncommissioned officers4 ,they do not wear their medals on their waistcoats1 because they know that to be the practice of old soldiers in straitened circumstances1 and also1 alas6 of rascally impostors who have never worn the ,queen's uniform4 ,if the conductors had uniforms1 as the tram-men have1 they would wear their medals4 ,the dissipated down-at-heel gentleman1 of the type which sometimes drives a cab1 never becomes an omnibus conductor1 for the very good reason that no company or proprietor would employ him4 ,but the unfortunate gentleman often does4 ,an ,oxford graduate was the conductor of a ,west-,end omnibus for some considerable time1 and a man who was once the secretary of a flourishing literary society1 and a church organist1 is and has been one for some years4 ,and a ,city man1 ruined in business1 became1 by the irony of fate1 the conductor of the very omnibus on which he1 formerly1 rode up to town every morning4 ,a small proportion of conductors do possibly make occasional mistakes in their grammar1 but that is no reason why a certain writer should have attributed to them1 week after week for some years1 a dialect which they do not speak4 ,evidently the writer has not troubled to study conductors1 and imagines that they are drawn from the costermonger class4 ,conductors1 it may be added1 do not even say 8lidy10 or 8lydy10 although it has become the fashion in novels and articles to make out that they do4 ,they say 8lady0 as distinctly as ever the word was uttered4 ,omnibus drivers are1 as a body1 intellectually inferior to conductors4 ,they are usually brought up among horses1 and1 unlike the conductors1 are totally unfitted for any other calling than the one by which they earn their living4 ,their wages1 which are eight shillings a day1 after one year's service1 enable them to live in comfort and to put a shilling on a horse in every race of any importance4 ,they have no ambition but to 8back a winner10 and many men who started driving at the age of twenty-one are not a penny richer after forty years' regular work4 ,they continue driving until they become too old1 and then they realise that they have been exceedingly foolish4 ,one driver1 who for more than forty years earned over two guineas a week1 now sweeps a crossing for a living4 ,many others have died in the workhouse4 ,as a wit the omnibus driver is greatly overrated4 ,there is nothing spontaneous about his witticisms1 and all drivers let off exactly the same jokes4 ,these are three from their stock3-- ,when a coal cart is in front of them3 8,now then1 short weight1 hurry up60 ,when another omnibus remains at a point longer than usual3 8,got a bit of freeehold there80 ,when they are driving home to the stables about midnight1 and some would-be passenger hails them3 8,not to-night1 sir4 ,we have the rest of the evening to ourselves40 ,but it must be admitted that omnibus drivers have the knack of delivering their remarks in a way that makes a stranger imagine that they are uttering them for the first time4 ,and that is an art4 ,at ,christmas time there is a great demand among 'busmen for ,rothschild's racing colours4 ,the drivers attach them to their whips and the conductors adorn their bell-pulls with them1 as a slight acknowledgment of the welcome ,christmas-box--a brace of pheasants--which they have received for many years from the firm of ,rothschild4 ,originally these presents were given only to the coachmen and conductors of omnibuses which passed the ,rothschilds' houses1 but now others receive them as well1 and there must be about three thousand brace distributed every ,christmas4 ,the late ,lord ,rothschild1 who1 years ago1 gave an annual dinner to the ,hammersmith 'busmen--half the men being entertained on one night and half on another--was the first of the family to present ,christmas-boxes to them4 ,his gift to every ,hammersmith coachman and conductor was a brace of pheasants1 a bottle of wine and six cigars4 ,after a time he stopped the bottle of wine and cigars and gave five shillings instead4 ,the ,victoria ,station ,omnibus ,association coachmen and conductors also receive five shillings each as well as the brace of pheasants1 and the reason why they are favoured is1 the old 'busmen say1 as follows3--,one day1 many years ago1 in the height of the season1 there was a big crowd gathered in ,park ,lane1 and the traffic was stopped for some time to keep the road clear for a member of the ,royal ,family to drive along4 ,by the fountain the block was so great that pedestrians who desired to cross the road experienced the greatest difficulty in doing so4 ,a lady of the ,rothschild family came up ,hertford ,street and wished to cross over into ,hamilton ,place1 but1 naturally1 did not venture to pick her way through the wide stretch of omnibuses1 cabs and carriages4 ,benjamin ,west1 a conductor of one of the ,victoria ,station ,association's omnibuses1 saw her1 and1 recognising her1 got off his step and1 with a polite apology for addressing her1 asked to be allowed to escort her across the road4 ,his services were accepted1 and he led the way safely through the maze of horses and vehicles4 ,west then returned to his omnibus1 well satisfied at having been useful to a member of the family which contains the best friends that 'busmen ever had4 ,but1 to his surprise1 he saw the lady turn and speak to the page following her1 in charge of a pug dog1 who came running back to ,west's omnibus to see to whom it belonged4 ,he read the inscription on the panel1 8,victoria ,station ,association10 and then hurried back and reported to his mistress4 ,the following ,christmas every conductor and coachman in the employ of the ,victoria ,station ,association received from ,mr4 ,leopold ,rothschild five shillings1 and the present has been given every year since4 ,many instances of the ,rothschilds' generosity to individual 'busmen could be given1 but it would be indiscreet to mention actions which were performed privately4 ,the ,rothschilds are not1 however1 the only ,jews from whom ,london 'busmen have received substantial benefits4 ,the late ,messrs4 ,barney ,barnato and ,woolf ,joel were very generous to them1 and ,mr4 ,morris ,abrahams has placed them under a debt of gratitude by starting1 on ,october #bf1 #ahig1 the ,omnibus ,men's ,superannuation ,fund4 ,mr4 ,abrahams1 who is a cousin of the late ,mr4 ,barnato1 had for some years taken a kindly interest in the 'busmen of the neighbourhood in which he resides1 when he was asked to contribute to a fund being raised for the benefit of an old driver1 who was incapacitated from further work4 ,he did as desired1 and was present at the meeting at which the money was presented to the 'busman4 ,it struck him1 however1 that this gift was only postponing the old man's days of poverty4 ,the money would keep him for about eighteen months2 at the end of that time the man would be still less able to earn even a few pence4 ,the need of a superannuation fund was so obvious that ,mr4 ,abrahams rose and suggested to the men that they should start one1 adding that if they would support the movement he would provide all the money necessary for founding it4 ,the men received the suggestion with cheers1 and raising ,mr4 ,abrahams aloft1 carried him round the room4 ,finding that the 'busmen would appreciate a fund of the nature he had suggested1 he set to work to start one4 ,his first step was to instruct two men in the employ of the ,london ,general ,omnibus ,company to apply for a week's leave1 so that they might go all over ,london to ask the 'busmen to appoint a man from each district to represent them on the committee4 ,the two men obtained the necessary leave1 ,mr4 ,abrahams paying them their usual wages1 and expenses1 while away from work4 ,the first general meeting was held at the ,horse ,shoe4 ,six hundred and thirty 'busmen were present1 and #dj was collected from them in subscriptions4 ,mr4 ,abrahams1 who was in the chair1 presented the fund1 on behalf of ,messrs4 ,barnato1 with #bej4 ,from that day the ,omnibus ,men's ,superannuation ,fund has made rapid progress1 and has now #acjj members and a reserve of #cbjj4 ,mr4 ,abrahams is the president1 ,mr4 ,alfred ,rothschild the vice-president1 and among the other supporters of the ,fund are the ,duke of ,cambridge1 the ,duke of ,westminster1 the ,earl of ,crewe1 ,lord ,rosebery1 and many members of both ,houses of ,parliament4 ,mrs4 ,aubert made a donation of four hundred guineas1 and ,mr4 ,woolf ,joel left the ,fund #bej4 ,the trustees are ,mr4 ,e4 ,r4 ,p4 ,moon1 ,m4,p41 and ,mr4 ,lister ,drummond1 and the committee is composed of twenty-eight 'busmen2 the chairman and vice-chairman are both 'bus drivers4 ,the ,fund gives fifteen shillings a week for life to any member incapacitated from following his customary employment4 ,the first recipient was 8,fat0 ,smith1 a well-known driver of a ,kilburn and ,victoria omnibus4 ,in his young days ,smith drove a stage-coach in ,wales1 but coming to ,london in the sixties he obtained a job as an omnibus driver1 and retained it until about three years ago1 when old age compelled him to resign4 ,the ,fund has twenty-three pensioners in all1 and the number will soon be increased4 ,the theatrical profession has given the ,fund valuable aid4 ,mr4 ,george ,alexander lent his theatre for a matine1 at which a large number of the best actors and actresses gave their services4 ,the performance lasted from half-past two until six1 and hundreds of people were unable to gain admittance4 ,at the conclusion of the performance the old 'busmen went on the stage and bowed their thanks4 ,mr4 ,abrahams has received promises of further help from theatrical managers1 actors and actresses4 ,when the ,fund had been started a few months the 'busmen decided to present ,mr4 ,abrahams with a testimonial1 and had collected #fj with which to purchase it when he heard of their action and communicated to them his intention not to accept the gift4 ,he requested that the money collected should be returned to the subscribers4 ,but four years later the men were determined that he should have a testimonial1 and on ,june #bg1 #aija1 they presented him1 at a meeting at the ,holborn ,restaurant1 with an exquisite silver model of an omnibus4 ,jim ,perry1 who is eighty-one years of age1 and has driven a ,london omnibus since #ahdd1 is faithfully reproduced as the driver of the presentation omnibus4 ,perry may be seen any day driving a ,london ,general ,omnibus ,company omnibus between ,baker ,street and ,victoria ,stations4 ,the conductor of the silver 'bus represents ,j4 ,baker1 a ,fulham conductor1 known as 8,sailor ,jack10 who acts as collector to the ,superannuation ,fund4 ,mr4 ,abrahams has1 without ostentation1 given both time and money to the ,fund1 and it is to be hoped that ,london 'busmen will never forget their indebtedness to him4 ,at the present day there are about #cgjj omnibuses on the ,london streets4 ,for each omnibus there is a stud of ten horses1 except when the road on which it works is hilly1 and then twelve are required4 ,the majority of omnibus horses are ,canadians1 and are purchased at the ,london repositories when between five and eight years of age1 the average price paid being #cj per horse4 ,they are then graduated to the work1 and become seasoned in two or three months4 ,when seasoned they work from four to five hours out of every twenty-four4 ,after working for about five years they are1 generally1 unfit for further omnibus use1 and are sold by auction1 the purchasers being1 in most cases1 farmers4 ,many horses recover their 8straight legs0 after a spell of farm life1 and farmers have been known to send up to ,london as ,english bred horses ,canadians which they purchased1 some months before1 as 8fresh from omnibus work40 ,on several occasions omnibus proprietors have discovered that their new 8,english bred horse0 is a ,canadian which they had sold1 deeming it unfit for further use4 ,it may be asked how it was that the purchaser did not recognise his old horse before buying it4 ,but omnibus proprietors in a large way of business are continually buying horses1 and cannot possibly recognise every animal they have possessed2 but their horse-foremen1 however1 discover the ,british farmer's smartness4 ,in all large studs a number is allotted to every horse as soon as it is purchased4 ,that number is burnt on the near fore hoof1 and entered1 together with the colour and sex of the animal1 in the horse-register book4 ,it is also painted on a slip of zinc and placed over the stall the horse is to occupy4 ,when the animal dies or is sold his number plate is destroyed and a fresh one allotted to his successor4 ,each omnibus costs from #aej to #afj1 and lasts for about twelve years4 ,it is renovated every year previous to being inspected by the police1 who1 on passing it1 affix a number plate to the back of the step4 ,the police have two plates1 which they issue on alternate years1 so that a constable can see at a glance whether an omnibus is licensed4 ,for each plate licence an omnibus proprietor has to pay #b a year1 and also an annual tax of #aes4 to the ,inland ,revenue4 ,until about ten years ago the ,inland ,revenue tax was #b #bs41 and would in all probability have remained so had not ,mr4 ,john ,manley ,birch--one of the oldest established proprietors--sued the ,crown for a rebate on the ground that as omnibuses came under the ,hackney ,carriage ,act he could not be compelled to pay more than the hackney carriage tax of #aes4 ,mr4 ,birch's action was made a test case and was decided in his favour1 one year's rebate being allowed4 ,when an omnibus is no longer fit for ,london work it is sold at auction1 and becomes1 eventually1 a summer-house1 a workmen's shed1 a cricket club's dressing-room or refreshment bar4 ,the ,london ,general ,omnibus ,company burns its old vehicles4 ,until a few years ago it was a common thing for old ,london omnibuses to be purchased by colonial and provincial proprietors1 and a 8,kilburn0 would be found at work at ,liverpool1 a 8,camden ,town0 at ,clacton-on-,sea1 and a 8,hammersmith0 or 8,bayswater0 in ,new ,zealand4 ,but municipal authorities have1 in most places1 decided that an omnibus which is unfit to be at work in ,london must be regarded as unworthy to ply in their districts1 and consequently the value of old omnibuses has fallen considerably4 ,english-built omnibuses are acknowledged to be the best obtainable1 and ,mr4 ,christopher ,dodson1 the well-known ,london coach-builder1 supplies many of the leading continental proprietors4 ,mr4 ,dodson has recently invented a new staircase1 which is more convenient for passengers1 and reduces considerably the risk of accidents4 ,it is already in use on some of the ,road ,car ,company's ,putney and ,brondesbury omnibuses4 ,the nightly washing of omnibuses is an important matter1 and the person who looks into an omnibus yard during the day would be surprised at its changed appearance if he were to see it late at night4 ,about #aj o'clock the first omnibus arrives in the yard4 ,on its way from the finishing point the conductor1 lamp in hand1 has searched the seats and floor of his omnibus1 and found1 perhaps1 a stray penny4 ,if he discovers a parcel1 a purse1 or anything of any value1 he trudges off with it to the nearest police-station1 bearing no grudge against the careless passenger who has made his walk necessary1 for he knows that he will be rewarded1 no matter whether the article is claimed or not4 ,when the article is not claimed1 he receives1 eventually1 a proportion of its value4 ,if his search has proved fruitless1 he and the coachman leave their omnibus as soon as it is in the yard1 and depart for home1 or the nearest public-house4 ,but before they have quitted the yard the night men or 8washers0 have taken out the horses and led them into the stable4 ,sometimes they take them upstairs to bed4 ,then the washers unharness them and hang up the harness in the gangway4 ,the collars1 however1 are hung under the number plates1 for it is very necessary that every horse should have his own collar4 ,the horses are then groomed1 provided with food and water and secured for the night4 ,the washers are now ready for the next 'bus1 which has probably by this time entered the yard4 ,from midnight until nearly one o'clock 'bus follows 'bus in quick succession4 ,each has its appointed position in the yard1 so that there shall be no hitch in its getting out at the proper time in the morning4 ,when the last omnibus has entered1 the stable-gates are locked and the men sit down to their supper4 ,it is a lively meal1 and if the day has been a dry one and the 'buses are not very dirty1 they linger over it4 ,if1 however1 there has been much rain1 they hurry through it1 for a wet day means very hard work for them4 ,the 'buses have to be swept and swabbed1 the wheels1 the body1 and the windows have to be cleaned1 the brass work polished1 the cushions brushed1 and the aprons shaken and sponged4 ,for some hours the yard is full of noise and bustle4 ,at five o'clock the coachbuilder's men arrive to test the wheels and thoroughly overhaul each omnibus1 and in the event of their discovering any defect they repair it immediately4 ,the coachbuilder's men are followed by the veterinary surgeon1 who examines the horses2 and if he thinks that any of them should have a rest he gives instructions to that effect to the foreman4 ,about seven o'clock the coachman and conductor of the omnibus which came in first on the previous night arrive1 the former carrying his whip and rug1 the latter with his little tin box--which contains his bell-punch and tickets--under his arm4 ,in a few minutes the bus leaves the yard for its starting point4 ',bus after 'bus now passes out1 and by ten o'clock the yard has a deserted appearance1 fowls and geese being almost in sole possession1 until the first change of horses is made4 ,,chapter ,,xii ,pirate ,omnibuses--,their ,history and ,tricks4 ,pirate omnibusmen--the pests of the streets of ,london--although not quite so numerous as once they were1 continue1 practically unchecked1 to defraud ladies1 children1 foreigners and other unsuspecting persons whom they succeed in enticing into their travelling plunder-traps4 ,the disreputable doings of these rascals have been the cause of a very large proportion of the complaints which have been made against omnibuses during the last seventy years4 ,one of the secrets of ,shillibeer's early success was the care which he took to impress upon every man he employed the importance of politeness towards all passengers1 and the seriousness with which he regarded any breach of that rule4 ,but1 in #ahci1 it was noticed that this high standard of politeness was not maintained by two or three conductors of the new omnibuses running from ,paddington to the ,bank1 vi ,oxford ,street4 ,they overcharged passengers1 and met any protests with a torrent of abuse4 ,frequently1 when females only were in the omnibus1 they brought their journey to an end before they reached their advertised destination1 compelling the passengers to walk a considerable distance after paying their fares4 ,shillibeer was inundated with complaints1 and at once took steps to make it known that the omnibuses referred to were not his property1 although they bore his name and were painted and lettered in imitation of his vehicles4 ,these were the first pirate omnibuses4 ,to let the public know which really were his vehicles1 ,shillibeer at once had painted on them 8,shillibeer's ,original ,omnibus40 ,in a few days the same inscription appeared on some of the pirates with the word 8not0 preceding it in very small letters4 ,when ,shillibeer started his ill-fated ,greenwich omnibuses the pirates followed in his wake1 and soon made their presence known by their impudent cheating and bullying of passengers4 ,one night1 in ,april1 #ahcf1 some people returning to ,london saw what they believed to be one of ,shillibeer's omnibuses ready to start4 ,they entered it and sat down to wait until it was full4 ,within a quarter of an hour all the seats were occupied4 ,but even then the omnibus did not start1 for the conductor1 in the bullying manner of his class1 demanded the fares before the journey began4 ,the passengers1 anxious to get home1 produced their money and tendered the usual fare--a shilling each4 ,with a volley of oaths the conductor declared that the fare that night was eighteenpence4 ,the passengers refused to pay the extra sixpence and threatened to report the conductor to ,shillibeer for extortion and foul language1 if he did not start the omnibus at once4 8,right away1 ,charlie10 the conductor shouted2 but there was something in the way he uttered those three words which gave the coachman the tip what to do1 for he drove off immediately1 not towards ,london1 but down a back street to a deserted part of ,greenwich1 where he pulled up4 ,again the conductor demanded eighteenpence from each person1 and some were disposed to pay it2 but the people who were the first to enter the omnibus declined most emphatically to submit to the extortion1 and prevailed upon their fellow-passengers to be equally firm4 ,soon some of them wished that they had not been so firm1 for when the conductor found that he could not obtain more than the proper fare he bawled out1 8,it's no good1 ,charlie4 ,let 'em walk to ,london40 ,the coachman got down from his box1 took out his horses and went off with them at a trot1 the conductor following with the omnibus lamp in his hand4 ,in great indignation the passengers quitted the dark omnibus and wended their way back to the main street1 vowing to let ,shillibeer have a full account of everything that had occurred4 ,but when on the following day they called on ,shillibeer in a body1 and complained of the men's behaviour1 they were met with the inquiry1 8,what was the number of the omnibus80 8#ehh10 was the answer in chorus4 8,gentlemen1 that is not one of my omnibuses10 ,shillibeer replied2 but he experienced some difficulty in convincing the deputation that he spoke the truth4 ,some of his hearers were determined not to let the matter rest there1 and when they had satisfied themselves that the omnibus in which they had had such an unpleasant experience was not a ,shillibeer1 they published abroad1 on their own responsibility1 that omnibus ,no4 #ehh was a pirate4 ,their caution against that particular omnibus brought forth a large number of warnings against other pirates1 and the nefarious practices of the objectionable vehicles being proved beyond all doubt1 the ,government passed a second ,omnibus ,bill1 compelling drivers and conductors to be licensed4 ,but legislation did not succeed in checking to any great extent the fraudulent doings of the pirates4 ,the first real check they received came1 a few years later1 from the proprietors of respectably-conducted omnibuses1 whose vehicles were imitated just as ,shillibeer's had been4 ,these proprietors were now in a position to assert themselves1 having just formed themselves into ,associations4 ,the associated proprietors started a crusade against pirates1 and subjected them daily to a rigorous course of 8nursing10 which is not such a harmless performance as it sounds1 consisting as it does of two omnibuses working together to prevent a third from making a profitable journey4 ,one of the ,association's omnibuses would keep just in front of the pirate1 and the other close behind it1 with the result that1 there being three omnibuses where one would have been sufficient1 none of them earned enough to pay expenses4 ,the ,associations were quite prepared to lose money1 and when the pirates understood this they changed their tactics quickly4 ,whenever a pirate found it was going to be 8nursed10 it would turn off the main road and wander about the back streets until its 8nurses0 had gone on4 ,then it would make another start in a clear road4 ,to render that proceeding profitless1 the ,associations told off an omnibus to follow each pirate wherever it went4 ,the result was that two omnibuses1 sometimes empty1 sometimes carrying mixed loads of amused1 frightened1 and indignant passengers1 were frequently to be seen careering along quiet back streets with scarcely a yard dividing them4 ,this state of things had existed for a few weeks1 when a pirate owner heard something which caused him considerable uneasiness1 and prompted him to keep a close watch on his men4 ,the following morning he witnessed his omnibus begin its daily struggle1 and eventually disappear down a side street closely followed by its 8nurse40 ,he then walked to a quiet little inn some three miles away1 arriving there in time to discover the rival 'busmen enjoying themselves at a friendly game of skittles1 while their omnibuses stood empty in the road4 ,on one occasion a pirate scored off its opponents in a novel way4 ,having made several ineffectual attempts to obtain passengers1 it started off into the country1 followed by its 8nurse40 ,when they had travelled some miles the driver of the respectable omnibus was surprised by seeing a gate suddenly closed in front of his horses1 preventing him from following the pirate4 ,at the same moment a gate clanged behind him1 and1 looking round1 he discovered that he had been trapped4 ,he had1 in fact1 followed the pirate on to its proprietor's little farm4 8',ere you are1 and 'ere you'll stay10 the irate owner declared1 with many oaths2 while the pirate driver1 with taunting shouts of laughter1 whipped up his horses and started back to town4 ,the farmer omnibus-proprietor made no attempt to detain the ,association's men1 but its omnibus and horses he held prisoners until the following morning1 releasing them one hour after his own omnibus had started out4 ,in #ahee the ,london ,general ,omnibus ,company came into existence1 and had been established but a very short time when the pirates were repainted and lettered in close imitation of its omnibuses4 ,they have continued to imitate them1 but not always with impunity1 ever since1 and many thousands of people have entered pirates firmly believing they were the ,company's vehicles4 ,nine or ten years ago the pirates' audacity in imitating the general appearance of the ,london ,general omnibuses was at its height1 and certainly the imitations of their decoration and lettering were excellent enough to deceive all but the very wary4 ,unable to paint 8,london ,general ,omnibus ,company1 ,limited10 on their panels1 they had in its place some inscription which might1 at a glance1 be taken for it4 ,the favourite one was 8,london ,general ,post ,office1 ,lothbury40 ,there are also many pirates who lure passengers into their omnibuses by having them painted to resemble the ,london ,road ,car ,company's vehicles4 ,the pirate is naturally of a roving disposition1 and by no means restricts itself to one route3 a 8,kilburn0 may be seen at ,blackwall1 or a 8,bayswater0 at ,bethnal ,green4 ,but ,oxford ,circus is the place best loved by pirates1 and any day of the week they can be seen walking to and fro1 ready to begin their journey as soon as they see a number of ladies waiting on the pavement4 ,during shopping hours pirates are continually running to and from ,oxford ,circus1 but it is interesting to notice that the name of their destination very rarely appears on them4 8,regent ,circus0 is put up instead1 and the public having doubts as to which really is ,regent ,circus1 the pirates obtain passengers for both ,oxford ,circus and ,piccadilly ,circus1 and turn them out at whichever they like4 ,it is a great pity that the local authorities do not have the name ,regent ,circus1 which is still displayed at ,oxford ,circus1 removed1 for it affords the pirate-omnibus men an excuse for painting on their vehicles a destination which is misleading4 ,the ,oxford ,street shopkeepers should1 in the interests of their customers1 see to this1 and1 remembering that the police stated in court a few years ago that one1 at least1 of the pirate omnibuses which frequented ,oxford ,circus was worked in collusion with pickpockets1 insist upon a closer watch being kept on the pests4 ,in the summer many pirates run to ,kew ,gardens on ,sundays1 and the exorbitant fares they charge--they collect them on alighting--spoil the day's pleasure of many a poorly-paid clerk4 ,some pirates run on to ,hampton ,court1 and a trick of theirs on these occasions should always be borne in mind4 ,when one of them gets well beyond ,richmond1 and all fares have been paid--they collect them on these vehicles soon after crossing ,richmond ,bridge--a horse is supposed to fall lame1 and the coachman declares1 with many expressions of regret1 that he cannot go any further4 ,the passengers are wondering what they shall do1 when another pirate omnibus comes along4 ,the driver of the first omnibus calls out to the driver of the second1 8,you'll take these ladies and gentlemen on for me1 won't you1 ,jack80 ,jack answers in the affirmative1 and the passengers change into his omnibus1 quite believing that it belongs to the same proprietor as the other4 ,it generally does1 but1 nevertheless1 when they have driven on another mile or two1 the conductor comes round for fares1 and1 in spite of indignant protests1 they have to pay4 ,by that time the first omnibus is back at ,richmond picking up fares for ,london4 ,in the evening it will make a shorter journey on a different road4 ,two or three bullies always ride on the long-distance pirate omnibuses1 and their fellow-travellers1 as a rule1 have not the slightest suspicion that they are not ordinary passengers4 ,of course they pay the second fare without a murmur1 and if any other passenger does not follow their example they express great astonishment that any one could be so mean as to attempt to swindle a poor 'bus conductor4 ,generally that contemptuous speech has the desired effect--the passenger submits to being cheated4 ,but sometimes a man is smart enough to guess that the indignant passengers are friends of the conductor1 and is rash enough to say so4 ,if he looks the kind of man that can be frightened1 the bullies discard their rle of being disinterested passengers1 and join the conductor in swearing at him and threatening him alternately with personal violence and the police4 ,frequently those threats cause the passenger and his friends to pay up without any further complaints2 but sometimes the bullies meet with a surprise--the passengers threaten them4 ,now1 the pirate conductor1 although frequently a big beery-faced fellow1 is usually a cowardly cur1 and his dislike of a thrashing is exceeded only by his abhorrence of police courts and magistrates4 ,therefore he changes his tone1 and requests the passengers to get out if they will not pay2 and naturally they oblige him4 ,decoy women are another speciality of pirate omnibuses starting for a long ,sunday run into the country4 ,showily dressed1 these women take their seats on top of the omnibus at its starting place with the idea of giving an air of respectability to the vehicle4 ,if the omnibus fills up quickly they pretend to remember that they have left something at home--their money perhaps--and must of course go back for it2 but1 if it does not fill1 they go for the ride4 ,a few pirates cater on ,sunday mornings for the lowest of the lower classes by running a few miles out to some suburban public-house4 ,there are no restrictions as to behaviour in these omnibuses4 ,a passenger may smoke1 spit and swear1 inside or out1 to his heart's content4 ,moreover1 he may take in with him dogs1 ferrets1 rats1 birdcages and beer4 ,the conductor smokes a clay pipe and talks1 with the air of an authority1 of sporting matters4 ,several passengers offer him drinks from their private bottles4 ,he accepts them all1 and yet never forgets to collect the fares inside before going on top4 ,a few years ago ,i gave the following answer1 to the oft-repeated question1 8,how can you tell a pirate80 8,no pirates issue tickets2 therefore1 before entering an omnibus1 see if the conductor has a ticket-punch or roll of tickets4 ,if he has you may enter his 'bus assured that it belongs to one of the ,london ,companies or ,associations4 ,it is not1 however1 suggested that every omnibus which does not issue tickets is a pirate1 for ,messrs4 ,balls ,brothers' ,brixton omnibuses1#a and a few others1 are exceptions40 #a ,messrs4 ,balls ,brothers adopted the ticket system on ,august #bf1 #aija4 ,unfortunately1 the pirate conductors read my advice1 and some of them quickly rendered it nugatory by wearing punches and holding packets of tickets in their hands so that every one might see them4 ,the punches differed1 however1 in appearance from those used by the ,companies and ,associations4 ,a similar dodge was very common among pirates immediately after the great strike1 when the ticket system was in its infancy and conductors of the various companies carried rolls of paper tickets4 ,the pirate conductors provided themselves with ticket-rolls1 but once passengers were safe in their omnibuses they never troubled to tear off and issue the tickets4 ,one old lady1 deceived by a pirate's appearance1 entered it1 in the belief that it was one of the ,london ,general's omnibuses1 and ensconced herself comfortably in the far corner4 ,after a time the conductor entered1 collected her fare and returned to the door without giving her a ticket4 ,for a few moments the old lady eyed him sorrowfully4 ,then she said in a tone of gentle reproof1 8,conductor1 you haven't given me a ticket40 8,want a ticket1 lady80 the conductor replied cheerfully4 8',ere you are1 then2 take a bloomin' yard of 'em10 and tearing off a long string of tickets dropped it in coils in the astonished passenger's lap4 ,but the favourite reply of pirate conductors when asked for a ticket is1 8,we don't have to give tickets4 ,we're honest men on these 'buses40 ,in conclusion1 ,i would point out that the ,london ,general1 the ,road ,car1 and the other ,companies and ,associations described in ,chapter ,,vi41 between them cover the whole of ,london1 and there is1 therefore1 not the slightest necessity for any one to enter a pirate4 ,all the would-be passenger has to do is to refrain from placing the slightest reliance on the colour of the omnibus1 but to see that it bears on the panels the name of one of the ,companies or ,associations which ,i have mentioned4 ,visitors to ,london should take note of the fact that ,christmas ,eve is the day on which pirates reap a big harvest4 ,,part ,,ii ,,cabs ,,chapter ,i ,the introduction of hackney-coaches--8,the world run on wheels0--,the first hackney-coach stand and the oldest cab rank in ,england--,sedan chairs introduced--,charles ,i4 and ,charles ,,ii4 prohibit hackney-coaches--,hackney-coaches and the ,plague--,william ,congreve--,threatened strike of hackney-coachmen--,hackney-chariots introduced--,prince of ,wales drives a hackney-coach--,licences--,funeral coaches ply for hire in the streets--,a pedometer for hackney-coaches suggested--,dickens on hackney-coaches--,origin of the word 8hackney40 ,there are1 at the present day1 many old people who remember and speak with affection of the old hackney-coach4 ,they admit that it was a lumbering thing1 and that the horses were generally sorry specimens fully qualified for the knacker's yard2 but they add1 emphatically1 that no vehicles now plying for hire in the streets of ,london can compare with it for cosiness and comfort4 ,it was furnished luxuriously1 and was as comfortable as a hammock1 even when travelling on roads that would shake a modern cab to pieces before it had journeyed half a mile4 ,hackney-coaches were established in ,london early in the seventeenth century1 and soon became so well patronised that1 in #afbc1 the ,thames watermen1 who had long enjoyed the monopoly of carrying the public1 became alarmed and complained loudly that they were being ruined4 ,apparently they wished the hackney-coaches to be suppressed1 but the new vehicles were far too popular to be treated in that fashion4 ,john ,taylor1 the waterman-poet1 bewailed their introduction in a pamphlet entitled1 8,the world run on wheels40 ,he did not denounce private coaches1 his anger being aroused 8only against the caterpillar swarm of hirelings4 ,they have undone my poor trade whereof ,i am a member3 and though ,i look for no reformation yet ,i expect the benefit of an old proverb1 #8,give the losers leave to speak4'444 ,this infernal swarm of trade-spellers have so overrun the land that we can get no living upon the water2 for ,i dare truly affirm that in every day in any term1 especially if the ,court be at ,whitehall1 they do rob us of our livings and carry #ejj fares daily from us40 8,i have heard10 he continued1 8of a gentlewoman who sent her man to ,smithfield from ,charing ,cross to hire a coach to carry her to ,whitehall2 another did the like from ,ludgate ,hill to be carried to see a play at ,blackfriars40 ,one is tempted to believe that ,taylor was exaggerating in the hope of checking by ridicule the growing fashion for hackney-coach riding4 8,it is10 he declared in the same pamphlet1 8a most uneasy kind of passage in coaches on the paved streets of ,london1 wherein men and women are so tost1 tumbled1 jumbled1 rumbled1 and crossing of kennels1 dunghills1 and uneven ways40 ,in spite of the protests of the ,thames watermen and their friends1 hackney-coaches grew in popular favour4 ,until #afcd1 they stood for hire in the yards of the principal inns1 but in that year ,captain ,baily1 a retired mariner1 made an experiment4 ,he had four superior coaches built1 and stationed them for hire at the ,maypole in the ,strand1 where ,st4 ,mary's ,church now stands4 ,the cab rank at the side of ,st4 ,mary's ,church is1 therefore1 the oldest in ,england4 ,baily's drivers1 attired in livery1 were instructed as to the charges they should make for driving people to various parts of the town4 ,so successful was this venture that other hackney-coachmen began to take up their stand at the same place and carry passengers at ,captain ,baily's rates4 ,soon the rank became so crowded that the practice of driving slowly along the streets plying for hire was begun by hackney-coachmen who could not find room for their vehicles at the stand4 ,garrard mentions this innovation in a letter to ,lord ,strafford3-- 8,i cannot omit to mention any new thing that comes up amongst us1 though never so trivial3 here is one ,captain ,baily1 he hath been a sea-captain1 but now lives on the land1 about this city1 where he tries experiments4 ,he hath erected1 according to his ability1 some four hackney-coaches1 put his men in livery1 and appointed them to stand at the ,maypole in the ,strand1 giving them instructions at what rates to carry men into several parts of the town1 where all day they may be had4 ,other hackney-men seeing this way1 they flocked to the same place1 and perform their journeys at the same rate2 so that sometimes there are twenty of them together1 which disperse up and down1 that they and others are to be had everywhere1 as watermen are to be had by the waterside4 ,everybody is much pleased with it2 for1 whereas1 before1 coaches could not be had but at greater rates1 now a man may have one much cheaper40 ,charles ,i4 did not1 however1 regard hackney-coaches with favour1 and endeavoured to check ,captain ,baily's enterprise by granting to ,sir ,sanders ,duncomb the sole right to let on hire sedan chairs1 which1 until then1 were unknown in ,england4 ,the patent stated3-- 8,whereas the streets of our cities of ,london and ,westminster and their suburbs are of late so much encumbered with the unnecessary multitude of coaches1 that many of our subjects are thereby exposed to great danger and the necessary use of carts and carriages for provisions much hindered3 and ,sir ,sanders ,duncomb's petition representing that in many parts beyond sea1 people are much carried in chairs that are covered1 whereby few coaches are used among them3 wherefore we have granted to him the sole privilege to use1 let1 or hire a number of the said covered chairs for fourteen years40 ,sedan chairs did not prove to be formidable rivals to the hackney-coaches1 but they added considerably to the congestion of the streets4 ,for this congestion the hackney-coaches were blamed1 and on ,january #ai1 #afce1 a proclamation was made 8to restrain the multitude and promiscuous use of coaches about ,london and ,westminster40 ,the proclamation was to the effect that 8hackney-coaches were not only a great disturbance to his ,majesty1 his dearest consort the ,queen1 the nobility and others of place and degree in their passage through the streets2 but the streets themselves were so pestered and the pavements so broken up1 that the common passage is thereby hindered and made dangerous2 and the prices of hay1 provender1 etc41 thereby made exceeding dear4 ,wherefore we expressly command and forbid that no hackney-coaches or hired carriages be used or suffered in ,london1 ,westminster1 or the suburbs thereof1 except they be to travel at least three miles out of the same4 ,and also that no person shall go in a coach to the said streets except the owner of the coach shall constantly keep up four able horses for our service when required40 ,this proclamation was either withdrawn or ignored1 for in the following year there were many hackney-coaches plying for hire in ,london and ,westminster1 and the rivalry between hackney-coachmen and sedan-chairmen was humorously depicted in a pamphlet entitled1 8,coach and ,sedan pleasantly disputing for place and precedence40 ,in #afed1 ,parliament limited the number of hackney-coaches in ,london and ,westminster to three hundred1 with two horses apiece4 ,it was also ordained that the government and regulation of hackney-coaches should be in the hands of the ,court of ,aldermen1 and for the expense of regulating them1 a tax of twenty shillings a year was placed on every vehicle4 ,a few months after the ,restoration hackney-coaches were forbidden1 by a proclamation dated ,october #ah1 #affj1 to ply for hire in the streets4 ,but that this edict was evaded we have the authority of the delightful ,samuel ,pepys4 ,writing under the date of ,november #g he states3-- 8,notwithstanding that this was the first day of the king's proclamation against hackney coaches coming into the streets to stand to be hired1 yet ,i got one to carry me home40 ,in #affa they numbered four hundred4 ,they were small1 narrow vehicles1 drawn by two horses1 on one of which sat the driver1 wearing spurs and carrying a short whip4 ,it was found1 however1 that they were very destructive to the paving-stones1 and a tax of #e a year was therefore placed on all hackney-coaches1 the money thus obtained being expended on the repairing and cleansing of the roads4 ,during the ,plague infected persons were frequently conveyed to the ,pest-houses in hackney-coaches4 ,defoe mentions this in his 8,journal of the ,plague ,year40 ,in the 8,orders conceived and published by the ,lord ,mayor and ,alderman of the ,city of ,london1 concerning the infection of the plague1 #affe10 appears the following order3--8,that care be taken of hackney-coachmen1 that they may not 7as some of them have been observed to do71 after carrying of infected persons to the ,pest-house1 and other places1 be admitted to common use1 till their coaches be well aired1 and have stood unemployed by the space of five or six days after such service40 ,illustration3 ,,hackney-,,coach4 ,,about #afhj4 ,after the ,great ,fire1 when the streets were widened1 more commodious vehicles came into use1 the majority being disused family coaches which had been sold cheaply by the nobility and gentry4 ,their coats of arms were not removed from the panels1 and such coaches as bore the heraldic devices of the most aristocratic houses invariably received the greatest patronage4 ,in #afid some masked women hired a coach decorated with a well-known coat of arms1 and went for a drive in ,hyde ,park4 ,it is recorded that their behaviour was disgraceful1 and that they deliberately insulted some very distinguished people who were riding in their private coaches4 ,what they said or did will never be known1 but from that day hackney-coaches were prohibited from entering ,hyde ,park4 ,in the same year a tax of #d per annum was placed on hackney-coaches1 and the cost of a licence became #ej4 ,the licence held good for twenty-one years4 ,the same ,act of ,parliament ordained that the number of hackney-coaches should not exceed seven hundred4 ,in the early part of the following year ,william ,congreve1 the poet1 was appointed a ,commissioner for ,licensing ,hackney-,coaches1 at the moderate salary of #ajj a year1 and retained the position until ,october1 #agjg4 ,possibly the ,hackney-,coach ,licence ,office was not loved by ,congreve1 and when he left it each day he banished all thought of it until the morrow4 ,the idea of writing anything about it1 in all probability never occurred to him4 8,who would be interested in hearing anything concerning that dull1 wearisome office80 he might have asked had any one made the suggestion1 and possibly very few people of that day would have troubled to read anything on the subject4 ,but to us an account of his duties1 with some description of the hackney-coach proprietors and drivers with whom he came into contact daily1 would be of more than ordinary interest4 ,early in the eighteenth century several thieves1 not sufficiently daring to attack stage-coaches1 cut through the backs of hackney-coaches1 snatched off the passengers' wigs and decamped with them4 ,in #agaa ,parliament once more altered the regulations concerning hackney-coaches4 ,the annual tax of #d was changed to a weekly one of five shillings1 and the number of licences was increased to eight hundred4 ,the fares which the hackney-coachmen were authorised to charge were fixed at a shilling for one mile and a half1 eighteenpence for two miles1 and sixpence for every additional mile or portion of a mile4 ,under the new regulations hackney-coaches enjoyed almost unbroken prosperity for over fifty years1 and1 on the whole1 gave satisfaction to the public4 ,there was1 however1 one occasion on which they became very unpopular4 ,a few days prior to the coronation of ,george ,,iii41 the hackney-coach and the sedan-chair men agreed that unless they were allowed to charge greatly increased prices on ,coronation day1 they would refuse to take out their coaches and chairs4 ,this decision created considerable indignation among people who wished to ride but did not possess vehicles of their own1 and the ,lords of the ,privy ,council issued a proclamation that all hackney-coachmen and sedan-chairmen were to be out with their coaches and chairs at four o'clock in the morning of ,coronation day2 they were1 moreover1 warned that if they demanded more than the ordinary fares1 or failed to perform their duties properly1 they would be punished with the utmost severity4 ,this proclamation did not have the desired effect4 ,the men decided to defy the authorities1 and would certainly have done so had not a well-known sedan-chair maker advised them to go to work and trust to the generosity of the public4 ,he assured them that he had been told by numerous regular users of hackney-coaches and sedan-chairs that they were perfectly willing to pay1 unasked1 considerably more than the legal fares4 ,so the men went to work1 and the majority reaped a splendid harvest4 ,some people declined to pay more than the usual fare1 but they were not sufficiently numerous to prevent the day being a memorable one for hackney-coachmen4 ,in #agfh there were a thousand hackney-coaches licensed to stand for hire in the streets4 ,of these only #age were allowed to ply for hire on ,sundays4 ,by an ,act of ,george ,,iii4 a commission was formed for the management of hackney-coaches and the receipt of duties4 ,stands were appointed in various parts of ,london1 and coachmen were forbidden to wait for hire at any other places4 ,men were also licensed to water the horses at the various stands4 ,these men were known as 8watermen10 8caddies0 or 8cads10 and wore1 slung round their necks1 a brass label bearing a number4 ,besides watering the horses they looked after them while the coachmen drank in the taproom or slept on their boxes1 and1 also1 opened the coach doors and lowered the steps for hirers4 ,every coachman before driving off a rank paid the waterman one halfpenny4 ,one clause of this ,act appears1 nowadays1 very snobbish4 ,it made a hackney-coachman liable to a penalty of #e for 8not giving way to persons of quality and gentlemen's coaches40 ,illustration3 ,,hackney-,,coach4 ,,about #ahjj4 ,as time went on1 hackney-coaches continued to increase in number1 but were never allowed to become sufficiently numerous to make competition very keen4 ,at the end of the eighteenth century they were most luxurious4 ,the majority originally cost some #gjj or #hjj each1 and were purchased from the brokers by hackney-coach proprietors at a trifle above breaking-up prices1 varying1 according to the condition of the vehicles1 from #be to #ej4 ,to illustrate their commodiousness1 a well-known coachbuilder1 now dead1 was fond of telling the following story4 ,when he was a youngster1 he had a difference with another boy in ,old ,palace ,yard and proceeded to settle it in the time-honoured ,british fashion1 much to the delight of the hackney-coachmen on the rank4 ,to their intense disgust1 however1 an energetic member of the newly-established police force appeared on the scene and stopped the fight4 ,only for a time though1 for one of the men bundled the boys into his own hackney-coach and told them to fight it out there4 ,they did2 the sport-loving1 many-caped coachmen crowding round and watching them through the windows4 ,early in the nineteenth century a more lightly built hackney-coach1 named a 8chariot10 which was introduced many years previously1 became popular4 ,it carried two inside passengers and had room for a third on the box seat4 ,the driver usually rode on the near-side horse1 but some men drove from the box4 ,in #ahad there were two hundred licensed chariots in ,london1 and for a few years the number increased rapidly4 ,some of the chariots licensed in #ahae had accommodation for three inside passengers4 ,with the young bloods of the day hackney-coachmen were great favourites1 chiefly because they looked on with marked approval while their fares wrenched off a knocker1 assaulted a policeman1 or kissed a pretty girl4 ,moreover1 their memory was most defective when necessary4 ,one night a hackney-coachman was called to the ,british ,coffee ,house in ,cockspur ,street to take up the ,prince of ,wales1 afterwards ,george ,,iv4 ,the ,first ,gentleman of ,europe was in one of his lively moods and commanded the coachman to get down and let him drive4 ,the astonished driver began to make excuses1 but the ,prince cut them short by seizing the man and pitching him bodily through the open window into the coach4 ,then1 quickly mounting the box1 he drove off at an exciting speed4 ,questioned later as to how ,his ,royal ,highness acquitted himself1 the hackney-coachman replied1 8,the ,prince isn't such a bad driver4 ,indeed1 he drove very well for a prince2 but he didn't take the corners and crossings careful enough for a regular jarvey40 ,hackney-coachmen prided themselves on being dashing fellows1 and no self-respecting member of the profession was ever without at least one adoring lady-love4 ,just as nowadays servant-girls of all ages1 sizes and shapes1 are consumed with one great desire--to have a soldier to 8walk out with10 so the girls of that class sixty to a hundred years ago considered it the summit of happiness to be seen leaning on the arm of a hackney-coachman4 ,as a rule1 the hackney-coachman had plenty of girls to choose from1 and1 that being the case1 he was naturally rather particular about whom he selected for the honour of being allowed to cook his meals for the remainder of his life4 ,hackney-coachmen were not licensed4 ,any man might drive a hackney-coach1 but the proprietor1 himself licensed1 was held responsible for the actions of his men4 ,no person could obtain a licence to possess a hackney-coach unless he was recommended by a peer1 a ,member of ,parliament1 or some other influential being2 consequently1 a large number of hackney-coach proprietors were men who had been gentlemen's servants4 ,and in the interests of these men the hackney-coach business was not allowed to become overcrowded4 ,the number of licence-plates issued never exceeded one thousand1 in spite of the fact that1 in the early part of last century1 the public were complaining constantly that there were not sufficient hackney-coaches plying for hire4 ,the hackney-coach fares were1 at this period1 one shilling a mile1 and sixpence extra for every additional half-mile or part of half a mile4 ,the waiting fare was three shillings an hour for the first three hours1 and two shillings for every additional hour or part of an hour4 ,for the licence-plate affixed to the vehicle the proprietor had to pay ten shillings a week4 ,in compliance with a legal requirement every driver was paid a small salary1 generally nine shillings a week1 but that formed a very insignificant portion of his income1 for1 like the cabman of to-day1 he could keep all that he earned beyond the hire money due to the proprietor4 ,mourning coaches1 commonly called 8black coaches10 bore licence-plates1 and when not engaged at funerals plied for hire in the streets4 ,the number of these vehicles was limited1 but every undertaker kept in reserve many for which he had no licences1 as1 in the event of requiring more coaches for a funeral than he possessed licences1 he had the power to go to any rank and remove from the hackney-coaches standing there as many licence-plates as he wanted4 ,these plates he would affix to his unlicensed vehicles1 and for the loan of each would have to pay the hackney-coachman waiting fare4 ,in the first quarter of the last century1 hackney-coach proprietors were blackmailed systematically by two or three men who made a comfortable living as common informers4 ,one of these fellows would stroll into a hackney-coach yard1 greet the proprietor in a very friendly way and have a chat with him on any topic of the day4 ,the conversation always ended1 however1 in one way--with a request by the informer that the proprietor would lend him half a sovereign4 ,in most cases the proprietor1 knowing who the man was1 complied with the request at once1 and nothing more would be seen of the borrower for a month or two4 ,but if the proprietor refused the 8loan10 he received1 in the course of a day or two1 a summons for some irregularity in connection with his drivers1 his vehicles1 or his horses4 ,the informer received one-half of every fine that was imposed4 ,these blackmailers flourished long after the introduction of cabs1 and when at last their nefarious business was stopped1 they were succeeded by blackmailers of another class4 ,strange as it may seem1 forty years ago it was a common thing for the proprietors of a large number of horses to submit to being blackmailed by men whose duty it was to keep an eye on their studs4 ,in #ahbb1 an order was issued compelling hackney-coachmen to take to the office of the ,registrar of ,licences all articles found in their vehicles4 ,the losers1 on applying at the office1 had their property restored to them1 upon payment of a small fee to be given to the coachman4 ,it is said1 however1 that valuable articles lost in hackney-coaches were very rarely recovered2 it was only minor things that were taken to the office4 ,hackney-coachmen had1 some years previously1 been considered an honest set of men1 but they had sadly deteriorated1 as had also their vehicles4 ,a correspondent of the ,london ,magazine1 signing himself 8,jehu10 gave1 in #ahbe1 the following description of a hackney-coach3-- 8,a hackney-coach--fogh6 ,who can be a gentleman and visit in a hackney-coach8 ,who can1 indeed8 to predicate nothing of stinking wet straw and broken windows1 and cushions on which the last dandy has cleaned his shoes1 and of the last fever it has carried to ,guy's1 or the last load of convicts transported to the hulks40 ,he was also troubled about the hackney-coachmen's extortion1 and suggested this method of checking it4 8,is there any valid reason why a hackney-coach should not have a pedometer visible to the unfortunate freight8 to be noted on entering1 to be noted on exiting1 as effectual against fraudulent space as a watch is against fraudulent time1 with shillings on the dial plate where there are hours2 and where there are minutes1 sixpences4 ,it would not cost #b1 it would save endless altercations1 it would save typographying a table of hackney-coach fares1 it would save a man's money and temper1 and go far towards saving the souls of hackney-coachmen born1 or to be born--and the trouble of the commissioners4 ,our invention is the best of all possible inventions1 and therefore it will not be adopted40 8,jehu0 did not make a mistake--his suggestion was not adopted1 and hackney-coachmen1 soured by the rivalry of the newly introduced omnibuses and cabs1 became more extortionate and abusive than ever they had been4 ,a few proprietors1 believing that the new vehicles were doomed to failure1 kept their hackney-coaches in good repair and made it a rule to have respectable men for drivers1 but these clean coaches were not numerous enough to prevent hackney-coaches as a body from being termed dirty and disreputable4 ,in 8,sketches by ,boz10 ,dickens gives the following description of a hackney-coach of the early thirties3-- 8,there is a hackney-coach stand under the very window at which we are writing2 there is only one coach on it now1 but it is a fair specimen of the class of vehicles to which we have alluded--a great1 lumbering1 square concern of a dingy yellow colour 7like a bilious brunette71 with very small glasses1 but very large frames2 the panels are ornamented with a faded coat of arms1 in shape something like a dissected bat1 the axle-tree is red1 and the majority of the wheels are green4 ,the box is partially covered by an old great-coat1 with a multiplicity of capes1 and some extraordinary-looking clothes2 and the straw1 with which the canvas cushion is stuffed1 is sticking up in several places1 as if in rivalry with the hay which is peering through the chinks in the boot4 ,the horses1 with drooping heads1 and each with a mane and tail as scanty and straggling as those of a worn-out rocking-horse1 are standing patiently on some damp straw1 occasionally wincing and rattling the harness2 and1 now and then1 one of them lifts his mouth to the ear of his companion1 as if he were saying1 in a whisper1 that he should like to assassinate the coachman4 ,the coachman himself is in the watering-house2 and the waterman1 with his hands forced into his pockets as far as they can possibly go1 is dancing the #8double shuffle' in front of the pump1 to keep his feet warm40 ,a writer in the ,monthly ,magazine gives a less graphic but more denunciatory account of the hackney-coaches of that period4 8,nothing in nature or art can be so abominable as those vehicles at this hour4 ,we are quite satisfied that1 except an ,englishman1 who will endure anything1 no native of any climate under the sky would endure a ,london hackney-coach2 that an ,ashantee gentleman would scoff at it2 and that an aboriginal of ,new ,south ,wales would refuse to be inhumed within its shattered and infinite squalidness4 ,it is true that the vehicle has its merits1 if variety of uses can establish them4 ,the hackney-coach conveys alike the living and the dead4 ,it carries the dying man to the hospital1 and when doctors and tax-gatherers can tantalize no more1 it carries him to ,surgeons' ,hall and qualifies him to assist the #8march of mind' by the section of body4 ,if the midnight thief finds his plunder too ponderous for his hands1 the hackney-coach offers its services1 and is one of the most expert conveyances4 ,its other employments are many1 and equally meritorious1 and doubtless society would find a vacuum in its loss4 ,yet we cordially wish that the ,maberley brain were set at work upon this subject1 and some substitute contrived40 ,hackney-coaches died hard4 ,in #ahda1 there were four hundred plying for hire1 but before the ,great ,exhibition of #ahea1 nearly all the proprietors who possessed sufficient capital had sold their hackney-coaches at breaking-up prices1 and started cabs4 ,nevertheless1 as late as #aheh1 hackney-coaches were to be seen occasionally in the streets4 ,the origin of the word 8hackney0 cannot be decided4 ,in all probability it was derived from the old ,french word 8hacquene10 which was applied to horses--and sometimes coaches--let on hire4 ,the claim that ,hackney was the first place where coaches could be hired1 and gave its name to the vehicles1 does not bear investigation4 ,,chapter ,,ii ,cabs introduced into ,england--,restrictions placed upon them--,a comical-looking cab--,dickens on cabs--,hackney-coachmen wish to become cabmen--,the cab business a monopoly--,restrictions are removed--,the ,cab paper--,the ,boulnois cab invented--,the 8minibus0--,the 8duobus0--,bilking--,a peer's joke4 ,nearly one hundred years have elapsed since ,londoners1 growing dissatisfied with the lumbering hackney-coaches plying for hire in the metropolis1 began to advocate the introduction of the cabriolet de place1 which for some considerable time had been exceedingly popular in ,paris4 ,unfortunately1 the hackney-coach proprietors had been granted the sole right of carrying people within the bills of mortality--an area which contained the most thickly populated parts of ,london and nearly all the places of entertainment--and naturally they protested strongly against the introduction of what might prove to be formidable rivals to their slow-travelling vehicles4 ,but in #ahje cabriolet promoters received a slight encouragement1 ,messrs4 ,bradshaw and ,rotch--the latter a member of ,parliament--obtaining licences for nine of their vehicles on the condition that they never entered within the bills of mortality4 ,in appearance the cabriolet resembled the modern gig1 and carried two people only1 the driver sitting side by side with his fare4 ,in consequence of the limited area in which they were allowed to ply for hire1 the new vehicles attracted little attention1 but1 on ,april #bc1 #ahbc1 twelve fully-licensed cabriolets1 built by ,mr4 ,david ,davies1 were placed on the streets4 ,they were announced as being 8introduced to the public in honour of his ,majesty's birthday40 ,these cabriolets were a decided improvement upon their predecessors1 as each one had accommodation for two passengers4 ,the driver1 whose proximity to his fare had proved to be the reverse of a pleasure to riders1 was relegated to a comical-looking seat built out on the off side1 between the body of the vehicle and the wheel4 ,the hood strongly resembled a coffin standing on end1 and earned for the vehicle the nickname of 8coffin-cab40 ,the fore part of the hood could be lowered as required1 and there was a curtain which could be drawn across to shield the rider from wind or rain4 ,the fare was eightpence a mile and fourpence for every additional half-mile or part of half a mile4 ,each vehicle carried1 in a leather pocket made for the purpose1 a book of fares for the convenience of hirers4 ,illustration3 ,,london ,,cab ,,of #ahbc1 ,,with ,,curtain ,,drawn4 ,in a short time cabriolets became very popular1 and a topical song of the period contains the following verse3-- 8,in days of old when folks got tired1 ,a hackney coach or a chariot was hired2 ,but now along the streets they roll ye ,in a shay with a cover called a cabrioly40 ,the ,french name of the vehicle was soon abbreviated to 8cab10 and1 although the word was at first considered deplorably vulgar1 convenience triumphed quickly over the objections of purists4 ,to be able to travel cheaply and quickly was a pleasing novelty to ,londoners1 but many of them lived to regret having trusted themselves in a cab1 for the drivers1 proud of being able to pass hackney and private coaches1 were fond of showing their superior speed1 and while doing so frequently ran against street posts or collided with other vehicles2 and when either of these things happened1 or the horse fell1 the 8fare0 was usually pitched forward into the road4 ,this danger1 coupled with the difficulty of climbing into a cab1 prevented old men and women from patronising the new vehicle4 ,they remained satisfied with hackney-coaches1 but young and middle-aged men--8dandies0 and shopmen striving to imitate them--gloried in cabs1 and many of them boasted of the number of times they had been thrown out of them4 ,dickens on several occasions mentioned the cabs of this period4 ,describing1 in 8,sketches by ,boz10 morning in the streets of ,london1 he wrote-- 8,cabs1 with trunks and band-boxes between the drivers' legs and outside the apron1 rattle briskly up and down the streets on their way to the coach-offices or steam-packet wharfs2 and the cab-drivers and hackney coachmen who are on the stand polish up the ornamental part of their dingy vehicles--the former wondering how people can prefer #8them wild beast cariwans of homnibuses to a riglar cab with a fast trotter1' and the latter admiring how people can trust their necks into one of #8them crazy cabs1 when they can have a 'spectable 'ackney cotche with a pair of 'orses as von't run away with no vun2' a consolation unquestionably founded on fact1 seeing that a hackney-coach horse never was known to run at all1 #8except1' as the smart cabman in front of the rank observes1 #8except one1 and he run back'ards40 ,illustration3 ,,the 8,,coffin-,,cab40 8,talk of cabs60 the great novelist wrote in his article on ,hackney-,coach ,stands4 8,cabs are all very well in cases of expedition1 when it's a matter of neck or nothing1 life or death1 your temporary home or your long one4 ,but1 besides a cab's lacking that gravity of deportment which so peculiarly distinguishes a hackney-coach1 let it never be forgotten that a cab is a thing of yesterday1 and that he was never anything better4 ,a hackney-cab has always been a hackney-cab1 from his first entry into public life2 whereas a hackney-coach is a remnant of past gentility1 a victim to fashion1 a hanger-on of an old ,english family1 wearing their arms1 and1 in days of yore1 escorted by men wearing their livery1 stripped of his finery1 and thrown upon the world1 like a once smart footman when he is no longer sufficiently juvenile for his office1 progressing lower and lower in the scale of four-wheeled degradation1 until at last it comes to--a stand60 ,the growing popularity of the cabs soon thoroughly alarmed the hackney-coachmen1 who at first had jeered at the new vehicle and prophesied a short career for it4 ,they endeavoured to get their licence-plates transferred to cabs1 but were unsuccessful1 for the cab proprietors of that period were men of good social position--some of them occupying ,government appointments--and all the influence which they could command was exerted to keep the trade in their own hands4 ,in spite of the protests of the hackney-coach proprietors this monopoly existed for nearly ten years1 and many of the aristocratic cab owners amassed money rapidly4 ,they did not believe in having a large number of cabs1 even of their own1 on the streets1 and for some months there were only fifty4 ,afterwards the number was raised to one hundred1 and in #ahca1 to one hundred and fifty4 ,in ,paris in the same year1 there were nearly two thousand five hundred of them6 ,in #ahcb1 when the number of ,london cabs reached one hundred and sixty-five1 the disgraceful monopoly was put an end to1 and1 all restrictions being removed1 hackney-coach proprietors were at last enabled to transfer their licences from their coaches to cabs4 ,in a few weeks there were several hundred cabs1 and other two-wheel vehicles1 plying for hire in the streets4 ,a paper called ,the ,cab was started immediately1 but the title was chosen simply to attract attention1 as1 although the publication bore on the front page a small and blurred illustration of a cab1 its contents were literary odds and ends4 ,in the 8,answers to ,correspondents0 column1 a cabman's ,,ms4 was declined with thanks4 ,its non-publication is to be regretted4 ,some months later a new cab1 invented and patented by ,mr4 ,william ,boulnois1 father of ,mr4 ,edmund ,boulnois1 ,m4,p41 was placed on the streets4 ,it was a two-wheeled closed vehicle1 constructed to carry two passengers sitting face to face4 ,the driver sat on a small and particularly unsafe seat on the top of it1 and the door was at the back4 ,it was1 in fact1 so much like the front of an omnibus that it was well known as 8the omnibus slice40 ,its popular name was 8the back-door cab40 ,superior people called it a 8minibus40 ,this cab was quickly followed by a very similar1 although larger1 vehicle invented by ,mr4 ,harvey4 ,it was called a 8duobus10 a name frequently applied to ,mr4 ,boulnois's cab4 ,a young man of good family1 who had squandered a fortune1 conceived the idea of earning his living by driving a back-door cab of his own4 ,his friends having supplied him with the necessary capital1 he created a sensation by appearing one morning in the ,haymarket driving a superbly fitted and splendidly horsed cab4 ,the result of his first morning's work was very satisfactory1 and the young cabman was in high spirits4 ,but driving to the stables1 his horse stumbled and fell1 and1 taken by surprise1 the unfortunate young cabman was pitched head-first into the road1 and killed on the spot4 ,illustration3 ,,boulnois',s ,,cab4 ,but the driver's unsafe seat was not the only weak point about the back-door cab4 ,the facilities it offered for alighting without paying1 soon made 8bilking0 a popular amusement with a certain class of people4 ,a somewhat rackety young peer proved1 for a wager1 how easy it was to 8bilk0 a cabman4 ,he hailed a cab outside his club and told the cabby to drive him to a certain address at ,hammersmith4 ,just before he arrived at his destination he got out unobserved1 and from a distance watched cabby's surprise and wrath on discovering his vehicle to be empty4 ,after a time the cabman started back for town1 and the youthful lord1 seizing his opportunity1 re-entered the cab1 and shouted almost immediately1 in well-assumed anger1 8,hi1 you rascal6 ,where are you driving me8 ,i told you to take me to ,hammersmith40 ,the cabman1 speechless with astonishment1 turned round and made for ,hammersmith once more1 only however to discover on arriving there1 that his 8fare0 had disappeared again4 ,he became convinced that his cab was haunted1 and this belief was strengthened1 as he drove back through ,kensington by discovering suddenly that his fare was sitting calmly in his vehicle as if nothing had happened4 ,cabby did not utter a word1 for he was too frightened to address his 8fare10 but drove to the club1 where he had picked him up1 as quickly as possible4 ,there the young peer alighted1 and1 without the slightest explanation1 paid the cabman five times his fare4 ,,chapter ,,iii ,hansom invents a cab--,chapman designs and patents the present hansom--,francis ,moore's vehicles--,the ,hansom patent infringed--,litigation a failure--,pirate cabs called 8shofuls0--,the 8,clarence0 or four-wheeler introduced--,an unpleasant fare--,the decoration of cabs--,cabmen compelled to wear badges--,the 8,tribus0--,the 8,curricle ,tribus0--,the 8,quartobus40 ,the prevalence of 8bilking0 made the back-door cab such an unprofitable vehicle that a new style of cab became imperative4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,first ,,hansom4 ,at the close of #ahcd1 ,mr4 ,joseph ,aloysius ,hansom1 the architect of the old ,birmingham ,town ,hall and founder of ,the ,builder1 patented a cab designed by himself4 ,the body of this vehicle was almost square and hung in the centre of a square frame4 ,the frame enclosed the whole of the body1 passing over and under it4 ,the driver sat on a small seat on the top at the front4 ,the doors were also at the front1 one on each side of the cabby's feet4 ,the wheels were seven feet six inches in height--a trifle taller than the vehicle itself--and were attached to the sides of the frame by a pair of short axles4 ,this extraordinary vehicle ,mr4 ,hansom himself drove from ,hinckley in ,leicestershire to ,london1 much to the wonder of the inhabitants of the various towns and villages through which he passed1 and to the amusement of the stage-coach drivers and waggoners whom he met on the road4 ,mr4 ,hansom1 who was financed by ,mr4 ,william ,boulnois1 the inventor of the back-door cab1 also registered another cab1 the body of which resembled the one just mentioned in every respect1 except that the doors were at the sides1 and passengers had to enter the vehicle through the wheels1 which were without felloes1 naves1 and spokes1 the rotary action being produced by a somewhat complicated arrangement of zones and friction rollers4 ,this cab never plied for hire in the streets1 but the first-mentioned one1 after the wheels had been reduced considerably in size1 and one or two minor alterations made1 was thought so highly of that a company was formed to purchase ,mr4 ,hansom's rights for #aj1jjj4 ,an old print of this cab represents the passenger exclaiming3-- 8,the sweet little cherub that sits up aloft ,takes care of the fate of poor ,jack40 ,not a penny of the #aj1jjj was1 however1 paid to ,hansom1 for it was found1 as soon as the cabs were placed on the streets1 that they were far from being perfect4 ,illustration3 ,,an ,,improved ,,hansom4 ,the only money ,hansom received1 directly or indirectly1 from his invention was #cjj1 presented to him some time later for services rendered to the company at a critical period4 ,but although he reaped very little pecuniary benefit from his invention1 posterity has been generous in connecting his name with a cab which is far superior to the one which he invented4 ,if the cab known to us as the 8,hansom0 were called the 8,chapman10 it would be more in accordance with historical accuracy4 ,mr4 ,john ,chapman1 the projector of the ,great ,indian ,peninsular ,railway1 was1 when ,mr4 ,hansom patented his cab1 the secretary of the ,safety ,cabriolet and ,two-wheel ,carriage ,company4 ,he discovered quickly the weak points in ,hansom's cab1 and1 setting to work1 invented a far superior one4 ,the driver's seat was placed at the back1 the sliding window still in use was introduced1 and the framework under the body of the vehicle was constructed to rest on the ground when tilted forwards or backwards4 ,a cranked axle passing under the body of the cab was also introduced4 ,this cab was patented by ,mr4 ,chapman and ,mr4 ,gillett1 who financed him1 in ,december1 #ahcf4 ,the company which owned ,hansom's cab purchased ,messrs4 ,chapman and ,gillett's patent1 and in a very short time placed fifty of the new cabs on the streets4 ,from the first they were a great success1 and for sixty-six years they have remained in public favour4 ,the only important alteration made during those years was the introduction of the straight axle1 which necessitated the cutting away of the body of the cab beneath the passenger's seat4 ,this improvement was made very soon after the first ,chapman or ,hansom appeared on the streets4 ,the side windows of hansoms were1 until the fifties1 very small--about one foot by eight inches4 ,illustration3 ,,francis ,,moore',s ,,vehicle4 ,hansom's cab1 before being improved by ,chapman1 bore a strong resemblance to a vehicle of which there is an illustration in ,pennant's 8,london10 published in #agij4 ,this vehicle is represented as having just passed under ,temple ,bar1 on which are fixed the gruesome heads of traitors4 ,knight mentions1 in his work on ,london1 having seen a print1 dated early in the nineteenth century1 of a very similar conveyance1 which was described as 8the carriage of the ingenious ,mr4 ,moore40 ,that the vehicle in ,pennant was built by ,francis ,moore1 of ,cheapside1 a well-known coachbuilder1 there can be no doubt4 ,the difficulty is to decide which conveyance the ,pennant picture represents4 ,the ,gentleman's ,magazine for #agga contains the following paragraph3--8,oct4 #cj4 ,one of ,mr4 ,moore's carts to carry the mail1 upon a new construction1 was drawn to the ,general ,post ,office4 ,the wheels are eight feet eight inches high1 and the body is hung in the same manner as his coal carts1 covered with wood1 and painted green2 the driver is to sit on the top40 ,moore patented a two-wheel carriage in ,june1 #aghf1 and another in #agij4 ,the specifications of the latter show that it was hung on two large wheels4 ,the door1 however1 was at the back1 and the driver had a separate seat at the front1 but not on the top of the vehicle4 ,it is very probable that ,hansom saw ,francis ,moore's carriages1 and that the cab1 which has made his name a household word1 was an improvement upon the conveyance depicted in ,pennant4 ,hansom's original cabs1 when not plying for hire1 stood on premises which now form a part of the ,baker ,street ,bazaar4 ,in #ahcf1 hackney-coaches1 8outrigger0 cabriolets1 and back-door cabs were still plying for hire1 but the immediate and continued success of ,chapman's cab prompted the proprietors of those decaying vehicles to start similar conveyances4 ,cabs painted and lettered in close imitation of the new patented vehicle were soon as plentiful as the real ones4 ,some proprietors1 who prided themselves on being very smart1 always had the word 8not0 painted in very small letters before the inscription1 8,hansom's ,patent ,safety10 believing that this would save them from being prosecuted4 ,they were mistaken1 for the company made a determined effort to protect its rights1 and commenced legal proceedings against the infringers of its patent4 ,in every case the company was successful1 and heavy damages were awarded it1 but the victories were barren ones1 for on almost every occasion the infringer of the patent turned out to be a man of straw4 ,so when the ,company had spent #bjjj in lawsuits1 and had succeeded only in obtaining payment of one fine of #ejj1 it came to the conclusion that the wisest thing it could do would be to refrain in future from litigation4 ,that was a splendid thing for the 8pirate0 cabs1 who now dispensed with the word 8not10 and appeared similar in every respect to the real 8,hansoms10 as the ,chapmans were called4 ,when the company took over ,chapman's cabs it had painted on them 8,hansom's ,patent ,safety10 so that the public might know that the conveyances belonged to the same firm as the cab which ,hansom invented4 ,and the result of this absurd action on the part of the company is that ,hansom enjoys the fame which belongs by right to ,chapman4 ,although few people could distinguish a real hansom from its many imitators1 the ,company's drivers knew the difference1 and treated 8pirate0 cabs with the utmost contempt4 ,they called them 8shofuls10 and many ingenious explanations of the origin of that word have been published during the last fifty years4 ,some people declared that a hansom closely resembled a shovel1 while others explained that two persons in a cab made it a 8show full40 ,as a matter of fact1 8shoful0 was a slang word for 8counterfeit0 among the lower class ,jews1 and was conferred by the many ,jewish employs of the ,company upon those vehicles which infringed ,hansom's or ,chapman's patent4 ,in course of time it became the slang term for all hansoms1 but the word is now very rarely heard4 ,the first four-wheeler was placed upon the streets1 just as ,chapman's cab appeared1 by the ,general ,cabriolet ,conveyance ,company4 ,it was built by ,mr4 ,david ,davies1 the builder of the cabriolets of #ahbc1 was called a 8covered cab10 and carried two passengers inside and one on the box seat4 ,the doors were at the sides4 ,this cab was quickly improved upon1 and the 8,clarence10 our much-abused 8growler10 was the result4 ,lord ,brougham was highly pleased with the new vehicle1 and in #ahdj he instructed his coachbuilder--,mr4 ,robinson of ,mount ,street--to make him one of a superior description4 ,hence the brougham4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,first ,,four-,,wheeled ,,cab4 ,elderly and sober-minded people showed a marked preference for riding in clarences1 and hansoms soon became considered the vehicles of the fast and disreputable4 ,this reputation has not been lived down entirely1 for1 at the present day1 there are some old ladies who will on no account enter a hansom1 and shake their heads sorrowfully when they see their grand-daughters doing so4 ,it must be confessed that hansoms figured in police-court cases much more frequently than the four-wheelers did4 ,a well-known cab proprietor1 who died a few years ago1 had1 in his youth1 an exceedingly unpleasant experience while driving a hansom4 ,one night he was hailed by two men who were supporting between them a sailor1 who was1 apparently1 in an advanced state of intoxication4 ,they placed the sailor in the cab1 and then1 turning to the cabman1 told him to drive to a certain quiet place some distance away and wait for them there4 ,they explained that they had a brief call to make and could not take the drunken man with them1 but they would follow on in less than a quarter of an hour1 and inspired confidence by paying a portion of the fare in advance4 ,cabby drove off and all went well until reaching a toll-gate4 ,as the keeper came out of the toll-house he caught sight of the sailor1 and1 thinking that something was the matter with him1 he went closer and peered into his face4 ,then he ran to the horse's head1 and seizing it1 exclaimed sharply to the cabman1 8,hallo6 young fellow1 you've got a stiff 'un in there40 8,go on2 he's only drunk10 the cabman replied4 ,but the toll-keeper was not satisfied with the explanation1 and detained the cab until a policeman arrived4 ,the sailor was then examined1 and it was at once evident that not only was he dead1 but that he had been so for several days4 ,it was1 in fact1 a body-snatching job1 and the rascals engaged in it had dressed the corpse in sailor's clothes to get it through the streets without attracting attention4 ,instructed by the police1 the cabman drove to the place where he had been told to await the men1 but they did not appear to claim the body4 ,they had evidently kept a distant watch on the cab4 ,in the thirties and forties cabs were painted in most startling and conflicting colours1 the proprietors considering1 apparently1 that the greater the contrast the more effective the result4 ,a miniature white horse1 symbolic of the ,house of ,hanover1 was painted on the majority of hansoms4 ,on the sides of four-wheelers were depicted strange monsters unknown to heraldry1 zoology1 or mythology4 ,these were in imitation of the armorial bearings so conspicuous on the panels of the old hackney-coaches1 which1 as already stated1 were generally discarded family coaches4 ,in #ahch1 cabmen were compelled by ,act of ,parliament to take out a licence and wear a badge4 ,on the day of the distribution of badges1 many of the cabmen1 attired in their best clothes1 took a holiday4 ,some half a dozen of them walked along the ,strand with their badges fixed conspicuously on their chests4 ,a crowd soon collected around them1 and in it were two ,frenchmen1 one apparently showing the other the sights of ,london4 ,the latter inquired who the cabmen were1 and an ,englishman1 who understood ,french1 was surprised to hear the following reply3-- 8,they are gentlemen who have been decorated by the ,government in honour of ,her ,majesty's coronation40 ,a new hansom1 the 8,tribus10 patented by ,mr4 ,harvey of ,lambeth ,house1 ,westminster-bridge ,road1 was placed on the streets in #ahdd1 but it was not well patronised and was soon withdrawn4 ,the 8,tribus0 carried three passengers1 and the entrance was at the rear1 the driver's seat being removed further to the 8offside40 ,the cabman was thus able to open or shut the door without descending from his seat4 ,there were five windows to the vehicle1 two being in front1 one on each side1 and one behind--beneath the driver's seat4 ,small safety wheels--such as can be seen at the present day attached to many omnibuses--were fixed to the front of the 8,tribus0 to prevent the vehicle pitching forward in the event of the horse falling1 a shaft breaking1 or a wheel coming off4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,tribus4 ,,back ,,view4 ,mr4 ,harvey also patented the 8,curricle ,tribus10 a vehicle similar to the 8,tribus10 with the exception that it was drawn by two horses abreast1 did not possess safety wheels1 and could be converted at pleasure into an open carriage4 ,the 8,curricle ,tribus10 however1 never plied for hire4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,tribus4 ,,side ,,view4 ,another unsuccessful cab was the 8,quartobus10 a four-wheeler with accommodation for four inside passengers4 ,it was introduced in #ahdd1 and ,mr4 ,okey1 the inventor1 described it as 8hung on four wheels1 the coupling being very close for easy draft40 ,,chapter ,,iv ,a strike--,cabmen's revenge on ,members of ,parliament--,cab radius altered--,cabmen object to knocking at doors--,the ,king of ,cabmen--,nicknames--,a lady feared by cabmen--,the kilometric reckoner--,lord ,john ,russell and 8,palace ,yard ,jack0--,cab fares altered--,a strike against the introduction of lamps--,another strike--,the ,cab-drivers' ,benevolent ,association--,the ,london ,cabmen's ,mission--,the ,hackney ,carriage ,proprietors' ,provident ,institution--,the ,cabmen's ,shelter ,fund4 ,the cabmen's reputation for being extortionate is by no means of recent growth1 but frequently men have been accused wrongfully4 ,in #ahec1 a cabman was charged with demanding more than his legal fare1 the complainant declaring that although the distance travelled was only three miles the defendant had charged as if it were five4 ,cabby was sentenced to a month's imprisonment1 but before his time expired a gentleman interested himself in his case1 and paid to have the distance officially measured4 ,it was seven miles6 ,in the same year the ,government imposed fresh regulations upon cabs1 and the fares1 which had been eightpence a mile1 and fourpence for every additional half a mile1 or portion of half a mile1 were reduced to sixpence for every mile1 and for any part of a mile over and above any number of miles completed4 ,mr4 ,thompson of ,southampton ,row1 a proprietor in a large way of business1 had introduced those fares two years previously4 ,the new regulations and the reduction of fares created great indignation among both cab proprietors and cab drivers4 ,the latter were particularly enraged with the ,members of ,parliament1 and hit upon a way of expressing publicly their feelings towards them4 ,when the ,house rose on the night of ,july #bf1 and the members hurried out to go home1 they were astonished to see all the cabmen drive quickly away with empty cabs4 ,some of them ran after the cabs2 but the drivers declined in most unparliamentary language to take them1 and as many of the honourable gentlemen who could not get a lift in friends' carriages had to walk home4 ,the following morning there was not a cab to be seen in the streets of ,london1 for the cabmen were on strike4 ,members of ,parliament soon felt the want of cabs1 and the ,sergeant-at-,arms personally asked ,mr4 ,gamble1 an omnibus proprietor1 to oblige them by running an omnibus for their sole convenience between the ,house and the clubs4 ,but ,mr4 ,gamble1 who was also a cab proprietor1 and not just then very well disposed towards ,members of ,parliament1 declined to accede to their request4 ,the strike1 however1 only lasted for four days1 for when the men saw that the police permitted unlicensed vehicles to ply for hire they returned to work4 ,nevertheless1 they gained something by the strike1 for their grievances were investigated without delay1 and the following alterations made4 ,the cab radius1 which for twenty-four years had been three miles from the ,general ,post ,office1 was changed to four miles from the statue of ,charles ,i4 at ,charing ,cross1 and the cabman was empowered to charge one shilling for every mile1 or part of one1 which he should be required to drive beyond the radius1 providing that the cab was discharged beyond it4 ,moreover1 the tax on each cab was reduced from ten shillings a week to a shilling a day4 ,the success which attended the first cab strike of any importance incited cabmen to think of other grievances1 and from that year to this they have never been without a good supply of them4 ,some were reasonable1 but the majority were imaginary or frivolous4 ,of the latter nothing need be said4 ,of the former1 one of the chief was that passengers expected cabmen to get down and ring the bell or knock at the door of the house where they wished to alight4 ,for years the cabmen's objection to performing this duty was a source of continual squabbles1 and consequent police-court cases4 ,but at length one magistrate decided that cabmen were not obliged to ring bells or knock at doors4 ,other magistrates agreed with him and cabmen were jubilant4 ,but an old gentleman1 who used cabs daily1 objected strongly to the new arrangement and determined to teach the cabmen a lesson4 ,one cold winter's evening1 he hired a cab and rode home--a shilling distance4 ,on arriving at his destination1 he requested the cabman to knock at the street door4 ,but cabby declined to do so4 8,this is a free country10 he said1 8and knocking at doors ain't no part of my duty40 8,very well1 then10 the old gentleman replied1 looking at his watch1 8by the law of this free country ,i sentence you to remain idle1 in the cold1 for fourteen minutes1 without any addition to your fare40 ,then he went indoors and did not send out his shilling until fourteen minutes had elapsed1 for he knew that no waiting fare could be charged until fifteen minutes had passed4 ,afterwards he informed the ,london newspapers of what he had done1 and suggested that their readers should follow his example4 ,hundreds did1 and the squabbles between cabmen and their 8fares0 became more frequent than ever4 ,for some years the quarrel dragged on1 but finally people ceased from commanding cabmen to knock at doors1 and when they particularly wished it done they asked for it as a favour4 ,another grievance of cabmen1 before shelters were built for their convenience1 was the action of the police in summoning them for leaving their cabs outside coffee-shops while having their dinner4 8,the ,king of ,cabmen10 a well-dressed1 important-looking individual1 whom the public believed to be an aristocrat1 although he was really the son of a ,london tailor1 protested publicly against their action by dining al fresco in the leading thoroughfares4 ,he would pull up outside some public-house or dining place in the ,strand1 ,oxford ,street1 ,haymarket1 ,regent ,street1 or ,piccadilly1 spread a very clean table-cloth over the top of his cab1 and have his dinner brought out to him4 ,frequently he dined outside ,west-end clubs1 his dinner being sent out by members who sympathised with him4 8,the ,king of ,cabmen0 was also known as 8,nonpareil40 ,when sixpenny fares were introduced1 8,nonpareil0 took a prominent part in denouncing the action of the ,government1 and whenever a passenger offered him sixpence he haughtily suggested tossing him 8double or quits40 ,cabmen have always been fond of bestowing nicknames upon their comrades1 and at the present day there are men named 8,busy ,bee10 8,dan1 the policeman10 8,engineer ,charley10 8,piggy10 8,nicodemus10 8,bill ,king about ,jermyn ,street10 8,harry of ,halfmoon ,street10 8,father ,christmas10 8,hospital ,jack10 8,rhoderic ,dhu10 8,old ,pickles10 8,topsy10 8,bustler10 8,old ,london10 8,australian ,jack10 8,candle-dipper10 8,mr4 ,smith10 8,doctor10 8,sloane ,square ,sailor ,jack10 and 8,joe in the ,copper40 ,cabmen also bestow nicknames upon their masters1 the cab proprietors1 and1 in the majority of cases1 they are of an uncomplimentary nature4 ,those existing at the present day must remain unknown beyond the circle of cabmen1 but there is no harm in publishing nicknames applied to proprietors long since dead4 8,whooping-cough ,bill0 was so named because he filled up pauses in his conversation with nervous little coughs4 8,pious ,tommy0 would allow no swearing in his yards4 8,jack the giant-killer0 was barely five feet two in height4 8,darling ,joey0 had been married three times4 8,skin 'em alive0 never allowed his men any credit1 and 8,boozey ,bill0 was a teetotaler4 ,cab proprietresses usually were named from something striking about their personal appearance4 8,ginger ,sal0 needs no explanation4 8,beautiful ,kate0 was exceedingly plain1 and 8,fairy ,emma0 was so stout that she could scarcely walk4 ,another woman1 very good-looking1 but domineering and detested by all cabmen who had business transactions with her1 was known throughout ,london as 8,the ,queen of ,hell40 ,there was another woman1 not an owner of cabs1 who was feared by all the cabmen of ,london1 and consequently had more uncomplimentary names bestowed upon her than any other woman ever had4 ,mrs4 ,prodgers1 the lady in question1 obtained considerable fame through her constant squabbles with cabmen4 ,possessing an extensive and unique knowledge of cab law and ,london mileage1 she made a point of travelling the full distance to which her shilling entitled her1 with the result that cabmen who did not know her usually demanded more than the legal fare4 ,her reply was to take his number1 and apply for a summons against him4 ,frequently she summoned men who took what she offered without demur1 for she had practically appointed herself an inspector of cabs and cabmen1 and was as successful in discovering breaches of the hackney-carriage regulations as the most energetic paid official could have been4 ,after a time she became so dreaded that the warning cry of 8,mother ,prodgers0 would send every cab within hail dashing away up side streets to escape her4 ,even now there are scores of cabmen who cannot hear her name mentioned without fuming with indignation4 ,the conditions of a cabman's employment were1 and still are1 calculated to encourage extortion4 ,the cabby paid the owner a certain amount for the loan of his cab1 and his profits did not begin until he had earned the hire money4 ,therefore1 when a cabman1 after waiting for hours on the rank1 obtained a 8fare10 the temptation to overcharge was very great4 ,it was his first job that day1 and it might be his last4 ,he was grateful for an extra shilling or sixpence1 but if it were not offered to him he endeavoured to obtain it by indulging in scathing remarks or vulgar abuse4 ,the fact that a cabman has a wife and children to support may be considered extenuating circumstances1 but it is poor consolation for the unfortunate victims of his extortion4 ,with the idea of protecting the public against overcharge1 an endeavour was made1 in #aheh1 to get attached to cabs a patent machine named 8,the ,kilometric ,register10 which would indicate the number of miles travelled and the fare to be paid4 ,but the cabmen objected strongly to such an innovation1 and it was not made4 ,lord ,john ,russell was in the habit of riding home every night from the ,house of ,commons in a cab4 ,the distance was short1 and the cabmen all knew that he paid a shilling for his ride4 ,but one night a cabman1 well known as 8,palace ,yard ,jack10 was surprised to find that ,lord ,john had placed a sovereign in his hand instead of a shilling4 ,he saw that the statesman had made a mistake1 but having had a spell of bad luck1 and being in great need of a new pair of boots1 he did not call his lordship's attention to the coin4 ,but on the following night1 as 8,palace ,yard ,jack0 was sitting on his cab1 ,lord ,john ,russell walked up to him1 and said3-- 8,you drove me home last night1 ,i think40 8,yes1 my lord40 8,what did ,i give you80 8,a sovereign1 my lord40 8,well1 what have you done with it80 8,bought a new pair of boots2 and0--sticking out his feet--8look1 my lord1 they're ,russells1 not ,wellingtons40 ,lord ,john ,russell smiled and walked away1 leaving 8,palace ,yard ,jack0 to boast of his smartness4 ,in #ahfj there were upwards of #dcjj licensed cabs in ,london1 and #bjj cabstands4 ,three years later ,mr4 ,thomas ,tilling started four cabs1 and at the present day his successors1 ,thomas ,tilling1 ,limited1 possess over sixty4 ,the minimum cab fare of one shilling was introduced in #ahfg4 ,for that sum a passenger could ride two miles1 the fare for any additional distance ridden being sixpence a mile or part of a mile4 ,this abolition of sixpenny fares gave great satisfaction to cabmen2 but another regulation filled them with indignation4 ,in ,december1 #ahfg1 ,parliament gave power to the ,chief ,commissioner of ,police to insist upon all cabs carrying1 between sunset and sunrise1 8at least one lamp properly trimmed and lighted40 ,hansoms1 or the majority of them1 had for many years carried a lamp1 but the proprietors and drivers of four-wheelers protested strongly against being put to the expense while vans and private carriages were permitted to be without lights4 ,the hansom drivers supported the four-wheeler men1 and on ,december #c the whole of the cabmen went on strike4 ,a promise was immediately made that the ,police order should not be enforced1 and on ,december #e the men returned to work4 ,however1 two years later ,parliament passed an ,act compelling all cabs to carry a lighted lamp from sunset to sunrise4 ,the next strike began in ,september1 #ahfh1 and was an attempt to compel the ,railway ,companies to abolish the 8privilege0 system and admit all cabs to their termini4 ,it was1 however1 shortlived and unsuccessful4 ,on ,january #a1 #ahgj1 a new regulation1 compelling all cab proprietors to display inside their vehicles a list of fares1 came into force4 ,four-wheelers were to have them fixed or painted on their doors2 hansoms1 facing the passengers4 ,by the same ,act the cost of licences was reduced from #ai and #ag to #b #bs4 ,in the same year the ,cab-drivers' ,benevolent ,association was founded1 to make some provision for deserving aged or infirm cabmen unable to earn their living4 ,the late ,marquis of ,townshend1 a staunch friend of cabmen1 took an active part in establishing it1 and for many years it was known among cabbies as 8,the ,marquis's ,society40 ,the objects of the ,association1 of which ,his ,majesty the ,king is patron1 are 7#a7 to give annuities of #bj each to aged cab-drivers who from infirmity are unable to earn their living2 7#b7 to grant loans1 without interest1 to members requiring such aid1 and to give temporary assistance to those who may be in distress through unavoidable causes2 7#c7 to give legal assistance to members who may be unjustly summoned to the police-courts4 ,in #aijj the ,society had sixty-five annuitants1 and also granted small loans to seventy-six members1 nearly the whole of which were repaid4 ,cabmen becoming members while under thirty years of age pay an annual subscription of #es4 and an entrance fee of #bs4 ,if over thirty the entrance fee is #cs4 ,there is also a ,widow and ,orphan ,relief ,fund1 for which an additional subscription of #bs4 a-year has to be paid4 ,at the annual meeting of the ,society in ,march1 #aijj1 ,benjamin ,heppelthwaite1 aged #gd1 was elected one of the annuitants2 but1 feeling that he was still able to work1 he waived his right to the annuity1 which was then given to the highest unsuccessful candidate4 ,heppelthwaite's generous behaviour did not go unrewarded4 ,the chairman1 ,viscount ,duncannon1 at once announced that he would give ,heppelthwaite1 for the next twelve months1 a sum equal to the annuity which he had refused in favour of a weaker friend4 ,in #ahga the ,london ,cabmen's ,mission was started in premises adjoining the ,king's ,cross ,station of the ,metropolitan ,railway1 and during the thirty years of its existence has done much to improve the moral character of cabmen4 ,religious services for cabmen and their families are held at the hall at ,king's ,cross on four days in each week1 and the missionary also visits the men on the ranks to talk with them and distribute bright1 wholesome magazines4 ,we read1 frequently1 in the daily papers1 of cabmen being drunk while at work1 and it will1 therefore1 surprise many people to hear that there is a large number of total abstainers among ,london cab-drivers4 ,during the summer months a cabmen's ,gospel ,temperance meeting is held every ,sunday evening on the stand outside ,king's ,cross ,railway ,station4 ,the speakers and singers are all cabmen4 ,last year they held1 at the same spot1 an open-air ,harvest ,festival4 ,fruit1 flowers1 vegetables and bread were displayed on the temporary platform1 and a cabman sang1 8,oh1 what shall the harvest be80 ,at the conclusion of the service the fruit1 flowers1 and other gifts1 were taken in cabs and given to a ,rescue ,home4 ,the ,london ,cabmen's ,mission also distributes among the men1 woollen mufflers1 cuffs and hosiery--presents which are greatly appreciated4 ,one lady subscriber gave the ,mission six dozen sun-bonnets for cab-horses1 and thereby added to the comfort of the animals and the gaiety of the streets4 ,another very excellent society1 the 8,hackney ,carriage ,proprietors' ,provident ,fund10 was founded1 by the late ,mr4 ,herbert ,rymill1 in ,april1 #ahgc4 ,it was started to establish a fund for providing annuities of #bf to aged1 decayed1 or disabled cab proprietors or their widows1 and to afford temporary relief to its members or to the widows and children of deceased members4 ,it was registered under the ,friendly ,societies ,acts in ,july1 #ahgh1 and in ,january1 #ahhg1 its title was changed to the 8,hackney ,carriage ,proprietors' ,provident ,institution40 ,for an annual subscription of #a #as4 a member is able to make provision against misfortune4 ,many a cab proprietor has1 through no fault of his own1 been reduced from comfortable circumstances to want4 ,one of his horses may have contracted glanders in consequence of the driver foolishly permitting it to drink at a public trough2 the disease spreads through his stables and a number of his horses have to be destroyed4 ,to a wealthy cab proprietor this is a serious loss1 but to a man who owns only three or four cabs it would mean ruin but for the 8,hackney ,carriage ,proprietors' ,provident ,institution's0 assistance in helping him to tide over his difficulties4 ,and it must be remembered that the majority of cab proprietors are small owners2 on ,december #ca1 #aijj1 there were #bghb licensed cab proprietors in ,london1 and of these #bbjg owned from one to five vehicles4 ,the 8,hackney ,carriage ,proprietors' ,provident ,institution0 had been in existence barely two years when the 8,cabmen's ,shelter ,fund0 was started4 ,its object was to provide for cabmen on the ranks a place where they could obtain protection from the weather1 and purchase good1 wholesome food at moderate prices4 ,on ,february #f1 #ahge1 the first shelter for ,london cabmen was opened in ,acacia ,road1 ,st4 ,john's ,wood1 by the ,hon4 ,arthur ,kinnaird1 ,m4,p41 ,vice-,president of the ,society4 ,among the crowd which had assembled to witness the ceremony were some thirty or forty cabmen who came1 as representatives of their class1 to do honour to the occasion4 ,by the end of the year the ,society had placed thirteen shelters in various parts of the ,metropolis1 and1 at the present time1 it possesses forty-three1 a dozen of which are open day and night4 ,many of these were presented to the ,society2 the one in ,palace ,yard1 ,westminster1 by members of both ,houses of ,parliament1 and those at ,pont ,street1 ,belgrave ,square1 ,st4 ,george's ,square1 ,s4,w41 ,clapham ,common1 ,kensington ,crescent1 ,royal ,crescent1 ,uxbridge ,road1 ,piccadilly1 ,warwick ,road1 ,maida ,vale1 and the one near the ,oratory1 ,brompton ,road1 by residents in those neighbourhoods4 ,the shelter at ,portland ,road ,station was presented by the residents of ,richmond4 ,the remainder were either erected by the ,fund or presented to it by various individuals4 ,the entire cost of the new shelter now being erected in the ,haymarket has been defrayed by ,sir ,squire ,bancroft4 ,the forty-three shelters maintained by the ,society are used daily by nearly four thousand cabmen4 ,the attendants in charge of the various shelters make their living by selling provisions to the frequenters1 and cooking1 at a charge of one penny1 any food they may bring in4 ,every shelter is divided into two compartments--a mess-room and a small kitchen4 ,the mess-rooms are supplied with newspapers1 and some of them possess small libraries4 ,in the mess-rooms the following rules are displayed3-- #a4 ,this ,shelter is the property of the ,cabmen's ,shelter ,fund and is for the use of ,,cab-,,drivers solely4 #b4 ,the ,drivers of the ,,first ,,two ,,cabs on the rank are not to enter the ,shelter4 #c4 ,no bad language1 card-playing1 betting1 or gambling allowed4 #d4 ,the ,attendant in charge is authorised to sell ,tea1 ,coffee1 and ,bread and ,butter to the ,drivers using the ,shelter only1 at prices as per ,tariff4 #e4 ,the ,attendant is instructed to see that the above ,rules are strictly kept4 ,any complaints as to attendance1 quality of refreshments sold1 etc41 etc41 must be made to the ,hon4 ,sec41 and will be at once attended to4 ,the ,committee appeal to the good sense and feeling of the ,drivers to help in maintaining the respectability of this ,shelter1 and by every means in their power to prevent its being damaged4 ,during one of the recent cab strikes an attempt was made at some shelters to prevent non-strikers from using them4 ,this was1 of course1 in direct opposition to the rules of the ,society1 and the strikers were taught that the shelters are for all cab-drivers4 ,,chapter ,v ,cab show at ,alexandra ,palace--,forder's cab--,the strike of #ahid--;,cabmen become organ-grinders--,the ,asquith award--,boycotting the railway stations--,the 8,bilking ,act40 ,on ,october #d1 #ahge1 a ,cab and ,cab-,horse ,show was opened at the ,alexandra ,palace1 and attracted a large number of people to ,muswell ,hill4 ,the first prize for the most convenient and best appointed hansom cab was awarded to ,messrs4 ,forder1 who also exhibited one of the same type which they had built for the ,prince of ,wales4 ,two years previously1 a cab built by this firm had been awarded the ,gold ,medal of the ,society of ,arts1 and this identical hansom won at the ,alexandra ,palace the second prize for vehicles which had been at work for not less than six months4 ,forder's cab had been working in the ,london streets for two years4 ,in the class for horses which had been at cab work for not less than eight years1 during which they must have been the property of the exhibitor1 the first prize was won by ,mrs4 ,ruth ,farmer1 whose bay mare1 aged twenty1 had been in constant work for seventeen years4 ,prizes were also offered for cabmen who had retained their badges and been exempt for the longest period from any charge of cruelty to animals1 reckless driving1 drunkenness or any other offence1 and who had constantly driven for upwards of ten years4 ,the winner of the first prize had been a cab-driver for forty-six years4 ,the long service and good conduct prize was awarded to a cabman who had been for thirty-five years in the service of his master1 and the ,temperance prize was won by a driver who had been a teetotaler for twenty-nine years4 ,strikes1 and threats to strike1 have been exceedingly numerous since #ahec4 ,on some occasions the cabmen objected to ,government regulations1 and on others their quarrels were with the cab proprietors4 ,it had been the complaint of cabmen1 for very many years1 that the prices charged by proprietors for the hire of their cabs were too high1 and in ,may1 #ahid1 they determined to make a strenuous effort to get them reduced4 ,on the morning of ,may #aj they held a meeting in a hall at ,bell ,street1 ,edgware ,road1 to discuss the advisability of striking1 in the event of the cab owners refusing to accede to their demands1 the chief of which was that the hiring-price of #afs4 or #ags4 a day should be reduced by three shillings4 ,the meeting was enthusiastic1 and decided1 promptly1 to strike unless the cab proprietors made the reduction which they wanted4 ,negotiations were then opened with the cab proprietors1 who refused1 however1 to comply with the men's request1 pointing out1 in support of their decision1 that1 as a large number of cabmen never worked more than four or five days a week1 it was evident that they made a very good living1 and could1 if they liked1 make a still better one4 ,in consequence of the cab proprietors' attitude1 a mass meeting was held at midnight on ,may #ad at the ,novelty ,theatre1 and the place was so crowded that an overflow meeting had to be held in the street4 ,the resolution1 pledging the men to strike1 was moved and carried with tremendous enthusiasm by both meetings4 ,the following morning the strike began1 but1 contrary to the expectation of most people1 there were many cabs plying for hire4 ,the majority of these belonged to proprietors in a small way of business who had submitted to the ,union's demands and were permitted1 therefore1 to run4 ,men who drove their own cabs were also allowed to work1 but both class of vehicles had to affix the ,union's labels on their windows4 ,the former bore the legend1 8,fair-priced cab10 while the latter carried an announcement that they were working by permission of the ,union4 ,three thousand ,union labels were issued1 and1 as far as the public was concerned1 the strike was not very serious4 ,there was a little difficulty at the railway stations on the first day about getting sufficient cabs1 and some people complained that they could not procure them after the theatres closed4 ,considering1 however1 that nearly nine thousand cabs were kept off the streets1 it is truly surprising that far greater inconvenience was not caused to the public4 ,many people said it was a conclusive sign that at ordinary times there are far too many cabs in ,london4 ,of course1 the cabs which were permitted by the ,union to run earned plenty of money1 but the drivers were not allowed to keep all of it4 ,those who worked were expected to contribute towards the support of those who did not1 and1 for once in a way1 that was a perfectly fair arrangement4 ,certain of the men on strike were sent out daily by the ,union to sell tickets to the men at work4 ,these tickets were of various prices1 and the colour indicated their value4 ,when a cabman bought one he stuck it in his hat1 so that his fellowmen might see to what extent he was doing his duty4 ,but selling tickets was by no means the only way in which the ,union raised money to carry on the strike4 ,cabmen were sent out with street organs1 and for many days ground out music from morning till night with very satisfactory results--from a pecuniary point of view4 ',busmen chaffed them unmercifully about these organs for many months after1 and an argument between a cabby and a 'busman invariably ended in the latter advising the former to take his cab home and bring out his organ4 ,when the strike had lasted for nearly a month1 a ,board of ,conciliation was formed to settle1 if possible1 the dispute4 ,cab proprietors and strikers were both represented1 the ,home ,secretary 7,mr4 ,h4 ,h4 ,asquith7 acting as mediator4 ,after a few meetings had been held at the ,house of ,commons1 ,mr4 ,asquith made his award1 which was as follows3-- ,june #d to ,july #ae1 #f weeks at #afs4 per day4 ,july #af 8 8 #bb1 #a 8 8 #aes4 8 8 8 #bc 8 8 #bi1 #a 8 8 #ads4 8 8 8 #cj 8 ,august #e1 #a 8 8 #acs4 8 8 ,august #f 8 8 #ab1 #a 8 8 #abs4 8 8 8 #ac 8 8 #ai1 #a 8 8 #aas4 8 8 8 #bj 8 ,october #ba1 #i 8 8 #ajs4 8 8 ,october #bb 8 8 #bh1 #a 8 8 #aas4 8 8 8 #bi 8 ,january #ad1 #aa 8 8 #abs4 8 8 ,january #ae 8 ,april #a1 #aa 8 8 #aas4 8 8 ,april #b 8 8 #ae1 #b 8 8 #abs4 8 8 8 #af 8 ,may #f1 #c 8 8 #acs4 8 8 ,may #g 8 8 #bj1 #b 8 8 #ads4 8 8 8 #ba 8 ,june #c1 #b 8 8 #aes4 8 8 8,the above scale is to regulate the net cash price to be paid per day by driver to owner for first-class street hansom cabs from this date4 ,it is to be subject to revision as from the first ,monday in ,april1 #ahie1 if within fourteen days prior to that date notice demanding revision is given to me by1 or on behalf of1 either of the parties to the agreement of this day40 ,the award was dated ,june #aa1 #ahid1 and two days later the cabmen went back to work4 ,on the #bgth of the same month ,mr4 ,asquith fixed the following scale for four-wheeled cabs3-- 7#a7 ,the net cash price to be paid by driver to owner for best street iron-tyred four-wheeled cabs1 with two horses per day1 to be according to the subjoined scale3-- ,may #ad to ,july #bb1 #aj weeks at #acs4 per day4 ,july #bc 8 ,august #ab1 #c 8 8 #abs4 8 8 ,august #ac 8 ,september #i1 #d 8 8 #aas4 8 8 ,september #aj 8 ,march #bf1 #bh 8 8 #ajs4 8 8 ,march #bg 8 ,april #i1 #b 8 8 #aas4 8 8 ,april #aj 8 ,may #ad1 #e 8 8 #abs4 8 8 7#b7 ,the net cash price to be paid by driver to owner for rubber-tyred four-wheeled cabs to be in all cases #as4 7one shilling7 over the price for iron-tyred four-wheeled cabs4 7#c7 ,the net cash price to be paid by driver to owner for four-wheeled cabs worked on the one-horse principle to be according to the subjoined scale3-- ,june #d to ,july #bi1 #h weeks at #hs4 per day ,july #cj 8 ,april #b1 #ce 8 8 #fs4 #f;d4 8 8 ,april #c 8 ,may #g1 #e 8 8 #gs4 8 8 ,may #h 8 ,june #c1 #d 8 8 #gs4 #f;d4 8 8 7#d7 ,the actual amount charged by the ,railway ,companies for privileged cabs to be paid by the drivers to the owners in addition to the above4 ,londoners were heartily glad when the strike was at an end2 not because they had suffered very much inconvenience from it1 but out of sympathy for the women and children1 for strike pay is not magnificent4 ,nevertheless1 over a thousand men were thankful to receive it for many weeks after the strike was concluded4 ,these were men who found themselves out of work through cab proprietors having sold off their stock and retired from business in disgust4 ,the balance-sheet of the ,cab-drivers' ,union dealing with the strike showed that #hbjb was received1 and #haaa spent from the beginning of the strike until ,july #bh4 ,the next strike began in ,september1 #ahif1 and aimed at compelling the ,railway ,companies to allow all cabs the privilege of entering their termini to pick up fares4 ,the drivers refused to work for any proprietor who had privileged cabs1 and pressure was put upon the drivers of the latter vehicles to cease work until the ,railways agreed to the ,union's demands4 ,the number that did so1 however1 was comparatively small4 ,then the strikers made the great mistake of trying to get the public on their side by inconveniencing it4 ,they refused to take people into any terminus in which they were not allowed to pick up fares1 but put them down1 luggage and all1 outside the premises4 ,but1 to their surprise1 they found that their fares refused to pay unless they were taken right into the station4 ,so that plan was discarded very quickly4 ,the strike dragged on for many weeks1 but the average ,londoner only knew that it existed by seeing ,union mottoes adorning the cabmen's whips4 ,eventually it died peacefully of sheer weakness4 ,the year of this futile strike saw the passing of an ,act which was badly needed4 ,although 8bilking0 has never been so common as it was in the days of back-door cabs1 there has always been a number of well-dressed rascals who make a point of swindling cabmen4 ,usually they alight at some big shop or institution1 telling the cab-driver that they will be out again in a few minutes and will want to be taken farther2 then they enter the building and pass out by another door into a different street1 leaving the cabman to discover that he has been 8bilked40 ,the 8,bilking ,act10 as cabmen call the ,act of #ahif1 made any person who hired a cab knowing that he could not pay the legal fare1 or intending to avoid payment of it1 liable to a fine of #djs41 in addition to the fare1 or to be imprisoned for a term not exceeding fourteen days4 ,the whole or part of the fine could be given to the cabman as compensation4 ,,chapter ,,vi ,gentlemen cabmen--,an applicant's nerve--,the doctor-cabby--,john ,cockram--,a drunken cabman's horse4 ,cab proprietors receive applications for work from all classes of men4 ,one morning a particularly dissipated-looking fellow strolled into a cab-yard1 not far from ,king's ,cross1 and asked the proprietor for a job1 mentioning that he had driven most things in ,india from a pony-trap to a four-in-hand1 and did not anticipate the slightest difficulty in driving a cab4 ,the proprietor observed that it required some nerve to drive a cab in ,london4 8,nerve60 the applicant exclaimed4 8,well1 ,i don't think ,i'm deficient in that4 ,one morning in ,india ,i woke and found a cobra coiled up on my bed4 ,it wasn't a nice position to find myself in1 but ,i'd been in many a worse fix and didn't lose my presence of mind4 ,i'm a bit of ventriloquist1 and as there was a big image of some old ,hindoo god at the other end of the room ,i immediately made it speak4 ,as ,i expected1 directly the cobra heard the voice he slipped off the bed like a shot and went for the idol1 while ,i seized the opportunity to bolt from the room40 ,the cab proprietor congratulated him on his presence of mind1 but after appearing to consult a well-worn book1 declared that he had not a single vacancy4 ,the applicant did not seem very disappointed1 and having succeeded in borrowing twopence1 departed4 ,many aristocratic1 military and professional men have at various times driven a cab for a livelihood1 and usually they have been reduced to that strait through their own folly2 but there have been cases of young1 well-educated men driving cabs for a period until their prospects in life brightened4 ,only seven or eight years ago a student at one of our great ,london hospitals passed his 8final10 and found himself in the painful position of being a qualified medical man without any money4 ,unable to obtain a locum tenens or an assistantship1 he applied for and received a cabman's licence4 ,medical students and their friends made a point of patronising him1 and for some months 8the doctor0 was one of the best-known cabmen in the ,west ,end4 ,he has now a very good provincial practice1 but the money with which he purchased the nucleus of it was not earned as a cabman4 ,this 8doctor0 is not the cabman referred to in ,chapter ,,iv4 ,the latter1 who has been a driver for twenty-one years1 is an old man4 ,an ex-cabman who is well known to many hundreds of ,londoners is ,john ,cockram4 ,he was born1 in #ahcc1 in ,french-horn ,yard1 ,holborn1 his father being a cab proprietor in a small way of business4 ,cockram1 senior1 died early in the forties1 leaving a widow and four children totally unprovided for4 ,moreover1 he was deeply in debt to a horse dealer1 who speedily caused the stock-in-trade and household furniture to be seized and sold4 ,all that was left to the widow was a bed1 a ,prayer-book1 a ,bible1 and a watch which had been presented to her by the physician to ,george ,,iv41 in whose service she had been prior to her marriage4 ,young ,cockram1 although but eleven years of age1 became the main support of his mother1 and a few years later she was entirely dependent upon him4 ,illustration3 ,,john ,,cockram4 ,in #ahea ,john ,cockram became a cab-driver1 but as he objected on religious grounds to ,sunday work1 it was his ambition to possess a cab of his own4 ,having saved #bj1 he purchased a horse1 hired a cab1 and started business on his own account2 but1 as he followed ,mr4 ,thompson's example and accepted sixpenny fares1 he became unpopular with cabmen1 and a complaint was made to ,sir ,richard ,mayne1 the ,chief ,commissioner of ,police1 that he was driving a cab while under age4 ,but when ,sir ,richard ,mayne discovered that ,cockram was the sole support of his mother1 and1 moreover1 thoroughly qualified for a cab-driver in every respect1 except age1 he declined to prohibit him from driving4 ,however1 there was trouble in store for ,cockram4 ,he had been a proprietor for a very short time when his horse bolted1 and the cab was smashed4 ,again ,cockram had to drive for a master1 but this time he refused to drive on ,sundays4 8,if you don't take the cab out on ,sunday1 you shan't on ,monday10 the proprietor declared2 but ,cockram at once offered to pay him #es4 every ,saturday night to allow his horse and cab to remain in the yard on the following day4 ,the proprietor agreed to this arrangement1 and ,cockram drove for him for two years1 during which time he paid off the money which he owed for the smashed cab1 and began educating himself1 while waiting on the rank1 by studying ,cassell's ,popular ,educator4 ,in #ahfj ,cockram competed for and won a prize of #bj offered for the best essay on 8,sunday cab-driving1 and its influence on the religious1 domestic1 and physical condition of those employed40 ,cockram wrote his essay in the streets1 using the top of his hansom as a writing-desk4 ,on the essay being published in book form1 ,george ,moore1 the philanthropist1 ,sir ,hope ,grant1 and ,mr4 ,j4 ,t4 ,delane1 the editor of the ,times1 sent for ,cockram1 congratulated him on his work1 and made many inquiries concerning ,sunday cab work4 ,colonel ,h4 ,knollys mentions in his 8,life of ,general ,sir ,hope ,grant10 that the ,general commissioned ,cockram to buy him a cheap cab-horse to use in his private hansom1 and promised him #e for his trouble4 ,cockram purchased a horse for #ch1 but refused to accept more than #b1 his usual charge for such transactions4 ,some years later ,cockram published a useful little book entitled1 8,the ,horse in ,sickness1 and how to treat him40 ,in #ahfb ,cockram and another young driver started business as cab proprietors4 ,each had saved #ajj1 and with their joint capital they purchased seven horses1 three cabs1 and seven sets of harness4 ,the partners were of one opinion concerning ,sunday work1 and a clause was inserted in their deed of partnership prohibiting either of them from letting out1 or using for their own pleasure1 on ,sunday1 any horse or vehicle4 ,they prospered1 and in #ahgg1 the year in which they sold their business1 they possessed cabs1 omnibuses1 broughams1 traps1 and #abf horses4 ,since retiring from business ,mr4 ,cockram has been a member of the ,richmond ,town ,council and the ,richmond ,board of ,guardians1 and1 in ,june1 #ahie1 gave evidence before the ,select ,committee of the ,house of ,lords on the ,lord's ,day ,act4 ,for many years ,cockram has been an active member of the ,open ,air ,mission1 and is frequently called upon to speak at meetings of the ,working ,men's ,lord's ,day ,rest ,association1 and kindred societies4 ,although now sixty-eight years of age1 he is still very energetic1 and when ,i last saw him--three or four months ago--he was preparing to start off on his bicycle to hold a service many miles away from ,london4 ,drunkenness has been the ruin of many cabmen1 and the cause of numerous accidents to the cab-riding public4 ,some people have had very narrow escapes4 ,many years ago a lady and gentleman hailed a cab on the ,grand ,parade1 ,portsmouth1 and told the cabman to drive them to ,landport ,station4 ,they took no particular notice of the cabman1 and on arriving at the station were considerably surprised to see that everybody was staring at them4 ,on proceeding to pay their fare they discovered that the cabman's seat was empty1 and the bystanders then informed them that the cab arrived without any driver4 ,the police took up the matter1 and discovered eventually that when the cabman picked up his fare he was so intoxicated that before he had driven clear of the ,high ,street he had rolled from his seat into the middle of the road4 ,the horse of its own accord had taken the unsuspecting passengers in safety to their destination4 ,in ,london1 quite recently1 two ladies driving in a hansom had a narrow escape4 ,they were engrossed in conversation when1 suddenly1 to their surprise1 they saw a policeman dash at their horse1 and1 after a few moments' struggle1 bring it to a standstill4 ,a large crowd collected immediately1 and not until then did the ladies become aware that their horse had taken fright1 that the cabman had been thrown from his seat1 and that for nearly a quarter of a mile the animal had been dashing madly along uncontrolled4 ,and then they understood that they had had a narrow escape from being killed4 ,a four-wheel cab-horse took fright about four years ago near ,hyde ,park ,corner1 and after a short but exciting run crashed into an omnibus4 ,the cab was damaged1 and one of the omnibus horses received a bad cut4 ,the wounded animal was taken at once to a veterinary surgeon1 who examined the wound as thoroughly as the blood would permit and then sewed it up4 ,but it did not heal as quickly as he expected1 and when three or four weeks had expired he became convinced that there was some foreign matter in the wound4 ,so he opened it1 and discovered1 deeply embedded in the flesh1 the whole of one of the cab-door handles1 for which cabby had made a fruitless search soon after the accident4 ,,chapter ,,vii ,the ,shrewsbury and ,talbot cabs--,the ,court hansom--,the ,parlour four-seat hansom--,electric cabs introduced--,the 8taxameter0--,empty cabs--,number of cabs in ,london--,cab fares--,two-horse cabs4 ,from the introduction of hansoms and clarences until #ahig1 no new cab of any importance was licensed4 ,there were1 however1 several improved hansoms placed upon the streets4 ,the most important of these was ,earl ,shrewsbury and ,talbot's indiarubber-tyred ,forder-built cab1 which was introduced about #ahhj4 ,in every respect the ,shrewsbury and ,talbot cabs were superior to any others plying for hire1 and their popularity was assured from the first4 ,each of these cabs had ,s4,t4 surmounted by a coronet painted above the side windows1 and1 as the wheels were noiseless1 small bells were placed on the horse4 ,but although ,lord ,shrewsbury and ,talbot raised the standard of ,london cabs1 and thereby earned the gratitude of the travelling public1 he is not regarded with friendly feelings by other cab proprietors4 ,they1 or the majority of them1 declare that he ruined the cab trade4 ,when the ,shrewsbury and ,talbot cabs started work it became necessary for other proprietors to have indiarubber tyres on their vehicles--an expense which they grudged1 as1 being prevented by law from increasing the fares1 they saw no prospect of getting back their money4 ,in ,june1 #ahhh1 the ,shrewsbury and ,talbot ,cab and ,noiseless ,tyre ,company1 ,limited1 was formed1 8to purchase1 amalgamate1 and carry on 7#a7 the business of a cab proprietor and job-master worked by the ,right ,honourable the ,earl of ,shrewsbury and ,talbot1 and 7#b7 the business of manufacturers of steel and rubber tyres carried on by the ,noiseless ,tyre ,company1 ,limited1 in ,manchester and ,london40 ,other variations of the hansom were the 8court0 and the 8parlour40 ,the court-hansom is a four-wheeler with accommodation for two people1 and the driver's seat is in the same position as in an ordinary hansom4 ,they are not numerous1 but those that are plying for hire appear to be well patronised4 ,illustration3 ,,parlour',s ,,hansom4 ,in ,january1 #ahhg1 the 8parlour four-seat hansom10 patented by ,mr4 ,joseph ,parlour1 was announced as about to be placed on the streets4 ,it was a very novel hansom4 ,the driver sat at the back1 with a sliding door on either side of him1 which he could open or close with ease1 permitting the riders to step from the vehicle on to the kerb4 ,passengers sat face to face1 two on each side4 ,a hansom with a sliding roof1 and another with a movable hood1 have also been tried in ,london4 ,one of the most important events in cab history occurred in #ahig4 ,for more than a century ,english people1 strong in their belief that ,mother ,shipton's prophecy would be fulfilled1 have regarded with great interest every attempt to invent horseless carriages4 ,as long ago as #agga our very good friend the horse was threatened with elimination1 if not extinction1 and pictures of superannuated and disconsolate horses gazing over a hedge at horseless vehicles careering along the road1 to the evident enjoyment of the riders1 were almost as plentiful as they were four years ago4 ,in #agga a horseless carriage1 invented by a mathematical instrument maker1 had a trial run in the ,artillery ground near the ,minories4 ,the event aroused the greatest interest1 and the failure of the vehicle to realise the expectations formed of it by no means disheartened the horseless carriage enthusiasts4 ,they declared that before long a reliable horseless carriage would certainly be invented4 ,in #agij there was a belief that their prophecy had been fulfilled1 for invitations were sent out to members of the ,society of ,arts1 engineers1 and all interested in mechanics and vehicular traffic to attend a certain place on a stated day to inspect a horseless carriage1 which possessed the additional novelty of having one wheel only4 ,a large proportion of the invitations were accepted1 and when the expectant people had assembled1 their host1 with great ceremony1 led them to the coach-house and showed them the one-wheeled horseless vehicle--a wheelbarrow6 ,after that incident1 which was talked about all over ,england--much to the disgust of the members of the ,society of ,arts who had attended the private view--the interest in horseless vehicle invention subsided for more than thirty years4 ,when at last the craze did again break out1 cabs appear to have been overlooked4 ,steam barouches1 vans and omnibuses were invented in large numbers1 but no one appears to have tried his hand at a steam cab1 and it was not until #ahig that horseless cabs were placed on the ,london streets4 ,these electric cabs were a pleasing novelty to ,londoners and were well patronised1 but it must be confessed that there were several objections to them4 ,the want of originality in their build was very marked1 for in appearance1 although they only carried two passengers1 they differed but little from a four-wheeler minus the horse and shafts4 ,but that is a trivial objection compared with the following one which concerned the safety of the public4 ,there are many people living who have been knocked down by carriages1 cabs1 omnibuses and vans1 and have suffered little or no injury because they happened1 by chance or design1 to roll under the vehicle and thus escaped all four wheels4 ,but if knocked down by one of the electric cabs no such escape would have been possible1 as the accumulator was only a few inches from the ground1 and would have crushed to death any one who got beneath it4 ,illustration3 ,,electric ,,cab4 ,many of our public vehicles are very badly lighted1 but no such complaint could be made against the electric cabs4 ,they were1 perhaps1 a little too brilliantly illuminated for the comfort of people of a bashful disposition1 who were worried by the thought that as they rode along they were as conspicuous as if they were on the stage with the limelight turned on them4 ,if a man desired to ride through the streets at night unobserved1 he did not hire an electric cab4 ,and it does not follow that because a man wishes to escape notice that he is ashamed of being seen4 ,but1 as before stated1 the electric cabs1 or 8humming birds10 as they were named by the cabmen1 were well patronised while on the streets1 and certainly it was not for want of support that they were withdrawn4 ,those indiarubber tyres which so constantly needed attention were no doubt the cause of their withdrawal4 ,barely had the electric cabs disappeared than an innovation was made which1 in years to come1 will be considered one of the most important events in the history of ,london cabs4 ,on ,march #ae1 #ahii1 six cabs fitted with a distance registering apparatus1 named the 8taxameter10 started from the ,htel ,cecil on trial runs into different parts of ,london1 and on the following day they were plying for hire in the streets1 the drivers conspicuous with white silk hats4 ,the taxameter is a small species of clock fixed on the outside of the right-hand window of the cab1 and records at the end of every journey the distance travelled and the legal fare which the passenger has to pay1 whether he has hired the cab by time or distance4 ,it also registers extras paid for luggage and waiting1 the number of journeys made1 the number of miles travelled1 and the total earnings of the day4 ,when the cab is empty1 a little red flag1 which can be seen from a distance1 projects from the side4 ,immediately a fare enters the cab the driver turns down a lever1 which lowers the red flag and causes the words 8not engaged0 to disappear and be replaced by the tariff4 ,when the end of the journey is reached the cabman pulls up the lever1 and the distance travelled and the fare to be paid appears on the dial4 ,the cabmen were to be paid a wage of #b #bs4 for a week of six days and a percentage on the earnings1 and evidently there were many men who would have been glad to work on those terms1 for in answer to the ,taxameter ,syndicate's advertisement for six drivers1 three hundred men applied4 ,by the public and the press the taxameter was received with the warmest approval1 for it promised a check on the extortion1 and abuse accompanying it when practised on women1 which has of late become painfully common among some ,london cabmen1 and has earned for them a notoriety which will take many years to live down4 ,women can travel in ,london by train1 tram1 omnibus and boat without fear of extortion and incivility1 but they know from bitter experience1 that every time they hire a cab they are running a risk of being cheated and afterwards abused for daring to utter a protest4 ,women1 therefore1 were naturally very pleased when they heard of the new check1 but their joy was short-lived1 for the ,cab-drivers' ,union interfered1 and declared that any man who drove a taxameter cab was a 8black-leg40 ,the reasons given for this decision were by no means satisfactory1 and the only conclusion that an unbiassed person can arrive at is1 that the majority of cabmen1 in spite of their constant complaints about their difficulty of earning a living1 made1 partly by overcharging1 considerably more than the #b #bs4 a-week and percentage of earnings offered by the ,taxameter ,syndicate4 ,as the drivers would not take out taxameter cabs1 the proprietors were compelled to remove the register from them4 ,but the taxameter is far too useful an innovation to be suppressed at the word of the ,cab-drivers' ,union4 ,the public must remember that the taxameter gives them the protection for which they have been sighing for years1 and that if they are determined to enjoy its benefits the ,cab-drivers' ,union is powerless to prevent the boon4 ,it may order a strike1 but the spectacle of men refusing to work because they are not allowed to overcharge their customers will be more novel than edifying4 ,let us hope1 however1 that the cabmen will not be so foolish as to think of striking1 but will recognise that the taxameter is bound to come into general use1 and when it is again tried will accept the innovation with a good grace4 ,the taxameter was tried first in #ahid on a few cabs in ,berlin1 and met with considerable opposition from both cab proprietors and drivers4 ,but the public appreciated the innovation1 and patronised those cabs which had the register to such an extent that the opposition was overcome quickly1 and soon #eejj of the #hjjj cabs plying for hire in ,berlin were fitted with the taxameter4 ,in ,hamburgh1 ,vienna1 ,dresden1 ,stockholm and numerous other ,continental cities the taxameter is in use1 and growing in public favour4 ,it is also at work1 or has been tried1 in ,manchester1 ,leeds1 ,liverpool and ,bradford1 and it will be strange indeed if in the course of a few years every public cab in ,london and the ,provinces is not fitted with it4 ,on ,queen ,victoria's eightieth birthday electric cabs were placed once more on the streets4 ,but in appearance they had not been altered for the better4 ,the original cabs were painted tastefully in two colours1 the upper part black and the lower part yellow1 but the new ones were black entirely4 ,moreover1 the new cabs were taller than the original ones1 and the added inches gave them a clumsy appearance4 ,the accumulator was1 as in the previous cabs1 only a few inches from the ground4 ,after plying for hire for a few weeks they were taken off the streets and have not yet reappeared4 ,the electric cab that is to be an all-round success has not yet been invented1 but experience is being bought1 and it will be strange if we have to wait long for it4 ,but that it will ever supersede entirely the horse-drawn hansom is far from being likely1 for while you meet hundreds of people who have had one ride in an electric cab1 you come across very few who have had two4 ,it is not because their experience was unpleasant that they have not had a second one1 but because it was not so enjoyable as a ride in a horse-drawn cab4 ,apparently the hansom cab has every prospect of retaining its popularity for another sixty years4 ,but1 in spite of the hansom's popularity1 ,londoners had complained for a considerable period of the obstruction caused by empty hansoms crawling along the streets plying for hire4 ,throughout the day a long string of such vehicles1 with here and there a four-wheeler1 perambulated the ,strand and ,piccadilly1 blocking the traffic and making it exceedingly difficult and somewhat dangerous for pedestrians to cross the road4 ,in #ahii the police authorities put an end to the nuisance by issuing instructions that no empty cabs were to be allowed to proceed along the ,strand or ,piccadilly1 but were to remain on the ranks in1 or adjoining1 those thoroughfares4 ,the cabmen protested strongly against this regulation1 but the public approved of it1 for the traffic became much less congested4 ,moreover1 as additional ranks were provided1 the cabmen did not suffer from the alteration4 ,some people declare that there are too many cabs on the streets1 but it is certain that there are no more than the public require4 ,if they were not patronised to an extent which makes them profitable to the proprietors and the drivers1 they would not be plying for hire4 ,on ,december #ca1 #aijj1 there were #aa1beb licensed cabs in ,london1 of which #geca were two-wheelers and #cgba four-wheelers4 ,there were #ac1bja cab-drivers and #bghb proprietors4 ,for each cab a proprietor pays #b for a police licence1 which has to be renewed #ab months after issue1 and #aes4 to the ,inland ,revenue on the first day of every year4 ,the driver pays #es4 for his licence1 which is renewable #ab months from the day of issue4 ,at the present day the fares are3-- ,,by ,,distance4 s4 d4 ,if hired and discharged within the four-mile radius1 for any distance not exceeding two miles #a #j ,for every additional mile or part of a mile #j #f ,if hired outside the four-mile radius1 wherever discharged1 for the first and each succeeding mile or part of a mile #a #j ,if hired within1 but discharged outside the radius1 whole distance not exceeding one mile #a #j ,but exceeding one mile1 then for each mile ended within the radius #f;d41 and for each mile or part of a mile outside #a #j ,,by ,,time4 s4 d4 ,within the four-mile radius4 ,four-wheeled cabs for one hour or less #b #j ,two-wheeled cab #b #f ,for every additional quarter of an hour or part of a quarter1 four-wheelers #j #f ,two-wheelers #j #h ,four-wheelers1 or two-wheelers1 if hired outside the radius1 wherever discharged1 for one hour or less #b #f ,if above one hour1 then for every quarter of an hour or less #j #h ,if hired within1 but discharged outside the radius1 the fares are according to the two preceding paragraphs4 ,,luggage4 s4 d4 ,for each package carried outside the vehicle #j #b ,,additional ,,persons4 s4 d4 ,for each person above two 7two children under ten years of age are reckoned as one person7 #j #f ,for a child under ten years of age1 carried with two or more persons #j #c ,,waiting4 s4 d4 ,by distance only4 ,for every fifteen minutes completed1 if hired within the four-mile radius3 ,four-wheelers #j #f ,two-wheelers #j #h ,when hired outside the radius1 four- or two-wheelers #j #h ,unless stated to the cabman at the time of hiring that he is engaged by time1 fares must be paid according to distance4 ,a driver can refuse to be hired by time between #h p4m4 and #f a4m4 ,a cabman hired by distance must1 unless prevented by the traffic1 drive at the rate of six miles an hour2 if hired by time1 four miles an hour4 ,should he be requested to drive above the latter speed1 he may demand1 in addition to the time fare1 for every mile1 or any part of one1 exceeding four miles1 the fare regulated by distance4 ,there are no two-horse cabs plying for hire at the present day1 but if there were the fares1 according to an ,act of ,parliament of #ahec1 not yet repealed1 would be #h;d4 for a mile or less distance1 and #bs4 #h;d4 for an hour or any portion of one4 ,during the great snowstorm of ,january1 #ahha1 when for several days the roads were impassable for omnibuses1 a large number of cabs appeared with two horses--the hansoms' being harnessed tandem fashion4 ,the drivers were well aware of the ,act of #ahec1 and1 in case any passenger should possess a knowledge of it1 they took the precaution1 before starting on a journey1 to extract a promise from the rider that he would pay double the usual fare4 ,that was reasonable1 for1 apart from the fact that vehicles were few and travelling difficult1 the cabmen1 by using two horses1 were only able to be at work for half their customary time4 ,,the ,,end ,,printed ,,by ,,william ,,clowes ,,and ,,sons1 ,,limited1 ,,london ,,and ,,beccles4 ,transcriber's ,notes3 ,italics are shown thus3 sloping4 ,variations in spelling and hyphenation are retained4 ,perceived typographical errors have been changed4