Photographed from Life by Maull & Co. London.HINTS ON DRIVING.
BY
C. S. WARD,
THE WELL-KNOWN “WHIP OF THE WEST,”
PAXTON STABLES, OPPOSITE TATTERSALL’S.
LONDON:
PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR,
74, LITTLE CADOGAN PLACE, BELGRAVIA.
1870.
HINTS ON DRIVING.
BY C. S. WARD,
THE WELL-KNOWN “WHIP OF THE WEST,”
Paxton Stables (opposite Tattersall’s).
It has been said, and not, perhaps, without reason, that a man who isconscious that he possesses some practical knowledge of a science, andyet refrains from giving the public the benefit of his information, isopen to the imputation of selfishness. To avoid that charge, as far aslies in my power, I purpose, in the course of the following pages, togive my readers the benefit of my tolerably long experience in the artof driving four horses—an art which I acquired under the followingcircumstances.—
My father was a coach proprietor as well as a coachman, and, I am proudto say, one of the best whips of his day. He gave me many opportunitiesof driving a team. I will not, however, enter into all the details of myyouthful career, but proceed to state, that at the early age ofseventeen I was sent nightly with the Norwich and Ipswich Mail as far asColchester, a distance of fifty-two miles. Never having previouslytravelled beyond Whitechapel Church, on that line of road, the changewas[4] rather trying for a beginner. But Fortune favoured me; and I droveHis Majesty’s Mail for nearly five years without an accident. I was thenpromoted to the “Quicksilver,” Devonport Mail, the fastest at that timeout of London. It must be admitted that I undertook this task underdifficult circumstances—involving as it did, sixty miles a night—sincemany had tried it ineffectually, or at all events were unable toaccomplish the duty satisfactorily. It is gratifying to me to reflect,that I drove this coach more than seven years without a single mishap.
Getting at length rather tired of such incessant and monotonous nightlywork, I applied for a change to my employer, the well-known andmuch-respected Mr. Chaplin, who at that time had seventeen hundredhorses employed in coaching. His reply was characteristic. “I cannotfind you all day coaches,” said he; “besides, who am I to get to driveyour Mail?” I must say, I thought this rather severe at the time, but,good and kind-hearted man as he was, he did not forget me.
Not long after this interview, the Brighton Day Mail being about tostart, he made me the offer, to drive the whole distance and horse thecoach a stage, with the option of driving it wit