Coaching Days

Evening Star, Issue 23503, 17 February 1940, Page 11 (Supplement)

Coaching Days

A NERVE-WRACKING EXPERIENCE Coachman Imbibes too Freely But Supreme with the Reins “ Cobb’s coaches ” were a great feature of the countryside in the early days. Known equally in America and Australia, they were better adapted to travel on a bad road or - no road at all, than any other, four-wheeled vehicle. They were both strong and light, with leathern springs and a powerful brake, and their drivers were masters of their trade. ' Occasionally, however, one could have bad experiences by ' this method of travel, and one that is described by Lady Barker iri her ‘Station Life in New Zealand’ on a journey from a stage below Christchurch to Timaru with her husband, was exciting enough to be called hair-raising. The story is told: —

>’ We crossed the Rakaia and Rangitata ; in' ferry boats, and stopped on the banks of the Ashburton to dine about ; 1 o’clock, having changed horses twice since we started from “ Gigg’s,” as our place of junction was elegantly called. Here all my troubles began. When we came out of the little inn, much comforted and refreshed by a good dinner, I found to my regret that we were to change drivers as well as horses, and that a very popular and well-known individual was to be the new coachman. As our former driver very politely assisted me to clamber on the box seat he recommended

F to sit on the outside part of the seat and to put me next the driver, “ where,” he added, “ the lady won’t be so likely to tumble out.” As I had shown no disposition to fall off the coach box hitherto, I was much astonished by this precaution, but said nothing. So he was emboldened to whisper, after looking round furtively,’ “ And you jest take and don’t be afraid, marm; he handles the ribbings jest as well when he’s had a drop too much as when he’s sober, which ain’t often, however.”

This last caution alarmed me extremely. The horses were not yet nut

in nor the driver put up, so I begged F to get down and see if I could go inside. But after a hasty survey he said it was quite impossible; men smoking, children crying, and, in addition, a policeman with a lunatic in his charge made the inside worse than the. outside, especially in point of atmosphere, so ho repeated the substance of our ex-driver’s farewell speech, and when I saw our new charioteer emerge at last from the bar, looking only very jolly and tolerably steady as to gait, I thought perhaps my panic was premature.

But, oh, what a time I had of it for nine hours afterwards! The moment the grooms let go the horses’ heads he stood up on his seat, shook the reins, flourished his long whip, and with one wild yell from him we dashed down a steep cutting into the Ashburton. The water ilew in spray far over our heads, and the plunge wetted me as effectually as if I had fallen into the river. I expected the front part of the coach to part from the back, on account of the enormous strain caused by dragging it over the boulders. We lurched like a boat in a heavy sea; the “insides” screamed; “Jim” (that was the driver’s name) swore and yelled; the horses reared and plunged. All this time I was holding on like grim death to a light iron railing above my head, and one glance to i ,■ left showed me F thrown off the very small portion of cushion which fell to his share and clinging desperately to a rude sort of lamp frame. I speculated for an instant whether this would break, and, if so, what would become of him.

But it took all my ideas to keep myself from being jerked off among the horses’ heels. We dashed through the river; Jim gathered up the reins, and with a different sot of oaths swore he would punish the horses for jibbing in the water. And ho did punish them; . he put the brake hard down for some, way, flogged them with all his strength, dancing about the coachbox and yelling like a madman. Every now and then, in the course of his bounds from place to place, ho would come [dump down on my lap; but I was 100 much frightened to remonstrate;

indeed, we were going at such a pace against the wind I had very little breath to spare. We got over the first stage of 20 miles at this rate very quickly, as you may imagine, but unfortunately there was an accommodation house close to the stables, and .Tim had a good deal more refreshment. Strange to say, this did not make him any wilder in manner. That ho could not be; but after he started, again he became extremely friendly with me,, addressing me invariably as “my dear,” and offering to “ treat me ” at every inn from that to Timaru. T declined as briefly as I could, whereupon he became extremely angry,' at my doubting his pecuniary resources apparently; for, holding the reins carelessly with one hand, though we were still tearing.recklessly along, he searched his pockets- with the other hand, and produced from them a quantity of greasy, dirty one pound nptes, all of which he laid on my lap, saying; “ There, and there, and there, if you think I’m a beggar!” I fully expected them to blow away, for I con'd not spare a hand to hold them; but I watched my opportunity .when he was punishing the unfortumte fresh team and pounced on thrusting the

dirty heap back into his great-coat pocket. ’ " . . . . At the next stage a very tiny woman came out, with a very large bundle, containing fresh linen, she said, for her Son,, who , was ill in the hospital at Timaru. She booked this and paid her half-crown for its carriage, entreating the drunken wretch to see that itreached her sou that night., _He wildly promised he should have it in half an hour, and set off as if he meant to keep his word, though we were some 40,miles off yet j' but - he soon changed his _mind and took a hatred to the parcel, saying it would “sink the ship,’.’ .and finally tried to.(kick Itiover the, splashboard. I seized it at the risk of losing my balance, and hugged it tight all the way ,to Timaru; carrying it off to the hotel, where 1 induce a waiter to take it up to the hospital. . After we had changed horses for the last time, and I was comforting myself by the reflection that the journey was nearly over, we heard shouts and screams -from the inside passengers. p : persuaded Jim with much trouble to pull up, and jumped to see what was the matter. A strong smell of burning arose from, inside the coach, caused'by the lunatic having taken off both his boots and lighted a fire ii them. It was getting dark and chilly, the other passengers, including the policeman, had dozen off, and thejmad-

man thought that, ■ as, his feet were very cold, he would “ try and warm them a bit ” ; so he collected all the newspapers with which his : fellowtravellers had been solacing the tedium of their journey, tore, them -hp into shreds, with the addition of the contents of a poor woman’s bundle, and made quite a cheerful blaze out of these materials. It was some, time before the terrified woman could be; induced to get into the coach again j and it was only by Jim’s asseverations: couched in the strongest language, thati if they, were not “ all aboard ” in - half a minute he would drive ■on and leave them in the middle of the plains, that they were persuaded to clamber into their' places again. . r i ■

Hcwthankful 1 was when wo saw the lights of Timaru!' I was stunned and bewildered, tired beyond the power of words to describe,, and blabk and blue all over from being jolted about. The road had been an excellent one, all the way level and wide, with telegraph poles ■by its side. We shaved these very closely, often enough, hut among all this tipsiness Jim bore out; his predecessor’s remark. Whenever we came to a little dip in the road, or a sharp turn, as we were nearing Timaru, he would get the horses under control as if by magic, and take us over as safely as the soberest driver could have done; the moment the obstacle _ was passed off we were again like a whirlwind.