THE FIRST OMNIBUS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19204, 21 June 1924, Page 10

THE FIRST OMNIBUS.

■London’s recent deprivation of her most popular and necessary vehicle reminds mo tnat its name has an interesting histo-y (writes "Jackdaw” in John o' London’s V\ eckly). Dictionaries coldly derive the word from the Latin without the pleasing legend that belongs to it. In an old French magazine may be found the story of a certain M. Daudry, who established in 1827 hot baths in a suburb of Nantes. Lacking customers, he sent, at fixed homo, a long car into the highways and hedges, or rather into the centre of the town, to induce them to come in. This was the first ‘‘omnibus.” The name occurred to a friend of Baudry’s, and it caught the public lancy the more readily because a grocer of Nantes named Omnes had painted over his door the words, • Omnes Omnibus” (Omnes for All), taking a hint from his local success, Baudry started omnibuses in Paris, but the winter of 1829 made the streets slippery, and forage dear, and he was said to have died of grief in 1829. In that very year the first London omnibus ran from the Yorkshire Stingo, in Marylebono road, to the Bank. London did not lake kindly to the word “omnibus.” The vehicles were long known as ’'Shdiibeers," and if their proprietor, George Shillibcer, had not mot with misfortune and taken to providing hearses, the name would probably have survived to this day. The first two “Shillibocrs” were drawn by three horses abreast, and had conductors who had been with Shillibeor in Paris. When it became known that they were sons of naval officers the young ladies of Paddington used to ride as far as King's Cro-ss in order to improve their French.