COACHING IN THE EARLY DAYS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17027, 28 April 1923, Page 4 (Supplement)

COACHING IN THE EARLY DAYS.

THE ACTIVITIES OF COBB & CO. 1 THE PIONEERS AND THEIR RACE MEETINGS

The “ Star ” has arranged with. Mr E. M. Lovell-Smith to write a series of articles describing the coaching and carrying traffic in the early days of the province. Mr LoveU-Sxnith’c previous series on the history of coaching on the West Coast road aroused great interest, and the series now being printed will be found to be of equal fascination.

\ VII. ON THE ROAD TO THE RACES. The races of the fifties were held at the Plough Inn, facing Hagley Park, which was erected bv Mr John Ihlloway, previously a gunsmith in Oxford Terrace. The course /was along the West- Belt to Addington. Here the folk picnicked, and Mr D-iiloway did a roaring trade in the liquid refreshment line. Tile first mention of Cobb and Co's coaches in connection with the races was in the summer of 1801, when Cobbs ni «dc a fine show of their vehicles. They left the office at. Birclsev s, well loaded with passengers at, 5s a head, en route for the Canterbury races at Riccarton racecourse. The hedges were beginning to replace the poet and rail fences, making the drive more interesting to the passengers, as the coaches rolled along the uneven road. The chronicler of those times describes the big jack coach, crowded with men and boys, and drawn by six horses, two abreast' as “ rolling on its huge leather suspenders like a ship in a small storm.” This was followed by a five-horse waggon, three horses in the lead, two of them being unbroken colts, which, however, were held together by the centre horse, an old “sober sides’ as steady as a church. Tb© colt-s playing up now and then, with an occasional leg over the trace, were thonged by the driver with a short handled whip, its long lash terminated by a flat leather strap, instead of the usual whipcord. So they would go-—the horses plunging and trotting, and the coaches swaying and recking over th© tussocky load—accompanied by clouds of dust, which the trudging pedestrian accepted with resignation as part of the day’s entertainment. There were, ol course, other equipages on the road also, two or three four-in-hands and one turn out with postillions in blue livery, not omitting the two-wheeled square cart filled with happy folk—a great improvement on eh© bullock dray period of a few years previously. The racecourse, at ' that time, was a cleared track in among the tussocks and Wild Irishman which covered the ground. A small grandstand, newly built of stone, was used for the first time. The course ran round the site of the cottage now known as. Chokebore Lodge. Mr George Willis, who afterward lived at Sheffield. was building The Horse and Jockev ” mn at. Coach Corner. and ht> brother John was building Choke bore Lodge, a cob-house afterwards purchased by Mr Redwood, who eventually sold it to the late Mr Ted Cutts. The house is standing yet, in good re- ; pair, and is quite picturesque with its quaint and pretty garden. The Horse i and Jockey changed hands several times, and finally lost its license. It was then used as a dwelling house, and its stables accommodated that excellent : omnibus line of coaches kept for so many years by Mr John Wood, better known as manager of the Christchurch tramways. The old house, with its gables, facing north and west, was burned down one afternoon in the late ’BO s, and a modern bungalow, built further back from the road, took its place. THE FIRST STEEPLECHASE. To return to coaching, it was not only at the Canterbury races that the services of the coach were required. On the occasion oi the Maiden Steeplechase held on Mr Wakefield’s farm at Upper Riccarton, just about where Peerswiek now stands, we find Cobb’s “ Leviathan ’’-coach thirty-nine passenger vehicle, waggon bodied, rather ugly in design) drawn bv six capital horses, the ribbons beino- in the hamK of Le© Cole himself, driving out to the number of paddocks well in view of th© road, and th© vehicles remaining outside, Cobb’s coach provided th© grandstand. Tic only elevation higher than the coach was the steopl© of the Riccarton Church, which is still standing. Of the race itself, who can speak? Major White was starter. We know th© names of the horses, their owners and riders. There wore present Lee Cole’s Peacock, so called, we presume, because he had a. fine tail and was proud of it ; then a lady of uncertaiu age, Jessie, a chestnut mare, ridden by Jannaway, and introduced—that is the word, we think—by Mr TV. H. Percival, the owner; Mr C. Colman’s Red Rover, owner up, evidently a red and yellow combination : Mr Ladbrook’a Harry Kie-over fa good name for a jumper); Joe Page’s Locomotive, with Rae as stoker and engine-driver; then Mofiey’e Discount. O. Oake’s Jo© Bug* gins; and Dilloway’s Mildew (no connection with his beer !). It was an interesting race, most of the riders being twelve stone in weight. At the start of the race. Peacock (Cole’s coach horse) refused to take the starter’s word for it and jibbing sat solidly upon bis beautiful caudel appendage. As to what was wrong with Mildew. ridden by Gay. we do not ■ know. Whether his colour sense was offended or not. it is hard to say; hut 5 spying Colman on Red Rover, lie went [ after bis “ mustard." and cutting [ across Red Clover’s “ bows ” (if a horse 5 has bows), succeeded in upsetting both | horsei and rider. Nemesis, that invisible liorsemnn. was on his track, however. ’and be came a cropper himself

1 Sarve him right!” was the comment >f the bystanders. Then Harry Hieirer, sighting his image in the water lump, stopped a second too long aduiring it. and dropped into it “ ker.piash !” This had the effect of intro- 1 iucing a new system of irrigation into, she field, and incidentally spoiling the appearance of hi* ridei‘’s new “ uuinentiimables.” The said rider, as lie crawled out of the water, looked “ like Thingummy coming out of Whatyou-maycaliit!” to quote Mr Punch. Locomotive, whose mount only weighed nine stone, should have won, but a little thing behind the last fence “ perwented it,” as Mr Weller would have said, and “Jessie” arrived home with Joe Bugging second. To show the animus against “a poor lone female.” she had no sooner won than some of the losers complained about the state or lier teeth, and on a “ vet.” making an examination, he discovered one is led to suspect some gold stopping put in some years previously. and poor Jessie was disqualified as being over age. Only cr.e jockey [ Jannaway) weighing in after the race, io prize was awarded. The race was run over again fhe following week, and Rae having put fresh coals--or oats, rather—into locomotive's boiler, that horse won. Peacock obeyed the starter’s signal this time, and, with Campbell as rider, came in second. The “ Hurry Flurry " was the only other race at this first meeting, and it gave equal satisfaction to the onlookers. Air Cole’s bay gelding. Peacock. having done so well, was promoted from harness to saddle, and, put into the trainer’s hands, a month or so. Later, in September 1864, won the steeplechase handicap at Heathcote. Riders, horses and owners have long since gone “ Che way oi’ all flesh,” and die church steeple remains and broods over those days of the past, when fences were few and tussocks many. It sees in the place of open plains, mighty trees, houses and cottages, crowds of children flocking to school. It hears the hum of the aeroplane, as it circles round in the air like some huge bird. The motor-car, the electric tram, the bicycle, now- so familiar to us. were unknown in those early ’sixlies; and the rocking, swaying stage coaches, on their leather springs, with their teams four, five and six horses, bound for . lokitika. .South©ridge and Timarn, bare de-.wrted, never to return. So tht- old tower, with its shingled ■oof. feels old age creeping on. and looks back regretfully to the days of he cast. THE IdXWOOD RACES. At the Liu wood Steeplechase, a forerunner of the Grand National Race, the big sandhill formed .‘the grandstand for* the occasion, the course being over that portion of Lin wood, east of Linwood Avenue, known in those days as Canal Reserve. Mr ‘Percival’s mare Jessie won the big race with Jannaway ns the mount. At the conclusion the rain came down in torrents. So heavily did it rain. that Stan more Road was covered with water to a depth of almost two feet, and the race-goers were marooned for the time being. Every available vehicle in the town was pressed into the service, to enable them tc get across the flooded area, and reach their homes in safety. 0088 AND CO.’S EIGHT-HORSE COACH. It was on the occasion of the Papamii Steeplechase, held on August that Cobb's Leviathan coach (not to be confounded with the Australian coach <yi th© oa,me name) newly done up- so as to look - bet-temh nor new." toft. tl,e town drawn bv eight horse* harnessed in pairs. Lee Cole drove the team in person and included in it were the celebrated horses “Tommy and "ButcheiFor the benefit of the uninitiated, it is just as well to explain here that when a team of eight horses was used in the coach, in those days, three were used. Firily. the main pom. which was a fixture in the coach, then bv means of a ring with n book underneath the pole, a second pole, much lighter than the first, was fastened on. iberebv forming an extension to the first. The third pole was attached in a similar manner to the secoud. poleThese extra poles were held up by the pole straps fastened Li the homes of each pair of horses, and the swindletrees of the leaders were also fastened to these poles. The leading pair of horses bad no pole, but were held together by a check strap. There were reins to every pair of horses, and the driver held the eight reins in his hands, usually four reins in each hand, except when using the whip, when the whole eight were held in one hand. TYith a full complement of passengers. the coach started from * the old booking office at Birdsey’s. its leading pair of horses well under control of the driver, and doing their part steadily a,«d soberly. rumbled, through the streets of th© old town into Market Sou are. ns Victoria Square was then called *. then along the road across the Parximii Bridge, past the old saleyards at t&© Carlton up to the townsbir> of Pananui. The course was laid off between Bligh’s Road and Matson’s Road at the back of th© Main Store, where the Town Hall afterwards stood. As before the coach provided the grandstand, and a good day’s sport was enjoyed. A safe

return journey was mad/- and the team oame heme in good spanking style. Quite a. lot of talk xaa indulged in by the critics, who used to congregate at fhe Whit© Hart verandah in those days. They held the view and expressed the opinion that as even Royalty only used eight. in the State Coach, mere commoners should in decency bo content with six horses in their coaches. RACING HOME FROM THE R ACES. That the eight -horse team was again used we have the evidence of Mr Seaton, who remembers Lee Cole driving the Leviathan Coach from the Riccarton races with that number of horses, and John Knox, who had loft thfi employ of Cobb anrl Co. at that time, driving a coach and six for Bruce and Co. Th© two coaches left th© racecourse gat© together, each loaded with passengers. and they raced ail the way into town. When rounding Oxford Terrace, approaching Cashel Street, Knox, who was on the out aide running and had i the lighter coach, put on a spurt and j reached the corner first-, heading off j Cole's leaders as he did so. Pulling up at Bruce’s stables (at the back of j where Turnbull and Jones’s premises j stand at the present day), he unloaded his passengers, while Oobb’s passengers, cheering and shouting, shot by on the big Leviathan which conveyed them to the booking office in High Street. Besides x jrov^*n S au occasional grandstand Cobb’s coach was at least on one occasion put to another pur- ! pose, that of providing “ weighing-in ’ £< commodaticn at the Kaiapoi races. A long pole strapped across the roof of the coach served as a derrick., from which was suspended the stales; and th© cle?*k of the scales sat inside the coach conducting operations through the open window. A CHANGE OF OFFICES. The rapid growth of Cobb and Go’s business necessitated more commodious premises for firm's offices. A waiting room was needed for the ladies, and th© larger office staff also required* more room. Mr Mitchell had be©4 there but- a few months, when the firm acquired the premises occupied by Mr John Ollivier, the auctioneer, at the corner of Cashel Street and the Triangle. afterwards known ss the Grain Agency Corner. Here, where Halloustein Bros’ building now stands, Cobb and Co became quite a landmark in the sixties and seventies. Th© firm took over the new premises on December 1. 1860, and remained there until they closed up the business. During their occupancy improvements were made from time to tins*, the most noticeable being a new door placed rigiit on the corner d the building, which gave ready access to High and Cashel ?ti eets. As time wen: on there were despatched from those premises, in addition fo the North. South and TYest coaches. John ' Cowan’s coaches to South bridge and Ellesmere, ’buses to the railway, and W. Sansom’s coaches t.i Kaiapoi. ns well as coaches for th© ordinary local events. A PROFITABLE BUSINESS. In fact Cobb and Co were becoming quit© prosperous. They had some good .1 lends in the Provincial Government. and their mail services, at this period, were giving general satisfaction to the public of Canterbury. I lie mail contracts were bringing in £12.G00 per annum, and passengers’ fares estimated at one shilling per mile per head brought in a considerable revenue also. In addition to these sources of income there were the smaller amounts produced by the carriage 0! parcels and packages, from half a crown upwards being charged for each. Luggage in excess of 141 b was charged for also, so the firm was iu clover. Oats, chaff, horses, buggies and waggons were also retailed at 3 profit. "With so many avenues of trade, and profit, there was bound to be some leak age ; but the firm did its best to watch its finances and stop the leaks. It i< not surprising to learn that, on the firm noticing a falling off of revenue from the Port Hills coach, which ran to the Valley, a certain driver was replaced bv young Seaton, os he was then, and the revenue increased by nearly £2 a week. on. Mr Mitchell’s showing, the other man apparently hav ing helped himself to some of the takings. A similar thing happened on one of the other roads, the difference being nearly £6 a week. CHARLES COLE LEAVES NEW ZEALAND. Charles Cole, the senior partner, ai though owning a racehoyse or two, did not enter into the social side of life to th© same extent as Leo. his brother. He did not care ror so much ostentation, and probably had been a harder worker than hi* brothet, who was younger than himself. Lee Col© would be seen taking someone out for a drive in his buggy and pair. Smartly dressed, with gloves and veil, his turnout was in keeping with his appearance and quite a pleasure to look at. On the other hand. Charles could be foun ! looking through the staples, with hiS hat Troll down over his eyes, with a long cigar hold between his teeth, which he chewed as ]ie strolled along. Charles had a reputation for straight dealing, and the grooms thought more of him than they did of Lee. who was more of a. pleasure-loving disposition. By the middle of 1886 Charles, .seeing that the business was well established, and his brother was able tc manage for himself, decided to return to America. So he sold out his share to Lee. taking bills for the amount, and left Lyttelton for Melbourne DRIVING OVER TOE BRIDLE PATH. The day that Charles Cole left Christchurch a smart, piece of driving was don© by Lee Cote. Charles had been delayed bv the various farewells, and when readv to leave the office it wanted but forty minutes to tihta sailing time of the steamer. Jumping into the buggy with a bag put under the seat, they started off. Lee driving. Putting his horses to it. they reached the foot of the Bridle Path under the twenty minutes and. climbing up the Path at a brisk walk, went over the summit down into Lvtteiton at a great bat, , reaching the wharf with a few minutes to spare. There was no brake to the buggy, but a crossbar attached to the end of th© pole, and connected by straps to the hatnes of the horses, gave , leverage to the pole and steadied the buggy in its rapid descent. 1 (To be continued next Saturday.)