H. C. M.
London,
August 23, 1901.
CONTENTS
PART I—OMNIBUSES
| [CHAPTER I] | |
| PAGE | |
| Carrosses a cinq sous invented—Inauguration ceremony—M.Laffitte’s omnibuses—The origin of the word “omnibus”as applied to coaches | 3 |
| [CHAPTER II] | |
| George Shillibeer introduces omnibuses into England—The firstomnibus route—Shillibeer’s conductors defraud him—Hisplans for preventing fraud—An omnibus library—Shopkeeperscomplain of omnibus obstruction | 10 |
| [CHAPTER III] | |
| Shillibeer runs omnibuses in opposition to a railway—Extraordinaryaction of the Stamp and Taxes Office—Shillibeeris ruined—He appeals to the Government for compensation—Governmentpromises not fulfilled—Shillibeer becomesan undertaker | 28 |
| [CHAPTER IV] | |
| Introduction of steam omnibuses—The “Autopsy,” the “Era,”and the “Automaton”—Steam omnibuses a failure | 36 |
| [CHAPTER V] | |
| Some old omnibus names—Story of the “Royal Blues”—Omnibusracing—Complaints against conductors—Passengers’behaviour—The well-conducted conductor—The ill-conductedconductor—The “equirotal omnibus” | 46 |
| [CHAPTER VI] | |
| Twopenny fares introduced—The first omnibus with advertisements—Pennyfares tried—Omnibus improvements—Longitudinalseats objected to by the police—Omnibusassociations—Newspapers on the “Favorites”—Foreignersin omnibuses—Fat and thin passengers—Thomas Tillingstarts the “Times” omnibuses—Mr. Tilling at the Derby—Tilling’sgallery of photographs | 62 |
| [CHAPTER VII] | |
| Compagnie Générale des Omnibus de Londres formed—TheLondon General Omnibus Company starts work—Businessespurchased by the Company—It offers a prize of £100for the best design of an omnibus—The knife-boardomnibus introduced—Correspondence system tried—Packetsof tickets sold—Yellow wheels—The L.G.O.C. becomesan English Limited Liability Company—The first board ofdirectors—Present position of the Company—The Omnibus:a satire—The Omnibus: a play | 79 |
| [CHAPTER VIII] | |
| The opening of Holborn Viaduct—An omnibus is the firstvehicle to cross it—“Viaduct Tommy”—Skid-men | 95 |
| [CHAPTER IX] | |
| A new Company—The London and District Omnibus Company,Limited—The London Road Car Company, Limited—Itsfirst omnibuses—The garden seats—The flag and its meaning—Foreigners’idea of it—The ticket system—The greatstrike—The London Co-operative Omnibus Company—Mr.Jenkins and advertisements—The Street Traffic Bill—Outsidelamps | 100 |
| [CHAPTER X] | |
| The Motor Traction Company’s omnibus—An electric omnibus—TheCentral London Railway—The London CountyCouncil omnibuses—The “corridor ’bus”—The latest omnibusstruggle—Present omnibus routes | 119 |
| [CHAPTER XI] | |
| “Jumpers”—“Spots”—Some curious passengers—Conductorsand coachmen—The Rothschild Christmas-boxes—Mr. MorrisAbrahams and the Omnibus Men’s Superannuation Fund—Horses—Costof omnibuses—Night in an omnibus yard | 137 |
| [CHAPTER XII] | |
| Pirate omnibuses—Their history and tricks | 164 |
| PART II—CABS | |
| [CHAPTER I] | |
| The introduction of hackney-coaches—“The world run onwheels”—The first hackney-coach stand and the oldestcab rank in England—Sedan chairs introduced—Charles I.and Charles II. prohibit hackney-coaches—Hackney-coachesand the Plague—William Congreve—Threatened strike ofhackney-coachmen—Hackney-chariots introduced—Princeof Wales drives a hackney-coach—Licences—Funeralcoaches ply for hire in the streets—A pedometer for hackney-coachessuggested—Dickens on hackney-coaches—Origin ofthe word “hackney” | 181 |
| [CHAPTER II] | |
| Cabs introduced into England—Restrictions placed upon them—Acomical-looking cab—Dickens on cabs—Hackney-coachmenwish to become cabmen—The cab business amonopoly—Restrictions are removed—The Cab paper—TheBoulnois cab invented—The “minibus”—The “duobus”—Bilking—Apeer’s joke | 205 |
| [CHAPTER III] | |
| Hansom invents a cab—Chapman designs and patents thepresent hansom—Francis Moore’s vehicles—The Hansompatent infringed—Litigation a failure—Pirate cabs called“shofuls”—The “Clarence” or four-wheeler introduced—Anunpleasant fare—The decoration of cabs—Cabmen compelledto wear badges—The “Tribus”—The “Curricle Tribus”—The“Quartobus” | 216 |
| [CHAPTER IV] | |
| A strike—Cabmen’s revenge on Members of Parliament—Cabradius altered—Cabmen object to knocking at doors—TheKing of Cabmen—Nicknames—A lady feared by cabmen—Thekilometric reckoner—Lord John Russell and “PalaceYard Jack”—Cab fares altered—A strike against the introductionof lamps—Another strike—The Cab-drivers’ BenevolentAssociation—The London Cabmen’s Mission—TheHackney Carriage Proprietors’ Provident Institution—TheCabmen’s Shelter Fund | 231 |
| [CHAPTER V] | |
| Cab show at Alexandra Palace—Forder’s cab—The strike of1894—Cabmen become organ-grinders—The Asquith award—Boycottingthe railway stations—The “Bilking Act” | 249 |
| [CHAPTER VI] | |
| Gentlemen cabmen—An applicant’s nerve—The doctor-cabby—JohnCockram—A drunken cabman’s horse | 258 |
| [CHAPTER VII] | |
| The Shrewsbury and Talbot cabs—The Court hansom—TheParlour four-seat hansom—Electric cabs introduced—The“taxameter”—Empty cabs—Number of cabs in London—Cabfares—Two-horse cabs | 267 |
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
| PAGE | |
| Shillibeer’s First Omnibus | [13] |
| Shillibeer’s Third Omnibus | [19] |
| Gurney’s Steam Carriage | [37] |
| The “Autopsy” Steam Omnibus | [39] |
| The “Era” Steam Omnibus | [40] |
| The “Automaton” Steam Omnibus | [44] |
| Adams’s Equirotal Omnibus | [61] |
| A Knife-board Omnibus | [65] |
| Omnibus built by Rock and Gowar | [69] |
| Tilling’s Four-horse “Times” | [75] |
| Richmond Conveyance Company Omnibus | [91] |
| Richmond Conveyance Company Omnibus. End View | [93] |
| The First Vehicle to cross Holborn Viaduct | [98] |
| The London Road Car Company’s First Omnibus | [103] |
| A Road Car Company Omnibus, 1901 | [107] |
| A Metropolitan Railway “Umbrella” Omnibus, 1901 | [109] |
| A Red “Favorite.” 1901 | [110] |
| Hackney-coach. About 1680 | [189] |
| Hackney-coach. About 1800 | [194] |
| London Cab of 1823, with curtain drawn | [207] |
| The “Coffin-cab” | [210] |
| Boulnois’s Cab | [214] |
| The First Hansom | [217] |
| An Improved Hansom | [219] |
| Francis Moore’s Vehicle | [221] |
| The First Four-wheeled Cab | [225] |
| The Tribus. Back View | [229] |
| The Tribus. Side View | [230] |
| John Cockram | [261] |
| Parlour’s Hansom | [269] |
| Electric Cab | [272] |
PART I
OMNIBUSES