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The Royal Mail: Its Curiosities and Romance
·
James Wilson Hyde
30
Exposed
to
all
the
inclemency
of
the
seasons,
both
by
night
and
day;
having
to
weather
snowstorms
and
suffer
the
drenchings
of
heavy
rain;
to
grope
a
way
through
the
dense
fogs
of
our
climate,
and
endure
the
biting
frosts
of
midwinter;
or
yet
to
face
the
masked
highwayman
on
the
open
heath,
or
the
footpad
in
the
deep
and
narrow
road,--these
were
the
unpleasantnesses
and
the
dangers
which
beset
the
couriers
of
the
Post-office
in
past
years,
ere
the
department
had
grown
to
its
present
robust
manhood.
As
to
the
exposure
in
wintry
weather,
it
is
stated
that
postboys
on
reaching
the
end
of
their
stages
were
sometimes
so
benumbed
with
the
cold
that
they
had
to
be
lifted
out
of
their
saddles.
Some
idea
of
what
the
postboys
suffered
may
be
gathered
from
the
adventure
of
the
Rothbury
to
Morpeth
mail
driver
in
the
snowstorm
of
the
1st
March
1886.
This
man,
Robert
Paton,
left
Rothbury
with
two
horses,
and
another
was
sent
from
Morpeth
to
meet
him.
On
his
way
two
of
the
horses
succumbed
to
fatigue,
and
these,
with
the
mail-cart,
were
left
behind
in
charge
of
a
companion,
while
Paton
proceeded
on
the
third
horse,
that
sent
from
Morpeth,
to
his
destination.
One
of
the
horses
abandoned
was
so
knocked
up
that
it
had
to
be
left
in
the
snow
till
next
day.
At
one
time
the
snow
would
just
reach
the
horses'
knees,
at
another
the
animals
would
be
plunging
desperately
through
quickly
forming
wreaths,
in
snow
reaching
half-way
up
their
shoulders,
and
then
an
open
stretch
of
country
would
expose
them
to
the
fury
of
the
blinding
storm.
Paton
had
started
from
Rothbury
at
five
o'clock
in
the
afternoon,
and
was
due
at
Morpeth
at
8.40
P.M.,
but
he
did
not
reach
the
Post-office
there
till
11.45
P.M.,
and
his
son,
who
had
carried
the
parcel
basket
for
the
last
three
miles,
did
not
come
in
till
midnight.
On
his
arrival
at
Morpeth,
Paton
presented
a
most
grotesque
appearance,
something
like
the
pictures
of
Father
Christmas,
being
covered
over
with
snow,
and
adorned
with
icicles
hanging
from
his
hair
and
beard.
He
required
the
aid
of
a
friendly
hand
to
steady
him
when
he
descended,
as
his
lower
limbs
seemed
cramped
and
powerless,
owing
to
the
cold
and
long
continuance
in
the
saddle.
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