All About Inventions and Discoveries
The Romance of modern scientific and mechanical Achievements

3o8 All About Inventions ways with his diabolical invention, which was con- strued into a menace to the peace, quietness, and safety of the community. The efforts of Cugnot, Murdock, and Trevithick had not failed to arouse the attention of energetic and enterprising brilliant minds, who saw that the time must inevitably come when, contrary to the pre- vailing belief, “ carriages without horses shall go,” and along the public roads. The coming of the rail- way locomotive had proved this very conclusively, and although the success of George Stephenson served to attract the greatest meed of popular attention to the iron way, the possibilities of similar traffic over the public thoroughfares was not overlooked. In 1826 Sir Goldsworthy Gurney introduced a steam-driven coach, weighing 3J tons, the steam being raised by a water-tube boiler, and is said to have attained a speed of 20 miles an hour. In 1831 this pioneer decided to compete directly for public traffic by inaugurating a regular service be- tween Gloucester and Cheltenham. This ranks as the first ambitious and commercial effort to popularise the self-propelled road vehicle. Gurney’s apparent success spurred a contemporary pioneer, Walter Hancock, to endeavour to revolu- tionise vehicular traffic in the metropolitan area. Services were arranged between various points, such as between Stratford, Paddington, and Moorgate. But a public which had been accustomed for cen- turies to “ Shanks’s Pony,” crawling horse-drawn vehicles and sedan chairs, did not regard the inno- vation with any favour. They resented the attempt to hustle them and to speed-up the whole spirit of