CARRIERS, a class of persons who, in various forms, by land and sea, undertake the carrying of goods, particularly articles of commerce. In all countries aspiring to commer cial intercourse, the CARRYING TRADE, as it is called, has been less or more developed. The method of carrying in Arabia, Persia, and some other countries in the east has, till the present time, been chiefly by means of the camel, an animal of great value, on account of its strength, patience, and power of endurance. See CAMEL. In England and Scotland, previous to general use of the wheel-carriages, goods were carried on pack-horses, as is still practiced in some parts of Spain with mules. See PACK-HORSE, also MULE. After the pack-horse came the one-horse cart and the four-wheeled wagon, as eugiues of land-couveyance. Carrying with one-horse carts settled down as a universal practice in Scotland, where it is still conducted in all districts not traversed by railways. The Scotch C., winding their way by roads over hill and dale, at the rate of about 20 m. a day, have ever been a respectable and useful body of men, exceedingly trustworthy, and moderate in their charges. In connection with Edinburgh, Glasgow, and other centers of traffic, they travel to and prom provincial towns for the most part once a week on certain days, so that their arrival at any particular place may be reckoned on with great exactness. In England, the employing of wagons for carrying goods in connection with the metropolis and provincial towns is now of old date. These carriers' wagons, greatly limited in their range by the introduction of canals and railways, are still to be seen in some of the rural districts. A wagon of this kind is provided with four broad huge wheels; and being a ,heavy and clumsy engine of conveyance, is drawn by four horses, though, when roads were bad in old times, six horses were not unusual. The driver ordinarily rode on a pony alongside the vehicle; now he more frequently walks, carrying a long whip. The wagon has a hooped top with movable covering; and the hinder part has always been left vacant for the use of passengers, who are neces sarily huddled together on straw. Traveling in the "tail of the wagon" is now entirely gone, or nearly so; but with all its rude inconveniences, it was common till past the middle of the 18t11 c., and has afforded scope for some of the most grotesque descrip tions of Fielding and Smollett. Tlie tedious process of carriage by these wagons largely increased the prices of goods, and retarded the growth of commerce. The first modifi cation in the carrying trade took place by means of inland navigation, to which refer ence has already been made. See CANAL. Tlie conveyance of cotton goods from Lan cashire, of earthenware from Staffordshire, of metal goods from Birmingham, of salt from Cheshire, etc., became much more easy than before, owing to the large quantity
which could be packed in each barge, and to the great amount of work done by each horse. The chief owners of the old wagons became, in time, the chief owners of the canal-boats; they paid rates or tolls to the canal companies. The celebrated English firm of Pickford S Co. has been for many generations, and still is, at the head of the goods carrying trade.
When railways were established, a great struggle ensued; the owners of the road wagons and canal barges had a formidable competition. They wisely accommodated themselves to a state of things which they could not prevent, and added the trade of rail way goods C. to their former business. Three systems were tried: 1. The company purchased road-wagons or vans, collected goods at the various towns, conveyed them by railway, and then distributed them at their several destinations. 2. The company con fined their attention to the mere conveyance on their railway, leaving the collection and delivery to the ordinary carriers. 3. The company combined both systems, con veying on the railway everything that offered, and competing with the C. for the road traffic. During the greater portion of the period in which the railway system has been in operation, the second of the above three plans has been adopted more extensively than either of the others. Taking as examples the greatest railway company and the greatest carrying firm, Messrs. Pickford had warehouses or deptos at all the principal towns where the London and North-western railway had stations. The merchants and manufacturers were customers, not to the company, but to the firm, for the conveyance of merchandise. Messrs. Pickford employed their own wagons and horses, clerks and porters, in collecting and delivering goods, and paid to the company so much per ton for the conveyance along the railway, the toll varying according to the nature of the goods and the distance run. There was seldom any quarrels or disputes under this sys tem. The carrier was responsible to the customer from first to last for the safety of the merchandise; and he had a claim against the company for any injury while the mer chandise was on the railway. Under the third system, disputes were much inure fre quent. The companies were bound by law to carry goods for all persons at certain tolls; but when they becalm road C. as well, they competed with the ordinary C. in a way which the latter could barely contend against. The Great Western railway has been unfavorably distinguished for jealousies and law-suits between the company and the carriers.