The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1846-01-29
EDITORIAL SKETCHES,

W oRcEsrER, Mass, Jan. "a, 1916.
On Thursday of this week, at half past
three, T. M. (alIhough warned by a strong
blast Of wind that my tour might be unpleas.
ant for lime,) left home and headed for
this place. From Brandon TO East Claren
don the travelling was good but when the
stage took a soulheaslerly course we began
TO encounter drifts of snow, and before we
reached Mt Holly we several times barely
escaped being capszed. Al Mt Holly the
Driver took on board, man with shovel.
This man acted as changer on" or ballast;
as, when drift was encountered, he would
swing round 10 the side of the sleigh next
the highest part tf The drift; place his feet
on the rave, with his hand, hold Of the Top
railing, and throw his weight as far from the
sleigh as convenient, thus preventing OR
MI Holly TO Proctorsvlle the wind blow.
ing much of the time a perfect gale. An.
other sleigh and Another Driver awaited US
here. The first sleigh had good lamps at
tached to II, but the last had not No, feel
ing willing TO wend our way 10 the dark,
proposed to the Driver 10 lake lamps. He
said he had no means of attaching them 10
the sleigh, & could not carry one in his hand
& drive Rather than hazard gong without
| proposed changing with The other two pas
sengers, il going on the Drivers seat, and
being used as ballast, should occasion re,
quire. AS proposed this plan was unan-
imouSly chosen Fireman! We Immediate
ly passed several drifts, right side up, when
the Driver said, 'no use in holding the Ian,
tern out now-l will let you know when"
We went about four miles, when the COM
mand was, "Hdng on the near side"
swung round, out like the Pajdy's chicken,
the Driver "spake too late!" Finding |
could no, prevent the sleigh from going over,
sprang 10 clear myself and as started,
my foot slipped, and went into the drift, n
some such shape as have seen Frogs dive
when they started before they got quite rea-
dy! Having The lantern in my left hand,
the bottom went so hard on The snow, that
soon after it had rishled, the lamp dropped
from the Lantern, turned over, and went into
the snow, which extinguished The light, and
so wei the wick lha. we could not again
light it. Here we were, al two o'clock
morning; The stage upset; no light bur
what was very dimIy reflected from the stars;
the snow waist deep on the lower side, and
up to our neck5 on the other, and with hard.
ly help enough to RICH, up the sleigh. But
at il we went, and as we were about ready
TO put The parts together, the southern stage
came along, and The passengers took hold
like men and helped US on, IF our then pres
ent difficulties; and when we had helped
The Others over this drift, we passed along,
Ooe thing about these operations was very
good, which was, the keeping Of aWake,
as each signal Of capsizng acted ON the
system like an electric shock.
We passed on through this dreary night
and reached Walpole, N. Fl. at 7 o'clock, A.
M. Here we breakflsled, after a 81 mile
ride from supper ;and the thought occurred
to me that if Caleb Gushing had taken such
jaunI just before partaking Of his Chinese
Dog Soup it would have reished tolerably
well! We had only fifteen minutes for
breakfast and warming, which was hardly
time enough for me to begin to warm. But
we mus. go, and on we went TO Keene s.
finding the road very much drifted and so
we found it frequently, all The way here i;
here the stage LEFT me al o'clock cold,
hungry and faligued, as well as somewhat
drowsy, in consequence Of getting no sleep
since Wednesday night. ! found good Dri-
vers all the way, i. 9. sober and civil but
the fashion of the sleigh tops was caution
TO folks up our way The FIRST, or the one
we entered at Rutland, was so low between
Joints that could not sit upright in il with
out pressing my hat down further than lik-
ed. or going without it;--the sides were
covered with clolb, and we were just about
as pleasantly situated as we should have
been IN al old HeMst! The mex Sleigh