Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-05-10
THE GAZETTE.
TUESDAY MORNING. MAY 10, 1859.

EDWARD EVERETT On STAGE COACHING.
Mr.. Everett, iu his Ledger paper of TINS
week gives his "reminiscences OF stage COACH
ing e. pa..o,
nv stage coach, and this too after that mode
ri conveyance, was brought to very con-
siderable state of perfection, was in my
youth, in the winter season ut least, an affair
Of three days. 1t was two days from New
York to Philadelphia, and two from Phila-
delpha to Baltimore, by the way OF Column
bia. From Baltimore to Washington, IN
1914. WAS a pretty hard day travel and the
wearinsss and discomfort OF the journey were
quite rs formidable ~ the length OF time re-
quired for its performance.
IF my recollection serve me, q single daily
stage coach, carrying the mail, piled regu-
larry at this time. 1914. between Boston and
New York. 1t purported to start at about
= o'clock in the morning; to sleep ut Ashford
the first night, and at New Haven the second
and arrive ut New York on the evening of
the third day. As there was generally ra-
Their more travel than one coach could accom-
modate, though not often enough more for al
extra carriage, it was necessary to engage
Your place two or three days beforehand.
An hour or two before the time nonli-
nally appointed for starting, messenger
came round from the stage office to wake up
the passengers The old-fashioned brass
knockers had not wholly disappeared at that
when the person to be aroused did not wake
easy was sometimes extended to his neigh
bors. Occasionally amistake would be made
in the street number of the house, and ex-
postulatons of an animated kind would en-
sue between the messenger and the wrongly
walked person, drows;iy inquiring from
his open window, of freezing wintry
night, as to the precise object of the vista
ton. Hence the expressive proverb Of wax
ing up the wrong passenger AS the mes
sengers had often an extensive circuit to
make round the town, those who stood first
on the list were sometimes called an hour and
half or two hours before the time, which
gave them the advantage ofgetting thorough
~ walked up.
AT length the vehicle came rafting along,
four horse coach, containing three seats
inside, and places for two beside the driver,
which fell to the lot, in cold weather, of the
last applicants; in summer they were the
places of preference Seats on the top of the
carriage like those in use at the present
time, were not then known. Each of the
three seats inside were supposed to accom-
modate three persons Of whatever size or
weight, small children being thrown into the
bargain and bestowed on the knees Of the
adult passengers-an arrangement which
became Il superior test Of patience and good
nature before the long and weary day was
over, especially if the child, besides not be-
ing your own, was troubled with catarrhal
affection OF the whooping cough. The mid
die seat, when | first began to travel, had no
strap, or other support to the back. When
that improvement was first introduced it was
regarded a. one of the great discoveries OF
the age. The baggage was not suspended
with the body of the vehicle on Springs, but
it was placed on frame work extending
backward from the hindmost axle, where it
partook, without any mitigation, the concus-
sions of the carriage. The consequence was
that, unless your trunks were packed with
great skill and their contents tightly strap
ped together inside, your garments of every
kind were nearly ruined by journey of two
nr thrpa doya