Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1859-11-15
Mlsttllanp.
AN OLD sTAGER'S ADVENTURE.
BIZ sYLvANUs COBB, JR.

we were collected around the grea
stove in the bar room-some twenty ot us
-=engaged III a social, a'ter-supper chat
Ii Was showing and blowing oul OF doors
and those who were forced TO be out wild
teams, were having cold, dark, hard
lime Of it. There were five stage routes
celtefing at the inn where we were stop.
ping, and, it being Saturday evening, lie
coaches were all in and laid by for the Sab
bath, while the drivers, Il jolly. heariy
crew, were taking all the ease and com
tort imaginable. The conversation in the
presence Of these old etaeers, were na,ur.
ally turned upon the hard1hips Of winte,
and travel in northern New England, aud
many were the anecdotes related of over.
tu'n and wrecks in snow storms and snow
drifts go! ''.u@.
Ibid | ever tell you about the bit of ad
venture that | bad on the Duubury and
Lllllelon route, one winter?"
p NO." answered chorus of Voices
"What WAS il?" .-" ,'hatrN
The speaker was PeterHoyle; though |
doubt If one in fifty of those who knew
him, ever heard his family name ,"Peter.''
"O'd Pete" and "Pete" were the names
iy which he went, and as lie was tile only
Peter on the road in that section, there
was no need OF qualifying that simple
Christian name. He was genial, good
natured, accommodating aud self-sac,iti
cling man, with a short, sunny frame,
which seemed made on purpose for a
cuachman. And his face! Upon my soul
it did one good TO look att. 1t WAS broad
and ful--lhere was certainly one hundred
and tor,y-tour square inches of it-as
blooming iii its color as red rose, and as
full Of fun as q plump, rickled ham is full
OF tat. All! he was a rare Old Pete, as
the thousand can testify who have ridden
with him over The hills and sand plains of
New Hampshire "'
Come, let us have your story" cried
several OF tile anxious ones.
"Don't hurry me-" returned the old
stager, as he moved his chair in orIer %
avoid the smoke from an obominable cigar
which John Headance was putting away
at. He said something not over polite
about the cigar as, he moved; but Headance
informed him that "thena cigars cost Ten
dollars llundred--ten cents apiece, and
Went on putting mole furiousiy than be-
fore. However, in a place where all smoke
who please, and bum such. vile stuff as
they choose to hold between their lips,
Johns odorous weed was soon forgotten,
and Pete commenced his story
Fourteen years ago l drove from Dun
bury to Littleon, a distance Of forty-twn
miles; and as had TO await for the arrival
OF two other coaches 1 did not start till
after dinner; SO l very often had good
distance to drive after dark. 1t was in
the dead OF winter, and The season had
been rough one. A great deal of snow
had fallen, ana the drifts were plenty and
deep. The mail wbioh carried was not
due at Littletop by the contract, until one
O'Clock in the morning, but that winter
the postmaster was very often obliged to
SIT up a little later than that ior me. He
knew whats luck Ihad for travel, SO he
found no fault. and government was as
well satisfied as was. i- res,
"One day think it was about the
middle of January, when drove up for
my mail at Dunbury the postmaster called
me into his Office Is. I,sn ,r,. ..-e~.2
"Pe'e," said he. with an important,
serious l'ok. "there's some pretty heavy
money packages in that bag land he
pointed at the mail bag as he spoke. He
said the money was from Boston. aud was
going to some land agents. up near the
Canada line. Then he asked me if I'd
got any passengers who were going
through 10 Liltleton. told him l didn' I
knpw.
"Rut suppose haveu't2" saysI.