American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-01-09
MY NIGHT IN 4 STAGE COACH.

MY NIGHT IN 4 STAGE COACH.
TRUE STORY.
THE year was 1S56-the month Decem
berthe place Tamaqua. was a young
man then, and Il strong one. did a good
deal of travelling through the State OF
Pennsylvania, going from county town
to county town from the beginning of
the wear to the close. 1t was pleasant
business enough, for there was less rail
reading to be done then than now, and
more staging, and not infrequently long
rides on canal-b0ats in the summer time.
was not often hurried on my trips and
took my own time. My exact business
at the county seats consisted of hunting
up titles to obscure, wild lands, paying
taxes upon them and getting them in
good condition for immediate sale.
In consequence of the nature of this
business l knew a good deal about the
topography of Pennsylvania and a good
deal that, at the time, was worth know
ing about its roads and its inns. All of
the latter were bad, but some were better
than others. One of the worst of them
was at Tamaqua, and possibly it is there
yet, though when l last slept under its
roof it was in altogether such a lament
able condition of decay, and its roof was
such very leaky roof indeed, that l
doubt not 1t long ago disappeared out of
the sight of men, and possibly out of
their memories alsO-Tamaqua having
achieved railroad since, and, of course,
grown as only railroad towns do grow.
l arrived there in that December of
1856, on Monday afternoon, which was
quite as cold and disagreeable a Monday
afternoon as l remember to have known,
Dt no rod xUit no
day that followed, it might be considered
rather warm than otherwise. was half
frozen when got there, and l was not
quite thawed out when left, for l had
yielded to q burning curiosity to visit q
coal-mine, and fancy that Tamaqua 10
nothing but coal mine, with u thousand
mouths that every morning swallow as
many thousand miners and disgorge
them every night. 1t was then, and
think it is now, very black and sooty
place, with a canal in front of it, a hill
behind it, and the huge mine l have
spoken of under it. 1t was not only
black and soOty itself, but its people
were similarly black and sOoty; and SO
were its horses, or rather it's mules, for
it seemed to have few of the former and
a great many of the latter. Even its dogs
and cats partOok of the general SCOTT
ness, and were evidently greatly de-
pressed by it. 1 was very cold when
went down into the mine which had its
shaft just behind the hotel-and l was
colder still when / came out of it. /
went to bed cold, and got up cold, SO
cold indeed that thought would never
be warm any more. When l went
down into the frozen breakfast
room, l looked out of the window and
saw that the ground was covered deep
with snow, and that it was still showing
as if it meant to exhaust the whole win
ter's supply in five minutes or SO, being
very greatly pressed to do it immediate
ly. drank my cold, black coffee and
ate my cold, tough beefsteak in gloomy
silence, thinking more than l had done
for a long time before of home, of its
pleasant cheer and warmth, and of the
loving boys and girls in it who were even
then, no doubt, expecting my speedy
coming, for this was already the morning
of Tuesday, and Thursday would be-
Christmas Day. In that home was st.
brought home in the night the bravo
tree, with its spreading green branches
it was that planted il firmly in the mid
die of the wide parlOr; it was l that
found the infinite variety of toys, cakeal
bon-bons and glittering baubles which,
covered it; it was l that placed the evefI
beautiful image of the Christ-Child Cd
the topmost bough; that lighted til
many-colOred tapers, and l that,
the suspicious moment, suddenly thret
open the folding doors and let in III
children to behold the glory of that WOO
dro1s Christmas miracle
In my frequent jOurneyings throut
the State, l had seen many places Wild
wanted to get away from quickly, bt
never saw another that | wanted b
turn my back upon so much as Tamaq2
1t was not In any manner a pleasSt
place, and beside, il these nephews asd
nieces of mine were to have Christmas
tree at all in this year, 1856, l though
Unjust 60 home as fast as could traSl
had come to Tamaqua in a stage, AM
must go away from it in stage-notto
Philadelphia, exactly, but to the mkt
railroad town, and that was distant
knew not how far.
i arose, shivering, from the dre(ry
breakfast, and hunted up the Landlord of
the inn He was easily found, and vas
no better or warmer-lOOking man dan
his accommodations promised him tobe
i paid his extravagant charges, and Gen
informed him that l wished to read as
quickly as possible the nearest railDad
station, and to take the first train forthe
east.
1.-THE nearest station is at Ilium; uum
is twenty-five miles distant; you casnot
get there before night, if at all. | link
you won't get there at all"
All this was spoken refiectively, and
with deliberatiOn.
If | can get there by ten o'clOcl to-
night can l make the eastern expres?"
You can, but doubt if you car get
there at ALL"
"Why?" I asked
He was not a man to waste words. He
only said:
The stage won't go-on account of
the storm"
"Are you sure of that," ventuRd to
ask.
Quite sure and he closed his lips
with snap, as if he knew all about it
Who owns the stage."
81 do" he replied. "And l wort let
it go, because the road lies owe that
mountain yonder; it runs close . the
edges of precipices several hundred feet
high, it is rough and slippery, thesnow
is deep now, and getting deeper livery
minute, and l don't believe any horse
could pull through it."
thought of the little children whiting
for me yOnder; of their bitter disappoint-
ment if / did not come. Then said