The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-04-09
A STORY or BROADWAK
What Happened to stage Driver between
Union square and the Battery.
At exactly 10 o'clock on the last storm,

tntOn ~uuufc hnu tut bhAiNiH
At exactly 10 o'clock on the last stormy
night, while the rain was falling In Hoods
Twenty-thitd street stage swung from Union
square into lower Broadway. The man on the
box would have Appeared equally at nome ON
the deck Of piale ship. lie was broad slo"l-
dered. strong armed. and nrm-neckcd, and his
face wvs square and angular. liis moustche
sas Of the size and shane Of crescent mo ~,
stuck thicl,y with bl cR bri.tles nnd from I'M
der II rose. 1T an angle Of furty-lvo degrees an
Avenue Is Henry clay. lie carried his ut on
his right ear, and drove with the air ~ man VINO
considered two horses side issuc only.
IL was the last Tip, and he went lazily whanr-
ing aud banging down broadway, letting the
horses have their own way until they ncarod
South Feny; hen he braced Nv, gathered In
the reins, and rounded TO gracefully on the
stand. Having drawn his waterproof cape
around bin, he pulled down his hat and settled
himself to wait for the last Staten Island boat.
lie had been sitting there less than ton minutes
when lie saw coming down whitehall street just
little the builiest stage that ever rolled. The
| body was white and decorated with blue and
| GOLD. Tho running part was red. ana sttiy cd
with white aud gold. The platform springs
were tough and elastic, and the body wa hung
az Just the right angle " rikishness The horses
| had powerful bodies. clean legs. and alert heads,
| and tho harness looked M though IL had been
| moulded ON them, Tor when they stood at rest
| the hreoch straps, traces ana holdbae ks were
| lust taut, 80 that the slightest movement ~ tho
| horses took instant bold OF the stage. IL was
| the best 1T igs turnout that ever showed ON the
| street and when nc Jaw the young iel,3w VINO
| veteran drver found II difficult 10 preserve MS
usual Dlnchaance, so ple.sed was he To eA-
| change the old stage for the new.
| He had never driven n stage that worked as
that one did, aud he performed some astunish-
d AK SSs ia i rose me ciSr TO- an ng Of
about s. and dashed no Broadway, STRIKING
right In anywhere. never pulling up AZ Cross
| streets, aud yet never knOcking down man.
| Time ana az lin II seemed certain that he would
run over team. or take on awhecl, or b his
pole into panel. or wreck himself; out he
slasned right ahead ana never once scratched
,eint. Aud he r., never seen business So good.
! he stage was full all the time, and mostly with
short travel. too and when early IN the trtp the
passengers began handing their stamps M u
him, he looked down through the opening In the
that yilaiuous invention OF the euemy-was
gone; thty had returned to the good old days
when the traveller paid the drvcrl
At Bond street he saw about A block ahead
jam, with an opening for one team ouly. AT the
same time lie saw alongside Of him one Of those
| u zing exurcss COMPANY teams, whose drivers
dispute with the stage men the supremacy oil
the street. lie laid a course for the eap. aud
the express man did tue same, and they went
booming W the street pole aud pole. just at
the critical moment he stage driver pulled out
annt ser INK. aud ne was swOoping triuu phautll
into the opening, when he heard familiar voic,
why Their h don't yer go on and alas II
starter aud he was still sitting ON the box OF
the old stage on the stand at South Ferry, Tho
rain was still falling, nd somehow his cape hac
GOT dis ranged and the water was pourinl
down his bdcN In a canal that seemed TO be ever
more than an "nOnest seven feet In depth. Iht
last boat was 10, ana two wet and weary passo n
gers had climbed into the stage. He took on,
glance inside, nnd VI he had had any doubt Il
was dispelled when his eye rested on the tar,
hoN lie gave the door a vicious yank ant
started. m when he saw the snug harness dis
solving In the ran. and the pole Hopping bach
and forth t,tw cen the horses shoulders whet
the wheels struck ruts aud knobs, he didn't car,
a cent.
Just below Trinity Church be over earl,
milk wagon that WAS turning to 90 down Rector
street. The uIilkm stood up on the curbstOn'
and sw ore such mighty nj multitudiuOus oatnl
that the street was blockaded for sever
minutes. but this the oniy incident thai
lightened the gloom OF the 81 &c drivers nome
ward Journey. Boys clustered on the steps. blt
he didn't banR the door. On the whole. h,
rather wished there was platform there ~
which q hundred boys would crowd ana breal
down the stage.
The theatres were out long ago, and he got M
fares from them. Everything was closed excep
the rum shops, and the few persons In thu
streets either had no money. or were snviul
what little they mad for last drink. 30 b,
stambed on To the end Of tue route wet, tired
were as a feather COMPARED with tho crushin
blow that aw tied him at the stables (; IN time
keeper, after rakiug from the fare poN the paltr
70 rty cents that showed the business of the trip
told him that he didn't know now TO crige