The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-06-08
Selert Stuw.
JACQUES, THE COACHMAN.


truly Parisian quarter of all Paris, In it
dWells race, rude, untaught, frolicsome
and good natured; fond of spectacles,
easily excited, brave and ready to shed
their blood at a moments notice; the
true representatives, in short, Of that
people who, in the space almost of few
hours, have more than once overturned
dynasties, and changed the fate of en-
pires-who, in fit of stern and savage
Ire, threw down the Bastile, and in the
next instant danced merrily on its ruins.
such being the peculiarties ofthe Saint
Antoine people, it is not to be wondered
At that the coaChmen of the division,
living in such an atmosphere, should par
take of the general character, lively,
rough and rattling, Of the other inhabit-
ants. The vehicles which they drive are
for the most part Of half stage.coach
order, and convey people to all the sub
urban quarters of the city. not at very
regular hours, but rather whenever
chance brings complement of passen.
gers. AS you enter the street Saint An
toine, you behold these personages stand
ing in dense knot, with tawny great
coats on their backs, and otter-skin bon.
nets on their heads-a noisy, restless as
semhlage, breaking up in second, and
IN a second re.Colecting; perpetual
mob, in fact, though, unlike other mohs,
entirely beyond the power of the police.
The moment you come in sight of this
body, they divine at once by your step,
by your glittering shoes, by your newly.
brushed hat, and thousand signs indis-
tinguishabe by others, that you are "fOr
the country" or for a drive. Then all
the band starts like lightning to meet
you, as hounds dart after a hare. One
grasps you by the right arm, and cries
ITO Charenton, sirW Another holds
your left: ITO Abort, sir?" A third
has you by the collar, roaring ITO
Contains, sir2" and, upon the whole, you
may think yourself extremely lucky, if
you get out Of their hands without having
incurred the necessity ofapplying to your
tailor as soon as you get home. Such is
the mode of going to work practised by
these wild men of the Saint Antoine
stand, who are as different from the pol
ished, civil coach and cab drivers ofother
districts, as a street fiddler from Pa
ganini.
One morning, wishing to go to Vim
Cennes, | felt a horror, from sad expert
ence, of passing through among these
reckless beings toward the other end of
the street, and took cirCuitous route,
intending to traverse a little back lane,
which lay in the desired direction. This
manoeuvre might have been successful
at other times, but now it took me into
the very midst of the enemy. The Saint
Antoine CoaChmen had not yet taken up
their usual stands, and were seated on
logs of wood, discussing their breakfasts,
in this very lane, with their vehicles and
horses beside them. | had popped on
them before saw my danger, and at the
first glimpse of me, the whole band rose
at one and the same instant, and flew TO-.
wards me. My first thought was to fly,
but they were too close for fight to save
me; 30, putting on resolution, Clapped
my hat firmly on my head, and marched
towards them with something of the
feeling of Curtius about TO leap into the
fatal gulf, A multitude of hands were
speedily on my arms, shoulders, collar
and back, while reiterated queries were
poured forth. "Do you wish to go to
baint Mande, sir9" ITO Yilette2" Go
with me, sir" "With me, sir! For a
quarter of an hour this scene continued
by which time they had dragged me to
the wheels of the first vehicle. Stunned
and stnpifed, at last shook them of,
and roared to them all to "go 10 the -"
the person, in short, not to be named to
ears polite. A shout of laughter broke
forth from them, the unfailing effect pro
duCed by anger that is unshared by those
who have aroused it. But where do
you wish t. go, sir " cried one of them,
after short pause. ITO Vincennes,"
said /, fairly wearied out. "HaP P' cried
voice from the middle of the group;
"this is my affair; thegentleman belongs
to me. Stand about, We dogs, or I'll
make you"
The person who spoke thus was d Wig
orous looking fellow, who Immediately
began to act up to his words. He pushed
the others aside with his arms, and,
having seized me by the collar, COM
menCed whirling the but-end of very
heavy whip round about our two heads,
while at the same time he stretched out
one of his legs, and made it perform a
most extraordinary circular movement,
such as had never seen a limb perform
before, and which carried with it so eff
feCtive species Of eloquence, that the
circle soon en- arged considerably around
US. Then the victor, lifting rather than
leading me to his vehicle, placed me on
the front seat outside, between an artil-
lery soldier and a servant woman, who
we're already seated. "There is no better
seat, sir" cried my coach driver; "all
the insides are taken up" And so it
proved, for Immediately voice from
that gu ,rter grumbled out, in half suffo-
Gated tones: "They are taken up, truly !
We are stuffed like a herring-barrel
Nine of us in place where there is
room only for six |"
Having story to tell, | shall not dilate
on all that happened before we got under
way fairly on the road to VinCennes-
now our uTlNeT lTlCk6u ub Oy taRlnS
circuit, and landing us again at the start.
ing point, bawling all the while: "An-
other seat for Vincennes !" and how he
jumped off to light bis pipe, and jumped
on again. caring no more for the muir
muring of his passengers than if he had
nothing to do with them. Suffice it to
say, that we were at last on our way to
Vineennes, and that began to converse
familiarity with our driver, whose COOL
ness was equally tantalizing and amusing.
He was man about forty, with wealth
er-beaten but not unpleasing face, and
an active, powerful person. Having OBJ
served something remarkable about the
movements of his leg-the same one
which he had caused to make such
strangely efficient revolutions-I looked
attentively at the limb. He saw this
and exclaimed: "Ah, you wish to see
Cossack; well, hereit is" So saying, he
showed me the leg to which he gave
this odd name. II was a wooden one.