The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-10-31
STAGE ROAD LANDLORDS.
Sonye Anecdotes About Them-uow a Judge
Eoraaed q Meal-Bcn stickuey's Ruse-
A Costly Guest--Seories of Stages, Stage
PassenRers and Landlords.

dying out rapidly. Fullman ulnlnS cars
are doing for him what railroads have
already done for the Jehus of the stage
coach. The places that once knew them
will soon know them no more, and many
old travellers over our Western plains
and mountains who enjoyed the ready
wit and cheerful of.handedness of the
one, and the rude hospitality and
abundant cheek of the other, will sadly
miss these types of Western Ameri-
canism.
1t was more common years ago than it
has been recently for landlord and stage
driver to have a understanding with
each other, whereby, for a consideration
paid the driver, hungry travellers were
scarcely allowed time to comfortably seat
themselves at table, when the driver
would announce the immediate departure
Of the stage, thus cheating people out OF
meal who paid for one. I remember
being one of a stage load of hungry
travellers crossing the Sierra Nevsdas
before railroads had spanned it, when q
noted Judge, still on the bench, and an
equally noted professor of an Eastern
college were of the party. Our arrival
ut a dining station was hailed with de-
light by all the party, and we fled into
the dining-room to attack the savory
viands, the landlord, however, first
taking care to collect the fee for the
meal from each of us. We had GER
tainly not been five minutes at the table,
and some of US, in waiting to be helped
to coffee, had not tasted a mouthful OF
food, when our driver shouted CAL
aboard. I'm behind time, and can't
wait a minute longer" A look of min.
gled CONSERVATION and disgust spread
from face to face IS we sprang from the
table, but the judge remained cool, as he
touched the professor on the arm.
evil You see to the bread supply,
if I take care of the meat ?" he queried.
The Professor caught at his purpose
and promptly assented. In another In
slant the Judge had conveyed a large
turkey and a couple Of spring chickens,
ready carved, from their platters to two
napkins, while the Professor emptied
the contents OF the bread plates into
another, and led by the Judge they
marched triumphantly to the coach.
Their ezc-ple was contagious ; each OF
the passengers hastily confscated some
article of food-meats, vegetables, even,
and pastry-until the dining-room was
pretty thoroughly stripped of every
thing that went to make up the concom-
infants of a good meal, and the interior
of the coach bore the appearance, I
imagine, of a bivouac of Sherman's
bummers after a raid, while the bewild-
cred and amazed look on the face OF the
speechless landlord as We drove of
would have proven q priceless study to
any artist. The roars of laughter it
caused rs proved a good condiment to
u strangely improvised meal.
The way Ben. Stickney got over q
tricky Boniface of this stamp is more
amusing. Ben. was manager OF one OF
the silver mines on the "Comstock,"
and made frequent trips between the
mine and San Francisco. The landlord
at Strawberry, where the stage stopped
for meals, prided himself On setting as
tempting a table, 81 far as looks went,
as any irst-class ~hostelryin San Fran.
cisco. Certainly the table linen was OF
the whitest, the china a genuine a. e,
the silver service rich and %abunuant,
and the spoons and forks solid silver
but as to the quality Of the viands
served on this sumptuous table, the
memory of stage travellers youched not,
for owing to the understanding between
stage-driver and landlord, none of them
were ever known to have secured O
whole meal there. Ben Stickney having
been a victim to their little game a good
man times, at last swore loud and long
to get his moneys worth the next time
he travelled that way. Occasion soon
led him there among a stage load OF
hungry travellers, who were only com
fortably seated az the table of mine host
of the Strawberry, when they were hur'
ried from their scarcely tasted meal by
the threat of the driver to go off without
them. But Ben, with utter unconcern,
sat still while the stage drove away, and
enjoyed the good things with which the
table was laden. Ben ate enough al
that meal to supply a good sized family
with sufficient provender for a day. He
was just putting in the finishing touches
when the landlord approached him, pale
and excited.
"Pardon me, sir" he stammered
"hut-but my silver spoons and fcxs
are missing"
"Well, you don't oppose I have
them, do you ?" demanded, looking
up haughtil|
soho, not at all, but I thought
yopnight know if any Of the stage pas
sedgers had taken them; that is, I
mean, if any of them acted suspiciously'
"WelI," answered Ben in a notified
tone, "that does remind me that I saw
one Of them-a pretty hard-looking fell
low-handling the contents of the spoon
holder very familiarly."
"Would you be able to recognize
him, sir % eagerly questioned B%oniface.
EXCUSE me, but the stolen articles
were solid silver. never set down any
other kind for my guests, sir"
'"Yesi I'd know the rascal anywhere"
Ben replied, confidently.
eff T Ehitched up . team and overlook
the stage, wouldyou be kind enough to
point,hir ut tosr
spare the time, and
Sposed."
- ~ &~HNglse-sN5 vi --ll1.l IL