The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-10-19
Experiences Of O Traveller In Reach
ing the Capital Of the State
Of BuncOmbe.
A Stage Journey BY Night-The Coach
and It's characteristics
A Modern Jehu Compared With the Typical
Uoaohnan Of Old Unpleasant
Effects Of Mountain Ride.
"Iip Ffuni-" McGloin. #

the mountainous regions OF Western North
Carolina. | heard much OF the many attrac-
tions of Asheville, and determined, ut all
hazards, to- undertake a flying trip to that
famous mountain resort. The unsettled con-
dition OF the weather delayed the execution
OF this hazardous enterprise. AS time passed
on. however, patches Of clouds. dark and
threatening, persisted In disfiguring tho blue
arch Of heaven sending down occasional
showers varied with occasional rains, by way
OF illustrating how very disagreeable they
might make themselves when they 50 chose.
In tho end o fable recurring TO mind. aided
me In putting an end to further hesitation.
Its speciality Ut application Is to matters mat
rmonial; It's principal use. through the gener-
ations. having been to hasten
THE CHOICE OF DILATORY MAIDENs
Inclined to be too fastidious in their tastes. 1t
chronicles the experiences Of q certain travel
er, weary and footsore. who. upon entering a
forest. determined to secure a staff fit ut once
to support his footsteps, and protect him
from danger during the remainder OF his
journey. His tastes were particularly msthe-
tic. Like fair woman "in her hour OF ease"
ii not coy. he was most unquestionably 'hard
to please." Upon n staff which should be n
model of Its kind WAS his heart most firmly set
Among other PROJECTIONS. 1t should be at ono
end heavy for purposes OF defense. and yet
light enough to constitute no burden to the
carrier serving tho useful purposes Of n
weapon Of defense. and ~ support for weary
footsteps 1t should also be an object OF pleas
ure to the eye From handle to tip, the taper
should be 60 gentle as to cause 1t To balance
almost mechanically In the open palm. The
bark covering this shapely stem should be
smooth and Of darkest green the rounded
surface unblemished by knot or scar.
Wandering along as slowly as the exigen-
cies OF his journey would permit, the critical
eye of this traveller scanned each saplinR In
succession as he passed them slowly by. One
was suitable, but for tho roughness OF Its
bark; another was condemned for O bloteh or
scar. One was o triie out OF line, n second
too heavy, q third o shade too light. Thus no
sauntered alcng, oritleisng and oondemning,
while the sun was sinking fast and saplings
growing scarce, by reason OF the approach to
the verge OF the forest. At last darkness &C
tually set upon him. and tho open country
was ut hand; and, in the end. he was com
PEELED unwillinely to accept the only ono
then presenting itself. Doubtless this one
possessed, In the aggregate, many If not all
the manifold defects for which, In detail. he
had rejected 10 many stats otherwise come
ly and desirable.
The application Of this fable to my particu-
lar case, lay In the danger Of having to aban-
don tho expedition, OF undertake. 1t Mt last In
the fuulest OF weather, in case 1t We're too
long procrastinated.
MI yfers ntnti Snn tSnYA 1nt a nrut n
In short order, was ready to embark.
THE AsHEvILhE STAGE COACH,
vehicle Of the olden sort, with its four-horse
team, WAS about to depart. Being an Irish
man, and as such, at full liberty to perpe-
trate bull, / may remark that, In this In
stance the horses were all mules. The tray
cling public OF the age have generally had
abundant opportunity OF observing vehicles
Of this time-honored character. Such as have
not have been made familiar with them In the
pages OF literature, as they tolled along, or
ratified along, as the case might be, with the
model hero or fair heroine Of some exciting
novel, standard or otherwise. To me, these
coaches have always been objects Of absorb
ing interest, constituting, as they do, ono OF
the few remaining links between the travel OF
the past and that Of the present. To an ina
ginativn or poetic temperament, how rich are
the fancies and recollections which may be
woven around them. Being somewhat ina
ginative. but not particularly poetic, when
gazing upon them, a dreamy mood possesses
me, and, III spirit, | am transported back to
the good old days common GRATED by Dickens,
the Inimitable.
In the distance the bugle sounds, and the
shady road stretches before me away to the
turn, toward which watch for the dashinR
steet!s. see them praneing into sight; Jehu,
exultant, perched aloft executing with long
dashed whip u variety OF fancy and sounding
cuts; never, however, once touching his will
Ing team as they, entering into his spirit, for
get fatigue, striving to make grand and inn
posing entry into the town or village. Those
were days when the stage coach, slow and
numbering to more modern eyes, was the
lightning express Of the age; when the adj
miring pedestrian, standing aside, accorded
respectfully the right Of way; when heads
were thrust from doors or windows or over
hedges to witness Its imposing passage.
Startled from such reverleS by rude or
slangy expressions Of the day, or by some
careless jostle, | turn instlnctlvely toward
the disturber, inclined with angry feelings, to-
ward vigorous demonstration. Such feeling,
however, is quickly dispelled By the reilec-
tion, somewhat melancholy In its character,
that the era Of the venerable and time-hon-
ored stage coach is almost departed. me To-
comotive, with its bosterous and vulgar
puf1ings and snortings, displaces the spank.
ing and high-mettlei team; while long and
serpentine trains, with their dust and clatter,
are consigning the vehicle to oblivion. On
whose fancy is trained holder flights than
my own, may ma u Llhl kel ltScLublhlte bc-
tween this fate and that Of the American In
dian. There was a time when the sway OF
each within its realm was unbounded and SUI
preme. To the one, however, came the pale
face with his enterprise and hustle, from
whose presence the Indian Withdrew to
haunts lonlier and more secure. Against the
other. the railroad has waged noisy and un-
relenting war, and the stage coach has like
wise retired to the mountain or to the far off
prairie, where the rushing railroad lightning
express snail no longer disturb It's gravity or
belittle its dignity.
Ga this occasion, as the passengers were
few, there lay open a free choice between
THE INSIDE AND THE TOP.
Without claiming to be hero and particu-
larry one OF the kind depicted in novels, I,
yet, remembered that such heroes have a
partiality for travelling as outsiders and such
ilustrious example ! determined to follow.
There were, however, other reasons. more
practical tn their nature. Within the coach
there were but ordinary people, such as are
met every day in travelling; persons of more
or less Importance at their own homes, but