Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1880-01-28
THE FEMALE srAaE.pRVER.
Charley Parkhurscs Aptscedsnts
In she East -Hew She became .
hoy and Let for Califofnia-
Her Orivtn . Mystery.


famous staae-driver recently in Cali
fornia, and the post mortem discovery
that this well.known individual was q
female. is still fresh in the minds Of
everybody. AL that was known Of
Charley, ever by his most intimate
friends and acquaintances, was that
Charley came from Rhode Island or
New Hampshire. The Providence
Or. ~ Journal. commenting upon the
romantically strange story. gives the fol.
lowing very interesting particulars:
Charley Parkhurst lived here for q
good many years and was exceedingly
popular with his associates and with the
people for whom he worked. He was
considered one OF the best drivers in the
city, and his services were sought BY
the best people. Quite o number Of
wealthy families always depended upon
having him for a driver u they ordered
a stable team. His early history Is q
little obscure. He told one OF his asso-
ciatss that he came from New Hamp.
shire, but he did not tell the nam Of
the town. He told others that he came
from the poor.houss in Worcester. from
which he had run away. The truth Is
quite likely to be that he came from
some part OF New Hampshire to worces.
ter, and fell into the hands Of the OH.
GERS OF the poor while there. .
The story goes that while in the poor.
house he discovered that boys have q
great advantage over girls in the battle
Of life, and he decided to become Q boy.
He borrowed q suit OF boys clothes and
eloped with them from the poorhouss.
In the character Of . boy he went to
work in Ebeneza Balch's stable at Wor.
cester, and remained there until Mr..
Balch moved to Providence. Charley
had proved himself faithful and efficient,
aud Mr. Balch brought him to the What
Cheer stables, then in the real Of the
Franklin House. Charley soon became
an expert whip. His judgment As to
what could and what could not DO done
with Q wagon was always sound. and his
pleasant manners won him friends
everywhere. After working for Mr.
Balch . number Of years, Psrkhursl
went to Georgia, and there drove .
stage for O time. He did not like
Georgia. however. and one day be
reappeared among his old friends IL
Providence. He was at once engaged
by William Hayden and worked for hiu
for q number Of years. He then hired
himself to Charles II. Child. whose sta
BILE was where Campbell's now is. HI
drove the best team in the stable. The
horses were gray. exactly matched, ant
it was quite o sight to see Charley guide
them through Q crowd. He always tool
care OF this team himself. He was font
OF six in hand. and called II nothing buI
fun to handle four spirited horses. He
was never known to have more than hs
could do with his team. but once. Id
went with six horses and twenty-five
couples to q dance ut PawtuIet ont
dreadfully cold night. Coming hom,
the air was 30 cold and the horses wer,
20 frantic, that Charley's hands becam,
numb. and he got Liberty Cbilds to drive
the leaders. while he took charge OF thu
other four horses.
Now that 1t 10 known that Charlie wa
Q woman there are plenty Q! people 4
say they always thought ho was. NJ
doubt they thought he was not quit
like other men. indeed, II was general.
said among his scq%usintances that h'
was an hermaphrodits. His hands wert
small and smooth. and 80 far from being
proud and OF the fact. It digusted hin
and he wore gloves summer and winter,
He was thought to be putting on style,
but a. he always dressed well. the gloves
were looked upon only rs q part Of bis
heightened ideas. He was bsardless aud
his voice was q little thin. His shape
was moro womanly than manly, but oil
this was accounted for by the mysterious
word generally pronounced "mopha'
dite." BY way Of otisstting his femin'
inc characteristics, Charley weighed III
pounds, could handle almost any one
that ever took hold OF him. smoked will
the placidity Of an Oriental, would tax,
one or two glasses OF whisky punch
without winkiug. never shraak from any
topic Of conversation. and when occasion
seemed to demand II, slept with another
driver with the utmost sang .froid. Hi
mates used to try to get him drunk
once in Q while. in order to see IL hs
would not betray himself In some way
but Charley kept his wits about him,
and after one or two glasses would beRir
to pass" In vain did his comrsde:
urge o few more drinks. Charley wa,
not dry. and when he was not he would
not drink.
He had in tho stable o room which hs
furnished quite nicely aud where hs
could generally be found when not on
duty. About lSi9 James Burch and
Frank Stevens went to California and
started . stage line. After q year or two
they sent for Charlie to ome and drive
for them. He had saved 500 or $500,
tho gold fever was pretty strong ct the
time, and about 1851 he decided to 60.
He drove for Burch & Stevens o while
and then went upon the great stage
route across the continent. His career
in California has already been given.
His old friends here have manifested
the greatest interest in his success on
the Pacific coast, aud one Of them
summed the matter up very concisely.
lie said: "Well, there want no reason
why Charlie should not get on well. He
understood his business; he was pleas
ant and stiddy and sober. and with them
any teller can do WE'LL"
Tho only people who have any coca.
sion to be disturbed by the career Of
Charley Parkhurst are the gentlemen
Who have 80 much to say about
''women's sphere" and ''the weaker
vessel" It Is beyond question that one
Of the soberest, pleasantsst, most expert
drivers in this city. and one Of the most
celebrated OF the world.famed California
stage drivers was . woman. And Is 1t
not trus that what woman has done
woman can dor But there Is one draw
back which must b admitted. Charley
died Of cancer Of the tongue. She could
act and talk lika . man. but when 1t
came to initiating . mans reticence. ma.
ture herself revolted; and the lifelong
effort to keep from speaking. except
whsp sha had aomethip0 TO say. resulted