Louisiana capitolian., 1880-09-23
A Stage Drivers Story.

Fourteen years ago l drove from Dan
bury to Littleton, a distance of forty
two miles, and as had to await the ar
rival of two or three coaches, and | di(
not start until after dinner, l very oftel
had a good distance to drive after dar].
1t was in the dead of wiuter, and tn
season had boeu a rough o1H. A great
deal of snow had fallen, and the drifts
were plenty and deep. The mail that
carried was not due at Littleton by
contract until one o'clock in the morn
ing, but that winter the postmaster wa:
obliged to sit up little later than that
hour for me.
One day in January when drove ur
with my mail at Danbury, the post
master called me into his Office.
"Pete," said he, with an important
serious look, there's some pretty heavy
money packages in that bag and he
pointed to it as he spoke. Ho said the
money was from Boston to some land
agents near the Canada line. Then lie
asked mo if l had any passengers who
were going through to Littleton l
told him l did not know. "But sup
pose lhave not" says l.
"Why," says he, "the agent of the
lower route came in to-day, and he said
there were two suspicious looking char
acters on the stage that came in last
night, and he suspects that they had an
eye on this mail, so it will stand you in
hand to be little careful this evening"
He said tho agent had described one
of them as short. thick set fellow,
about forty years Of age, with long hair,
and a thick, heavy clump of beard under
his chin, but none on the side of the
face. He did not know anything about
the other told him / guessed there
wasn't much danger.
"Oh, no, not if you have got passeng.
ers all the way through, but only told
you this so that you might look out for
your mail, and also look out sharp
when you change horses"
answered that | should do 30, and
then took the bag under my arm and
left the Office. l slowed tho mail away
under my seat little moro carefully
than usual, placing it 80 l could keep
my feet against it, but beyond that l
did not feel any concern. It was past
one when we started, and had four
two of whom rode only to
my stopping place. reached Gowan's
Mill at dark, when we stopped for sup
per, and where my other two passen-
gers concluded to stop for the night.
About six o'clock in the evening left
Gowan's Mill alone, having two horses
and pung.
| had seventeen miles to 20, and a
hard seventeen miles it was, too. The
night was quite clear, but the wind was
sharp and cold, tho loose snow flying in
every direction, while the drifts were
deep and closely packed. 1t was slow
and tedious work, and my horses soon
became leg-weary and restive. At the
distance of 6 miles l came to - settle
'nent called Bulls Corner, whore took
fresh horses. I'd been two hours going
that distance. a. l was going to
start, man came up and asked if l was
going through to Littleton. told him
should go through if the thing could
possibly be done. He said he was anx-
lous to 60, and as he had no baggage, l
told him TO jump in, and make himself
as possible. l was gather
ing up my lines when the hostler came
up and asked me if knew one of nv
horses had cut himself badly. l jumped
out and found that one of the animals
had got deep cork cut on the off foot.
l gave such directions % I considered
necessary, and was about to turn away
when the hostler remarked that he
thought came alone. / told him I
d,d.