The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-08-07

B. Stockton and James Reside were
the pioneers in the business. Further
on came the late Thomas Shrlver,
our highly respected townsman, Al
pheus BeaIl, and some others whose
names do not now recall. The fare
was about equal to car fare at the
present time. At times there were
opposition lines or companies, ana
the competition quite spirited nd
ing almost free-precisely like the
railroad wars of our day.
Coach riding was very pleasant
mode of travelling during the sum-
mer season over the mountains, but
the very reverse in the winter
weather. Just think of stage load
of men and women in the noun
tains, with two or three feet of snow,
thermometer many degrees below
zero, without a particle of fire nearer
than the LeXt changing place. These
changing places or relays, where
fresh horses were employed in the
place of the tired ones, were usually
ten or twelve miles apart. The or
binary speed was about six or seven
miles an hour, but in an emergency
ten have been made. The greater
volume of travel on the National
road WAS for the years between 1S42
and 1852. In the latter year the Ball
tim0re and Ohio railroad reach ed
the Ohio and made a grass plot of
the pike. In the travelling season it
was no extraordinary thing to see
100 people sent west from here in
coaches per day. Stage owners made
money and grew rich.
The stage drivers were jolly set
of men, proud Of their situation,
some of them of more importance in
their own estimation than the Con-
gresham or Cabinet minister riding
in the coach below them. They
were in some respect, at least, picked
men, and their places much sought
after; politics no test; religion not
expected a reasonable amount of
profanity and a sprinkle of Perry
grove" no bar to employment ; were
expected to be reliable, and to pos
sess good share of knowledge in
horse anatomy, to use the long whip
gracefully, but not too much. One
of the commandments was, ,"thou
shalt not divvy," yet it Vas not any
better kept than others CT the
decalogue. There are still a
few of the veterans of the tin horn
in our midst. In addition to the
aged Howell we have Samuel Luz
man, the two Willisons and Jacob
Shuck, all respectable and successful
in life. l must not forget my old
friend John Farrell, of Grantsville,
now "a years OF age, but hale and
hearty, comfortable in circumstances,
greatly and deservedIy respected by
all. He retired from the "box" at
least forty-five years ago and has
been farmer ever since.
Many of the greatest men of the
nation passed over the road on their
way to'and from the seat of govern
ment. Clay, Cass, Benton, Corwin,
Douglass. Bell and many other states
men were familiar with this favorite
highway. -Four of the eight West.
ern Presidents passed over it in
coaches or private conveyances, viz /:
Jackson, Harrison, Polk and Taylor.
The writer recalls an incident in
his unassuming life in reference to
one OF the Presidents. He then lived
in the mountains of what is now
Garrett county, and on an extreme
winter day in February. 1919, then
very young man, he came to one
of the many fiourlshing hotels on the
road 10 find conveyance to Cum
berland in one OF the daily coaches.
Toe late they had all passed down
for that day. Luckily in a short
time convoy of coaches came along
with President Taylor and his party,
on his way to Washington to take
his seat, all under the marshalship of
that most interchangeable Wing. ThOs,
Shriver. who, with some other Cum
berlanders, had gone to the Ohio
river to meet the Presidential party.
Among them were statesmen, poll
ticians and ffice.hunters. notably
Col. Bullet, a brilliant editor from
New Orleans, who was to occupy a
relation to President Taylor some
thing like that of Henry j. Raymond
to Lincoln.
The road was perfect glare of ice,
and everything above ground liter
ally plated with sleeted ice. The
scenery was beautiful I; to native
mountaineers too common to be of
much interest, but to a Soul herher
like General Taylor, who had never
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