Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-02-12
Gan Francisco Chronicle.

oSeOA ahNA CA1SOsCiy tuat 116 w d6
Woman.
Fan Francisco Chronicle.
The stage drivers of California
have, by their intrepldity, sang
froid and daredevil recklessness.
mingled with cool calculation, be.
come historical characters. Hank
Monk, with his memorable "keep
your seat, Horace, Ill bring you
thar on time" and Ben Foss 10 his
wild drive along the Gsyser road,
are familiar personages to all who
ever heard of or lived in the Golden
state. A third worthy is to be ad-
ded in the person of Charley Park.
hurst, who at his death received q
celebrity which, by its attendant
straugeness and romance, places
him frat ia the trio. To the miners
of the pioneering days Parkhurst
was known as stage.driver of re-
known, while to US of later date
he will henceforward be remembered
as a parsonage who kept a secret
all his life long, unsupported and in
tact, and only gave it up to a pow.
er which buries it forever from sight
or strips away all m stery and
makes all plain. Everything is
comm with the grea. levelier,
death. There are many who. upon
reading this sketch of living and
dead mystery, will remember Guar
ley Parkhurst on the box. seat of
the stage coach running from Oak.
land to San Jose; others who will
remember him driving from Stock.
ton to Mariposa, and again others
who reccollect him as sending the
dust flying along the road from
Jan Juan to Santa Cruz. The stout,
compact figure of about five feet six,
broader across the hips than across
the shoulders; the san Drowned
face beardless except for a few
struggling, downy hairs, the blush
gray eyes and sharp, high pitched
voice; the set but not unpleasant
features, moved now and then by
rare smile, the deliberate movement
which seems to be fashion of the
fraternity, were as familiar to the
PASSENGERS OF THESE RcUTEs
as the chuck b les 10 summer. How
he drifted to California in the first
days of thu gold mining fever is not
exactly known, for in that time of
hurry, hustle and struggle, the Or
binary, unassuming man was likely
to be overlooked. Moreover, 90 far
has been discovered as to
where he came from or who are his
friends in the Atlantic States. His
true name even, in the light of pres.
ent circumstances, has become
matter of conjecture. The gener-
ally accepted story of the late Char.
ley Parkhurst is, however, as fol.
lows: He was born, it is stated, in
New Hampshire and worked on
farm with his uncle until quarrel
arose between the two, when Char
ley moved to Providence, r. l.
There he remained some time as
coachman, in tn employ of Mr..
Childs. From Providencs he won't
10 Georgia, and became stage.
driver, continuing in that state and
occupation two years. He used
further to state that one Jim Birch.
noticing his capabilities as a driver,
brought him to California and put
him on an opposition line to drive
from Oakland to San Jose. Unfor.
tunately Birch was drowned in the
good ship Constitution, so that the
verification OF this volunteer sketch
is impossible, while the facts that
have recently come to light lead
one TO believe that the story is a
plausible one which Parkhurst
found useful as a foil for too strict
interrogation. Whatever question
there may be about this story there
is mono TO his efficiency in the driv-
er's perch, nor in the unfaiiug
nerve that lay beneath his ordinary
exterior. An incident in his early
career as stage. driver will illus.
trate this. Once in the winter,
when the rain was coming down in
sheets, as it had been for three DAYS
past, and the coach was laboring
along through mud almost up to the
hubs, Parkhurst was hailed by q
stray wayfarer and told that the
bridge across the Tuulums river was
in shaky condition snd that it
would not be wise to risk driving
over it. Parkhurst answered not
a word, but gathering up the lines
with one hand he cut the swings
and wheelers across the launches
with the other and pushed on.
Soon the swollen stream came 10
sight. 1t was smashing and roaring
like a mill-race. The bridge was
next seen and Parkhurst, clearing
the rain from his eyes, perceived
that in very short time there
would no longer be any bridge there
tor it was already shaking on its
foundation. The solitary passenger
begged of Parkhurs. not to venture
on the creaking structure, but Char
ley, setting bis teeth together, and
gathering the .reins in firm grip,
sent the long whip-lash curling
around the leaders ears and eyes
with SO vicious swing that, giving
o flying leap, they plaHged on to
the bridge. The plsnks .rembled
beneath the horses'hoots and rocked
beneath the wheels. But with
final effort, a cheering cry from
Parkhurst, snd flying lash the
SHIRE was gained ia safety;
gained only just in time, though,
for looking back at the turn of the
road the further end of the bridge
was seen to
SWAY OVER THE STREAM
for minute aud then go tumbl,ng
into the water. There were other
dangers on the Stockton and Mari
posa road than those of food for
abounded and ono
could not tell whore progress might
be stopped by q lsveled shot. gun,
masked man grasping the leaders
stall and hoarse command to
throw out the treasure box. Park
hurst had not long been running
when such an interruption occurred.