Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-12-17
A sTAGE.DRIYER,s STORY.

FOURTEEN years ago l drove from
Danbury to Littleton, distance of
forty-two miles, and as l had to await
the arrival of two or three coachers,
and did not start until after dinner, l
very often had a good distance to drive
after dark. II was in the dead of win
ter, and the season had been a rough
one. A great deal of snow had fallen,
and the drifts were plenty and deep.
The mail that l carried was not due at
Littleton, by contract, until one o'clock
in the morning, but that winter the Post
master was obliged to sit up little la
ter than that hour for me.
One day in January, when drove up
with my mail at Danbury, the Postmas-
ter called me into his Office.
"Pete,' said he, with an important,
serious look, there some pretty heavy
money packages in that bag and he
pointed to il as he spoke. He said the
money was from Boston to some land
agents near the Canada line. Then he
asked me if had any passengers who
were going through to LittletonP told
him l did not know. "But suppose l
have not" says |.
w N.Y. oulNl hOt lllO uHSh1 Vi bllC
lower route came in to-day, and he
said that there were two suspicious
characters on the stage that came in
last night, and he suspects that they
have an eye on this mail, so it will stand
you in hand to be a little careful this
evening"
He said the agent had described one
of them as short, thick set fellow,
about forty years of age, with long
hair, and thick, heavy clump of
beard under his chin, but none on the
side of his face. did not know any
thing about the other. told him 1
guessed there wasn't much danger
"Oh, no, not If you have got pas
sengers 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 so, and
then took the bag under my arm and
left the office. slowed the mail away
under my seat little more carefully
than usual, placing it so could keep
my feet against it, but beyond that l
did not feel any concern. 1t was past
one when we started, and l had four
passengers, two of whom rode only TO
my first stopping place. l reached
GOwan's Mills at dark, when we
stopped for supper, and where my
other two passengers concluded to stop
for the night.
About six o'clock in the evening
left Gowan's Mills alone, having two
horses and pung.
had seventeen miles to go, and a
hard anunnfanm ~ tnn Tim nfarhk
was quite clear but the wind was sharp
and cold, the loose snow flying in every
direction, while the drifts were deep and
closely packed. 1t was slow, tedious
work, and my horses soon became leg
weary and restive. At the distance OF
six miles came to a little settlement
called Bulls Corner, where l took
fresh horses. I'd been two hours
going that distance. As / was going
to start man came up and asked if
was going through to Littleton. told
him | should go through if the thing
could possibly be done. He said he was
anxious to go, and as he had no bag.
gage, told him to jump in, and make
himself as comfortable as possible.
was gathering up the lines when the
hostler came up and asked me II
knew that one OF my horses had cut him
self badly, l jumped out and found
that one of the animals had got a deer
cork ON the of'foot. / gave such direc
tions as considered necessary, and wa,
about to turn away when the hostlel
remarked that he thought that 1 oamC
alone. told him l did.
"Then where did youget that passen
gerPn said he.
"He Just got in," answered.
"Got in from whereof
al don't know
"Wel, now" said the hostler
"that's kind Of curious. There aim
been no such man at the house, and
know there amt been none at any o
the neighbor's.n
Let's have a look at his face" sale
!. 1--WE can get that much at an,
rate. Do you go back with me, AM
when l get into the pung Just hol'
your lantern so that the light win shin
into his face"
He did as / wished, and, as Isteppe,
into the pung, got a fair view o
such portions of my passengers fac
as were not muilled up. l saw short
thick frame, full, hard features, and
could almost see that there was heav,
beard under the chin. thought o
the man whom the Postmaster had de