The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-11-25
HOW JEHIEL MADE $50.
And How the Young vanderbilts Beat
the Record.

tells the following good story:-"Up in the
White Mountains short time ago heard of
the latest achievement of the vanderbilts. A
party Of the third generation of this interest
ing family (reckoning from the Commodore)
was stopping at the Glen House. The party
included two daughters and two sons-in-law of
the regning Vanderbilt, and cousin or two.
From the Glen House the carriage road as
cends in seven miles to the summit Of Mt.
Washington. Stages run up in about three
hours schedule time The ascent is nowhere
very steep, but it is steady and steep enough to
make fairly hard pulling for the six-horse
teams.
One day it occurred to the Vanderbilt party
that noblesse obliged them to 60 up the noun
tain in quicker time than had ever been &C
complished before this advent. They sent for
Milliken. That affable person appeared, his
Vanderbilt commands
81 can give you special conveyance" said
Miiliken; ''but don't know about cutting
much under three hours. It's an awful hard
pull"
''But it must be DONE" said one OF the sons
in-law. The other son-in-law took Milliken
aside and warmly assured him that money was
no consideration
''Most people, persisted the eloquent pro-
prietor of the Glen, find three hours none
too long. The gradually unfolding succession
of panoramic views, the new vistas that reveal
themselves at every turn, the magnificent
range that opens up as you scale the outworks
and climb the massive shoulder of Msunt
Washington itself, skirting the huge and
gloomy Gulf of Mexico, with Clay on your
right, and beyond that the massive JEFFERSON;
then Adams, with its sharp and symme tricsl
peak, and finally Madison. In the distance the
winding and lovely lyiAndroscoggin, like thread
of silver, to say nothlng Of"
'No matter about all that" said the son-in-
law. 1--WE want your best team and your best
driver, and if the thing can by any human pos
sibility be done in two hours and half, we
want to do it,
"That would be very quick ascent" said
Milliken, cautiously. Nevertheless, we'll see
what can be DONE"
The result of the protracted negotiations was
that Milliken gave the Vanderbilt party his
six famous grays, the best team in the Glen
House stables, and Jehiel Cooper TO handle the
feathers Jehiel has been driving on the
mountain since 1861.
regular stage, amid great excitement on the
Glen House piazzas. Everybody had his watch
in hand when Jehiel cracked his whip over the
esrs of the off leader. and almost everybody
was provided with field glasses or telescope to
watch the progress of the vehicle after it should
have emerged flom the wooded belt on the
mountain side 1--WE shall do it, shouted one
of the soEs-in-law to Milliken. Milliken re-
moved his nat and merely remarked, "two
hours and half is mighty quick time"
Now" said the sons-in-law to the driver. as
the stage whirled past the dollhouse, "do you
suppose we shall do it'll
.'Mebbe," replied Jehiel, with yank at the
law of one of the pole horses, who showed
dispos dtion to caper. "The horses is in good
fix ana the road is in good fix"
''Mak'e it in two hours and half" returned
the sons in-iaw, "and it will be the best day 8
work you ever did"
The driver grinned and piled his lash. At
the Hallway house all the watches were out
Jehiel pulled up to water the team in just one
hour and thirteen minutes from the Glen. The
excitement of the party increased. AN extra
twenty dollar bill If we fetch it in 2.2OP'
shouted the son-in-law on the back seat
And dollar extra for every minute under
2,20P' added the other son-in-law.
The stage spun mp the mountain at a tre-
mendous rate, verify whizzing around the
sharp turns of the zigzag with velocity that
almost projected the representatives of S2OO,-
0o0, 900 into the Gulf of Mexico The progress
of the party was now plainly visible to the in
terested spectators at the Glen House below.
There was also suspense and excitement among
LQ6 SuoSlS db tQ6 OQkUmlt, lOT III ltllktu uAt
telegraphed up that the Vanderbilts were en-
gagged in beating the record. The SIX gray
horses drew up painting and steaming at the
platform on the summit amid the cheers OF the
crowd. The sonS-ln-law sprang out and shook
hands with each other and with the driver.
The time-piece of one of them said two hours
and four minutes, while the watch OF the other
made it 202. 1t was agreed to split the differ
ence and fix the record at 2.03.
For nearly an hour the operator at the Sum-
v,,it Hox.co ruac kant hIsv caaA mo-
messages from the Vanderbilts to their friends
in the world low. The family prestige had
been vindcated. Soon congratulatory replies
began to pour in over the wire. The next
morning every newspaper in New England
contained the names of the Vanderbilts com.
posing the par ty, and the fact that they had
been driven u the mountain in the shortest
time ever ma de on the carriage road.
Some days afterward 1 was discas ing th'
achievement with another old mountain dri
yer. 81 hear Jehiel's going to retire from thu
business" he remarked with broad griu.
"He's made his pile Jehiels sly one"
"What do you mean?'' L asked.
II mean" said he, chuckling, "that when
backs to see horses run up hill at a four mile
gait, Jehiel's generally ready to accommodate
"And you don't CONSIDER two hours ant
three minutes the fastest time on record?"
Here he INDUCED in an explosion of profans
mirth: Record" said he. Nobody sale
| anything about the record except themselves
| They were bound to have it SO, and who wa
| going for to contradict Vanderbilt"
| "And what is the fastest timer
| "Well," said the driver, I druv those same
six grays to the Summit eek before last in al
hour and twenty-nine min utes with load o
seven trunks and crate of poultry for thu
Widow Dodge at the hotel. But didn't q
no fifty dollar bill for doin' it"
Tne Dexter Gazette says; Work on the new
block in Pittsfield is. progressing. The first
| floor or basemeet will contain engine and hool
and ladder halls, lobby, one large store 36x1
feet, large dining room, a cistern oil 700 hid