Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1882-03-31
ZEN ROUTE FROM TEXAS.
A Stnge-Conch Experience In car.
knnsnw."

lef, Little Rock, Arkansas, on the 81
Of February, 1882, and came by rail-tle
Little Rock Il Fort Smith Railway--to
Alma, Ark, pleasant little village sitn.
nted on the left or north bank OF the Ar.
kansas river. / staid over Sunday with
mn old Tennesseean "who had been thar"
in the Confederate service, an intelligent,
courteous gentleman, by the bye, OF the
JEFF. Davis stamp, who knew how to keep
n hotel, and then took the stage early Mon
day evening, the 9th, for Brentwood, Ark,
cover the mountains" north, forty miles
distant. One lady and three gentlemen
passengers accompanied me in this never.to
.be-iorgotten ride j will not try to de-
scribe this journey and expect to do the
nbiect Justice. The road led over what
ia known on our maps as the Ozark Noun
tain range. The stage was an old.iashon'
ed, ricke,ty, time-honored vehicle drawn
by four horses, generally, aud carried I'm
Gle Sans mail. Relay OF fresh horses
we're obtained at the little stations on this
lonely route every ten miles. The road
ascended gradually for 81 miles, first over
Frog Mountain, winding and steep, and
my fellow. passengers beguiled the tedious
hours by relating the adventures OF the
robbers OF this road-the James Brothers
and other banditti-outlaws Of the West.
Sometimes the road wound along the brow
OF the mountain where the least deviation
from the track or even misstep would
have hurled stage-coach and all down over
precipice of two hundred feet or more !!
Cropping along in the dark, II was wonder
ful how the driver managed 10 keep The
way. This was the second time hc said he
had ever passed along the road. In many
places, the mud was nxle.deep and rocks
of every conceivable shape, some ms large
almost as barrel lay directly in our path.
Bisides all, we for,led u n"meless, shallow
mountain stream SO times in our journey.
"A lps OH Alps arise" aud beyond Frog
Monntsin rose Boston Mountain higher
and sleeper? At last, after walking or
rather climbing, assisting to cxtricate the
unwieldy coach and ut times tn lift the
poor, exhausted horses ont OF the way, we
gained the summit, Mumn,ainburg, "siS
miles TO BRENTWOOD" |" The descent
though made with greater ease, was peril
oua. Here. on the nortl, side Of the noun
tain, tuareling through the dark sl"tv
rock h,4' commenced ON the southern por.
ton OF the Frisco r. II. When this tun-
mel is completed-a question OF time
there will I've mn end OF stage coaching on
this line, hope forever There is now
"ny" railway being bull, over these noun
tnins to Van Buren, on the Little Rock d
Fort Smith Railway for use until the tnn-
mel ia completed. Bruised to pomace,
and nearly exhausted, the yonng lady was
stage. sick. After fourteen hours torture we
arrived ut Brentwood, without regret. !
never until this time realized the hercu-
lean task of Napoleon Bonapnrte crossing
the Alps.
The little towns, Brentwood, ct al, alorg
the Frisco line, are principally temporary
huts OF railroad employees. Here at
Brentwood ] saw the veritable "Arkansaw
Traveller" sitting in "dog tent" saving
vigorously on his fiddle. The dread
scourge, small pox, was raging in this To-
cality and one camp / saw little grave
yard containing twelve fresh graves, vic
Tins OF this much dreaded maIady.
With Joy | shook the mnd from my feet
babe adieu to Brentwood, and came by raj
TO Fayetteville, the last railroad towr
worthy OF note on my route to "Arkan
saw" 4. G.. RUssELLE.