The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-07-14
TIN COACHING CLUB"
The Diversions Of the ANGLO
Maniace With Their Fine
Coaches and Flunktee.
Miller

Maniacs With Their Fine
Coaches and Flunktes.
joaquin Miller.
I learned to love this mode O
travel in California, the true, dash
ing and honest stage driver, intrust
ed with loads of gold, which he eve
defended with his life; the splendid
half-wild western horses; the keen,
spicy air Of the Sierras as We were
wbisked 1t q gallop about the snow
peaks, playing the spider and fly in
the pine-tops-all this bred in me q
love for this kind of business, and q
seat BY the drivers side was q place
of deli ght and honor. So when 1
settled down in London 1 often con-
trfved to get on the box beside the
noble man who drives away to Tan-
bridge Wells, and found pleasure in
.rociting to him and recalling to my
self the old staging days in Cali
forn1a, when we pioneers were blaz-
ing out the mountain trails for civili-
zation to follow US to the sundown
seas.
But alack and alas for the slim.
trim, and delicate dudes who held
the ribbons the other day in the
gathering of four-in-hands," about
Madison square. They seemed so
unhappy, perched up there, SO out of
place, and held the reins- the pretty
rsins, the pretty whip-so awkardly
and uneasily in their pretty gloved
hands that they made me nervous as
l looked up at them from my iron
bench IN the edge of the grass on the
square. I was afraid they would fall
of. And then the illy-suppressed
glggle that went up from the loung-
ers around and the many who came
to see. The line of half a dozen
splendid coaches, with splendid
horses, formed on the side of the
square; footmen and iunkeys chung
on in numbers behind in the old
country boots and cockades, and
blew their bugles with clearness and
precision. In fact, these fellows, i'm
pOrtations, of course, seemed very
much more at home than their
masters who held the reins at the
other end of the elegant coaches.
There seemed to be some delay in
getting off and the giggls of the
crowd was awkardly audible. In this
dilemma one long, slim dude, in the
hat and long black coat,
climbed down from the perch by the
driver-he did not use q ladder, al
though an English gentleman at my
side shouted out that he should do 50
and sst out to reach the head of the
procession. Little children, curious,
sweet little stifled violets, were in the
way, and SO, after pushing half a
dozen Of them over, he got to the
grass, and so went galloping on for
The front of the line. The policeman
in charge tried to stop this noble
dude from tramping on the grass
md the children, but he bravely
them aside and galloped on.
Xxi! yi!' tho crowd yelled; and the
Jude did not return to his coach that
way, but took to the open street on
he other side. At last the signal
vas given and the gorgeous and cost j
turnouts circled gaily about Madi- |
square and led of of Fifth +,
venue, followed by a long line of |
broughams, and in fact all ,
zinds of coaches peculiar to this verv 8
city. I
Gentlemen of the Coaching club"
ucky gamblers, successful adven-
Qrers, or whatever you may be, =
isten to me: There is work to do =
ven here, cities to build, worlds to :
uild. You are good fellows, every .
ne of you, no doubt. and capable of 9
Ding something besides making .
ourselves both miserable and ridic- !,
lous No there, so awkward on the =
OK, with your betters laughing in =
leir sleeves at you. So get down a
nd 60 to work. =
Over in England, of course, things :,
70 different. An old soldier, with =
nple fortune and q fondness for q
Drses, may spend his leisure so, and :,
may many q nobleman. for these r.
en- mostly have done their life +
ork; at least the English empire is -
ALT; ours is but begun. Come, be ;.
'od boys. get down and help us II
hid it. Anyhow, don't be cads and q 6
ldes, and 60 on initiating those II
'nest English gentlemen, who are "
ughing at you every one. No, do P
mething original at least. Go and. ~
ing yourselves, for instance. u