Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-11-07

An Interesting Story Of the First Stage
and Mail Route in New England.
From the Springfield Republican.

From the Springfield Republican.
The first stage and mail route in New Eng
land, and probably the first in the country, be-
gan operations 100 years ago, OH the 18th Of
October. Capt. Levi Pease, of Somers, Conn.,,
and Reuben Skies of Sufield both blacksmiths
had previously run a passenger conveyance
between Somers and Hartford, distance of
twenty miles, and from this small beginning
conceived scheme of establishing a regular
passenger and post route between Hartford and
Boston. Skies was some years Younger than
Pease and his father stoutly opposed the enter
prise. telling his son that Pease was enticiug
him into ruinous scheme that would ssvu
lodge them both in jail as i~,ur debtors But
young Skies was not to be frightened, nor did
the failure of an effort to start similar line the
year before between Worcester and Boston deter
him from joining forces with the dauntless
captain.
Two convenient wagons" were secured, and
October Goth. 1888. at 6 o'clock in the morning.
they left Boston and Hartford. respectively
Capt. Pease drove the west bound stage start
ing from 1.-The sign of the lamb stopped over
night at Martins. in NOrthboro. passing through
Worcester the next day. and resting in Rice's in
BrOoktield. His route the third day took him
through Palmer, and perhaps Wilbraham, to his
home in Somers, and on the fourth day Hart
ford was reached. This route was followed
through the winter and early spring, but in
May. 1854, Springfield was made station. and
the river was crossed here or at Enfield. By
the new arrangement the stages left Boston
from the Lion, Marlboro street: the first night
was passed at Farmers. in Shrewsbury, and
Spencer was reached the day following. Here,
on about the highest point between Boston
and Springfield, the passengers were transferred
to Skies, who brought them to Springfield ana
here they probably again changed conductors
for the trip southwark. The fare at this time
was -four pence per mile" or about $40 for the
trip from Boston to Hartford.
The business was. doubtless, profitable. for
two years later Captain Pease became the owner
Of Boston inn, opposite the Mall, which was
thereafter the starting point for his stages. The
line was extended to New York, and it's work
ing was so far improved that Worcester was
made in single day from Boston, Hartford at
the end of the third day, and New York three
days later. The roads between Worcester and
Springfield were in poor condition, but the en-
terprising captain interested himself in their
settlement, procured the first charter for turn
pike road granted in this state and invested
largely in it's stock Although he lost every
shilling he put into the scheme, yet the better
condition Of this thoroughfare enabled him to
announce that passengers who take stage at
Boston Monday may reach New York Thursday
evening following" With the lettering
OF the roads and the addition Of i'm
proved rolling stock, three trips week
New York. But this remarkable pro-
gress in staging did not satisfy the ambition of
Pease. At the opening of 17S6 he and his young
friend Skies were at the head Of trunk line"
extending from Portsmouth, N. H., to Savan-
nah, Ga. uniform rate of fare was fixed
'three pence per mile, with liberty to passen-
gers to carry fourteen pound weight of bag
gage" This long line was a mail route from its
beginning, and when the federal government
was organized Captain Levi Pease was the first
to contract for carrying the mails. Indeed. for
years his name was the only one in the infant
post office department, at least in NewEngland.
Captain Pease seems to have had no military
right to his title. although he followed the for
tunes of the Revolutionary war He was born
at Enfield, Conn.,. in 1889. and lived at Blank
ford for six years before the war. He acted as
agent for COmmissary General WadswOrth at
Hartford. and furnished horses for dragging artl-
lery for the French army from Newport, r. L. to
Yorktown. Va, and foraged for the army on its
journey He made Shrewsbury his home after
1874. and died there in 1924, having survived all
his children.