River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1884-06-26
THE STAGE DRIVERS STORY.
How General Scott's Life was Saved and
How His Driver Twice Escaped Death.

How General Scott's Life was Saved and
How His Driver Twice Escaped Death.
The traveller of the present day, as
he is hurried along by the lightning ex-
press. in its buffet cars and palace
sleepers, seldom reverts in thought to
the time when~thc stage coach and
packet were the only means of commu
nication between distant points. 1t is
rare that one of the real old-time stage
drivers is met with nowadays and
when the writer recently ran across
Fayette Haskell, of Lockport, N. Y,
he felt like photographers over the
discovery of some rare volume of for
gotten lore Mr.. Haskell, although
one of the pioneers in stage driving Che
formerly ran from Lewiston to Niagara
Falls and Buffalo,, is hale and hearty
and bids fair to live for many years.
The strange stories of his early adven-
lures would fill volume. At one time
when going down mountain near
Lewiston with no less a parsonage
than General Scott as a passenger, the
brakes gave way and the coach came on
the heels of the wheel horses. The only
remedy was to whip the leaders to
gallop. Gaining additional momentum
with each revolution of the wheels the
coach swayed and pitched down the
mountain side and into the streets of
Lewiston. Straight ahead at the foot
of the steep hill flowed the Niagara
river, towards which the four horses
dashed, apparently to certain death.
Yet the firm hand never relaxed its
hold nor the clear brain its conception
of what must be done in the emergency.
On dashed the horses until the narrow
dock was reached on the river bank,
when by mastery exhibition of nerve
and daring, the coach was turned in
scarce its own length and the horses
brought to stand still before the pale
lookers-on could realize what had oc-
Cured. A purse was raised by Gener-
al Scott and presented to Mr.. Haskell
with high compliments of his skill and
bravery.
Notwithstanding all his strength and
his robust constitution the strain of con-
tinuous work and exposure proved too
much for Mr.. HaskelPs constitution.
The constant iolting of the coach and the
necessarily cramped position IN which he
was obliged TO sit, contributed to this
end, and at times he was obliged to
abandon driving altogether.
Speaking of this period he said:
81 found it almost impossible to sleep
at night; my appetite left me entirely
and had tired feeling which / never
knew before and could not account for"
did you give up driving entirely?"
''No | tried to keep up but it was
only with the greatest effort. This state
of things continued for nearly twenty
years until last October when went all
to pieces.
"In what way? ?"
ooh, | was doubled all up; could not
walk without cane and was incapable
of any effort or exertion. | had
constant desire to urinate both day and
night and although / felt like passing
gallon every ten minutes few drops
could escape and they thick with sedi-
ment. Finally it ceased to flow en-
tirely and / thought death was very
near"
"What did you do then?"
"What should have done long be-
fore listen to my wife. Under her adj
vice / began new treatment.
"And with what result?"
Wonderful. 1t unstopped the closed
passages and what was still more wond-
erful regulated the flow. The sedi-
ment vanished; my appetite returned
and | am now well and good for twenty
years more wholly through the aid of
Warmers Safe Cure that has done
wonders for me as well as for SO many
others.
Mr.. Haskell's experience is repeated
every day in the lives of thous-
ands of American men and women.
An unknown evil is undermining the
existence of an innumerable number
who do not realize the danger they arc
in until health has entirely departed
and death perhaps stares them in the
face. To neglect such impol tant mat
ters is like drifting in the current of
Niagara above the Falls.