Huntsville gazette., 1884-06-28
THE STAGE-DHIyEK'S STORY.
How General ScoJL's Life Was SavrI ar
How His Driver Twice Escaped
Death.

The traveller of the present day, as he is
hurried along by the lightning express, in
its buffet cars and palace sleepers, seldom
reverts in thought to the tims when the
stage coach and packet were the only
means of communication 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, hs
felt like a photographer over The discovery
of some rare volume of forgotten lore"
Mr.. Haskell, althou IN one of the pioneers
in stage driving (he formerly ran from
Lewiston to Niagara Falls ami Buffalo) is
hale and hearly and bids fair 10 live for
many years. The strange stories of his
carly adventures would fill volume. At
one time when going down mountain
near Lewiston with no less a parsonage
than General Scott as 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 gal
lOp. Gaining additional momentum with
each revolution of tho 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 GER
tain death. Yet the firm hand never
laxed its hold nor the clear brain its con-
ception of what must be done in the emer-
gency. On dashed the horses until the
narrow dock was reached on the river bank,
when by a 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 occurred. A purse was
raised by General Scott and presented to
Mr.. Haskell with high compliments Tor 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.. Haskell's constitution. The
constant jolting of the coach and the neces-
sarily cramped position i'll which he was
Obliged to sit, contributed 10 this end, and
at times he was obliged 10 abandon driving
altogether.
Speaking of this period he said:
81 found it almost impossible to sleep at
night; my appetite left me entirely and l
had tired feeling which | never knew be-
fore and could not account for"
"Did you give up driving entirely2"
"No. | tried to keep up but it was only
with the greatest effort. This sate of
things continued for nearly twenty years
until last October when l went all to
pieces"
In what wayN
'Oh, doubled all up; could not walk
without a cane and was incapable of any
TO urinate both day and night and although
felt like passing gallon every ten min
utes only few drops could escape and
they thick with sediment. Finally it
ceased to flow entirely and l thought death
was very near"
"What did you do then"'
"What should have done long before:
listen to my wife Under her advice be-
gan new treatment"
"And with what resutp'
Wonderful. 1t uustopped the closed
passages and what was still more wonder
full regulated the flow. The sediment van
ished: my appetite returned and l am now
well and good for twenty more yearswholly
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 ev-
cry day in the lives of thousands of
American men and women. An unknown
evil is undermining the existence of an in
Vulnerable number who do not realize the
danger they are in until health has entire
ly departed and death perhaps stares them
In the face. To neglect such important
matters is like drifting in the current Of
Niagara above the Falls.