New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-06-21
sTAGE.DRIYIYG IN THE OLD DAYS.
uJDICIOUs "KNOCKING-DOWN"T TOLERATED
WALT wHIrMAN's FONDNEss FOR STAGE DRIVERS
4 YEIERAN,s REMINIsCENCEs.

WALT WHITMAN'S FONDNEsS fch S'Au" 'i'i''
VETERANS REMINIsCENCfs
dsy or two ago. while a TRIBUNE reporter stood
beside a faryclad sturdy old man, looking at the lay
ing of car-tracks on Broadway, tho old man suddenly
became communicative. About thirty or thirtyhYe
years ago." said he " when l drove stage mere u
was the brag of Workers that this grand old street
would never to disfgured by horse-cars. Anything
then sad in favor of such thing would cause warm
discussion-the negro Ministries would ridicue II ID
their songs old-stye Aldermen would oppose 1t
furousy and the newspapers had lots OF reasons TO
print against the sacrIlege. But, said the old man
mournfuly as the concert OF spike-driving sledgos
sent forth its busy music they at it now for sue
81 haven't driven stage" lie continued. " tor many
wears. but II makes man feel little blue to see any
prof.ssion he has enjoyed swept away. OF course
stage-driving is not what 1t was In my tme-it LAS
run down badly and now it will run out completely.
1t used to be profitable business. said he ganchg
ouzicaly at the reporter There wasn't then any
patent locked boxes, sealed envelopes for change or
rec ,rding bells to make chap feel as if he was born
cuprt. not TO be trusted.
"Could we make extra money beside our wages
sauarey ~ said he repeating the reporters question
"Well yes. and no-rll tell you seemed 70 DC gen.
erally conceded that stage-driver wonld knock
down any way and we went on tho blame ana
| game theory. SO what we took was rather wnked at
by the bosses They all got rich and didn't grumble
much provided We made good paying turn In iof
hard days work. None OF US ever had 10 Ieave Ior
| Canada;
| con,oiences about cur fnancering. bright driver
woud know enough to act justly If man was greedy
the bosses would spot him and he would get tho
sack - grand bounce believe 1t is now called
Z" How could discriminate In tho matter Well'
Won SEQ there a sort of understanding that nj
lowed us consider the top OF the bus our own There
we would invite chums 10 ride free Bnt good
| MANY paying riders rode there IRON CHOICE some
wanted TO smoke their way up or down town boys
would ride there at balfprce strangers too, wishing
| TO see the city. We often got good tip from
stranger who wanted to see all he could iu short
time. You could point out houses and localities
| OF interest well as many prominent persons VINO
were taking stroll the sidewalk. In ine weather
these fares made quite an item OF receipts. Now
portion of such money took for refreshments SICK or
fayoff DAYS and often used IL as fund to make
day of poor riding pan ou satisfactorily at the oiee
vcitne sSp aon think New York can be seen to
such advantage anywhere else Some of the best cit
liens used to climb up and have chats with us. We
| Whitman, / think; Walt VIC always called him; lie
seemed delighted to be on top Of a stage. Almost
every afternoon, good or bad weather be would come
the full trip up with driver and down with another
often taking supper with us at The upper ena 81 the
there were plenty ohem; but he told us lots Of things
| We didn't know before and guess never would have
| otherwise heard .
| Names for about every driver had one He liked TO
hear how got them-used to call the stories or OK
plantations natural comedies and dramas or something oil
:" How dill nick-names get fastened to usi Obi
sometimes with reason and sometimes wlthDut was
called 'dressmaker' but / don't propose to tell you
WHY Here the old driver smiled and his eyes bright
ened as II the remembrance OF some bygone Irritation
had flashed upon him.
NOV" said he d" there old Cam for instance.
who one day had his little nephew a boy Of about FIVE
years, top taking.a Saturday ride Well, drunken
ioe-cart driver came laundering along and hit Can
hind wheel With hs heavy hub the bus yeered, the
horses started and the child lost his hold. Can had to
use both hands to guide the team but az the child
ptched past him he seized his extended wrist with his
tn and kept him from falling among the horses heels
until he brought the nags TO stop. Now this exploit
gave that driver the beautiful nickname of Old Can
nibalp there Dutch driver called CAM
pbene he was great chap drink used TO carry
Fat bottle of gin under his oilcoth cape that folded
back Of his foot-strap. One night while he was az sup
per the boys got his bottle, emped IT, and filed II
with burning fluid that we used to light the stages
with When he out and got on his box he reached
his bottle and said here's luck, boys and took
swallow that nearly stranged him.
SEINE of our scenes, though, wero not amusing.
remember one severely cold night-aftor the midnight
or theatre trip-and the shows kept IN late then-i
team came up the stables and stopped The hostle
saw them como and expected to see tho driver JumI
down and run the stove but he kept bis seat ant
reins. what are you waiting for Jack asked thu
hoster Poor Jack couldn't tell him. TOR he was frozsi
r to death"