Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-10-05
FIFTH AVENUE STAGES.
The Gorgeous Parade of the New York We
hicIes Yesterday Morning.


hicles Yesterday Morning.
| New York Sta.
What would the did old stages q q! VT q
| known In the streets for (, rty years have
| said if they might have seen the upStart new
vehicles In Fifth avenue yesterday, with
their drivers in Knox hats and their conduct
ors in livery, their bluegrass horses, their
| gold lettering and their newly rich all?
What would the old stage drivers have said
| il they could have seen only twelve people
| inside where they used to carry twenty?
The new stages have been kept in the
Madison Square Garden ever since Mr.. Bar
| NUNS moral circus was there, and many
people have suspected that they were part
| of his vans. When at ali early hour yester-
day morning thirty-tive of them started up
town they were accompanied by a multi
tude of small boys, who travelled block after
block under the the impression that they
were following circus procession.
The stages formed i'll line at the corner
of Fifty-ninth street and fifth avenue, and
at Z O'Clock the driver of the foremost We
hicle fiourished his whip with professional
skill and spoke to his horses, and the first
stage of the new line started on its first trip
down town. The driver had a double chm.
looked like old Mr.. Weller, and would
weigh 500 pounds. His Knox hat sat on
the center of his head like the miniature tile
which Mr. BackuS used to wear in the min
strel performance. The conductor, who
swung at the rear door of the stage, weigh
ed eighty-five pounds, and was formerly
district telegraph messenger.
The stage was about as long as Broadway
street car, but much more gorgeous. The
wheels and undergear were Venetian red,
the body deep blue, the underbody shiny
black, and it had stained glass windows in
the roof. On either side, in gold letters
that might be read by him who ran 70 catch"
the stage, were the words Fifth avenue.
When the passenger got in he saw a rogue
who looked like himself in the heavy plate
mirror at the forward of the stage. He
walked over ornamental rubber mating
and sat down on dark blue leather cushions.
He was amazed to find that his head did not
go through the roof when he got up 10 leave
the stage, for the distance from the floor to
the roof was six feet and six inches.
There were seats inside for twelve pass
engers and seats outside for five passengers,
one beside the driver and four on a long
uShioDed seat behind the driver and higher
than his seat. When all the seats were full
no passenger was allowed to get in-an ar
rangement which is a great convenience.
The fat driver wore a long blue coat the
color of the stage body, with flaming red
collar the color of the wheels. The con-
ductor's uniform was blue roundabout and
a cap with red band similar to that worn
by the Salvation Army. The stages run at
present from Fifty-ninth street to Bleecker
street, a distance of three miles, and make
the round trip in one hour and twelve min
utes which is at a rate of speed of tiye
miles an hour. They run on two minutes
headway, or about two blocks apart, so that
you may always find one at hand; but as
they will not take you if they are full, you
have to catch your stage before you get your
ride.