Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1889-12-31
eosros TO WASHINGTON.
now rnr JOURNEY WAS NApr ~ EAR-
LIER TINES A. INTERESTINGLY TOLD
ny BES rEnLrt rOoRr.

lltN TIMES A. t>fiNIrIl>ttf lOiU
ny nm rERLrt fooRr.
The oil stage route between Ilo-ton |
anil New York. before John Qulncy |
Aiam. WIS President. passed through !
Mor-.ter, Springfield, Hartford. ani
Norw ALI. Passengers paid ten dollars |
for n seat and were fifty--lx hours or |
more on the rad. This gave way about |
ISIS Ia the steamboat line VIA Providence. |
which for hyc dollars carried passengers
frbm ilo.ton to New York In twenty |
four hours.
stage books for the Providence llne |
werr k-pt IN Boston 40 ofllcc. Ia different |
parts of the city, wherr those Wishing Ca |
~ the neat day registered their names.
lll~.e names were collected snd hrOught |
to the CENTRAL stage Office In the Marlboro |
Hotel az ten o'clock each night, where |
they we're arranged Into stage loads. each |
made up frOm these residing In the .ame |
part II the city. ~ four o'clock Ia the
morning man started frOm the stage
Office la a chalse to 20 about and wake
up the passengers. that the stage need
not Keep waiting. The large brass door
knockers were vigorously piled, and
sometime. quite a commotlon WAS caused
10y waking up the wrong passenger"
IN due time the stage made It, appear.
anc., with IT, four spirited horses, abd
the baggage vas put on. Trunks which
we're diminuilye In slfc compared With
those nov used, were put on the rack
behlnd. securely strapped, Naliscs and
packages wcrv con.igned Ia the depths
of q fccrpiacle beneath the drivers seat,
and bandhoNes we're put ON the top. The
Slck seat Was generally given a. ladies
AL elderly gentlemen. while Young men
usually sought seat on top ~ the stage
besidc the driver. When the passenger.
had been picked up. the stages return
s,i to the oiilcc where the way -hills we're
perfected aud handed a. the drivers. -
the Old south clock WAS striking I've,
whips wcrr cracked, aud the coaches
started AZ the rate ~ ten mile. an hour,
stopping for breakfast az Timothy ,'ay's
tavern Ia Dcdham, where many 10 the
passenger. N.ltei the bar a. imhlbe
Holland gin and sugar-house molasses-a
popular morning beverage.
| breakfast over. away the stages vent
over the good turnpike road At rapid
pace. Those Who vcrv fellow passengers,
lfNfM ~ W WV AMNNNfNH
ually entered Into conversation. aud gcn-
orally some Que ~ them va. able a. I'm
part Information concerning the route.
Occasionally the stage would rattle Into
village, the driver giving warning
blasts upon hi. long tin horn that be-
claimed the right ~ way, aud then dash
up Ia way.ldc inn, before hich sould
l'c la waiting frvsh team of horses "a
take the placc 10 thO.e which had drawn
the coach from the previous stopping
place. Time WAS always afforded those
passengers Who desired a. partake 81
lihation AZ the tavern bar. and old travel
er. usci "a see that their luggage "a.
.afc.
Providence was In due tune reached,
aud the pru,cs.ion ~ stages whlflci
along the narrow streets beneath the
blum, .Naying heavily With the irrrgu-
lafiie. II the road. "a. steamboat lay
a. India l'oint. ju.t lcloe the town, whcrr
immcnse quantitic. ~ woOd Nefr pilc'l
up, Tor each boat consumed between
thiriy aud furty cord. on a trip through
Long islanL sound.
lie stacy. us,si to reach India Point
about hall past eleven o'clock aud the
t,uat Nuuid start for New York precisely
40 tNclte. ihew WsTv no ststc-fO0ms,
th- passengers occupying births, and AZ
IA. diuusr and supper 90. captain 20 the
i,u4t Ovyupi,i tiT. head 81 the table,
having STATED near him any distinguished
passengers. Occasionally there was an
opposition line With sharp riValrirs, aud
a Que time q then rising New YORKER,
Cornelius \ audcfhilt, yafri.'i passenger.
FROM New lofk a. i.osiou ior Que dollar.
Goa arriving at New Work, passengers
had a. l,-,k out tot their luggsgr. and en-
gagv ,ith,r ha,ks or lan,i-,aItmcn, Who
Too tN-nty i've cent. would carry trunk
Go aus part uf the city. The ,lty Thea,
D. u remembered, did not reach up MAJ
haitian Island aioNe the vicinity 81
iirvomc 90 >pfiBg streets, although thcrv
Ncrv beyond that thr Villages at Gr.en-
wich, BloUmiugdalc, lVfkVills, aud
Harlem. Tie cily hotel, ou broadway,
just abo,e Trinity Church-yau Bunkcrs
ilutci, lover down, aud the Washington
Hotel, which oCvurci the site ~ the
stewart building ai'o,r the Park. where
the principal publlc houses. The boston
stage. .iopps,i a. Halls North American
Hotel, al tby corner Of liayari street aud
the iiONcfy. aud thsfr we're many board
INK house. WeTc transient guests NeTc
accommodated.
FROM New Nofk, travellers southwark
went hy steamboat to EliIbcthpOTt,
where they Nvrc Transferred to stages
aud crossed New jersey Ca Bonicnt0wn
on the Delaware River. where a steamer
was la waiting totran.port them tO fhlla-
dslphia. Ibis vas long and fatiguiug
day !. journey, aud majority oftraNclcrs
remained over day Ia Philadelphia,
hrfr the hutels wrfv excellent aud there
wrrv many obi.Ct. IT aitraction.
Leaving Philadelphia in a steamboat,
passengers vent down th- Delaware tu
New Castle, whence ihey crossed In stag
=. a. breakdown CA the Ill River, and
then rr-smhafkri on steamers. hich took
thsm down aud around Ia Baltimore,
another long aud fatigulug day. trip.
At each change from bost 10 stage OF
from stag, to boat, passenger. had Ia
..- that their baggage Nas Transferred,
aud IL va. generally necessary to give
quarter TO the porter. Baggage checks
aud the checking Of baggage were then
unkn0wu.
Between baltimore and Washington
there Ner- opposition line. 81 stage. aud
a kNhA AhNNIlh' NNANf AHiAf AAaN N''hf
when ilr.t went over the mad, some
daring robbefic. by "road-agent.' aud
the mall cOaChcs werv protected by a
guard, Who occupied perch CA the
root over the boot aud Was armed With
blundcrbu... lhi. weapon had q fun
mel shaped barrel, flinl lock, took about
half plat Of back.hOt for charge,
AMI was capable of destroying a whole
band uf robber. az once. Ia due time
tn- Hat, aide dome of the old Capitol,
which rrsemble,i an Inverted wa-h-boNi,
VA. Visible, aud the stage was sOon
iiOunderiug through the broad cNpansc
of mud OF ~ dust known a. Pcnnsy wanna
Avenue, taking passvnger,to the door.
81 the hotels or boarding houses which
they had previously indicaie,i.-ierley's
"Reminiscences.
AIT rng WRONG BUILDING.
About H. year. ago, when ! was la
the lightning rod bushes. Ia this state"
saii q Detroit Insurance man the other