The Press., 1889-07-25

LY 25, 1889.
 Boston Gobe.) SOME HOLLAND COUNTY STAGE DAY INCL
 CIDENTS.
 Around the historic town of Holland, Conn.,, the shire town of Holland county, there are found many anecdotes of the early staging days. and to Hon Lucius s. Fuller, former stage owner and driver, the Globe representative is indebted for many interesting stories and facts concern ing the early days of locomotion by stage and coach. Mir. Fuller bought and oper- ated in the forties the stage line running from Holland to North Woodstock, 26 miles, making trip every other day, ear rying mail and passengers. He connected there with the line run by John Wilkinson for Southbridge, Springfield and Albany, and at Holland with the through turnpike to Hartford MT. Fuller drove the stage himself but short period, about g year, being busy with insurance business. He hired drivers, however, for some years.
 In that section they had what they call ed the sslong drivers,' 2 meaning by that the ones who drove the long distance from Hartford to Worcester without relief, 8 distance of 60 miles, hardly leaving the coach the entire trip. When they came to a changing station the fresh horses were all harnessed ready to hitch right on, and away they went, with but few minutes loss of time. Probably the quickest trip of "A miles ever made in New England with stage coach was driven by man named Bemis. He made the 24 miles, from North Woodstock to Worcester, in a little less than l hour and 45 minutes. The circumstances that caused it are re- lated by MT. Fuller, and have an intimate connection with the great panic of 1887.
 As soon as the New York banks suspend ed>specie payments half dozen men be- gan collecting Boston bank bills. They collected together a large amount and started with them in their carpet bags by stage for Boston via Hartford, Holland and Woodstock to Worcester, there connecting with the Boston & Worcester railroad. They reached North Woodstock without incident, but there they were told that they were too late to connect with the train at Worcester,
 There was less than two hours time in which to make the "A miles over Dudley hill through Oxford, and the landlord and driver both agreed that it was an impossi- ble feat to accomplish.
 ssBut we must get there" said the New York man to the driver, and they empha- sized their remarks by stufing handfuls of bills into Bemis' pockets.
 'Well, I'll try it, said he, and jumped upon the box, picked up the rains, cracked his great whip, and the fire flew when they went down the long hill with the horses upon the run, and they were kept running till the long Dudley hill was reached. Af. ter climbing the hill fresh horses were awaiting them, and with scarce moments delay they were again flying down the long hill toward Oxford Plain, the great, awk- ward coach swaying and grooming, the pas. sengers retaining their seats with the greatest difficulty. Finally Oxford was reached, and then all was level road. The horses were kept upon the keen run, en6 W orcester was reached just three minutes before the train started that would enable 1 the New York men to get to Boston befors the banks were closed. Old stage mer averred that it was the quickest time thai had ever been made, the A miles in lest than one and three quarter hours. | Of the ''long drivers" 'fOld Jake" Bona was the most famous. He is dead, bu many anecdotes survive him. We hav' space for only one which he used to relat, that shows the dangers of stage coaching 1 "One dark night" said he, 'sas | wa going from Holland toward Worcester SC were thunder shower came up, and as
 was going down steep hill and around
 sharp corner where there was an embark ment eight feet high, flash of lightning came which so scared my horses that the. sprang over that embankment, and I wa
 thrown off the box and down among them and as weighed over 200 pounds it wa no small jump for me. We'll, if you wi
 believe it, that stage coach struck the lo
 railings and swung around sideways an
 stopped, which was very fortunate for tn
 passengers, who were nearly scared t death. I scrambled out from among tn
 horses and cut them loose, and made theI
 climb back into the road, and we patche things up and started again. It was nal
 row escape anyway" T None of these stages ran upon Sunday
 and the day was very strictly observed.
 is related that during the embargo upo
 the shipping during the war of 1872, whe
 all transportation between New York an
 Boston had to be carried on overland, ths , a wagon loaded with specie broke an axl while going through Holland one Sunday
 The driver offered the local wheelwright
 large sum of money if he would go into h
 shop and make him a new one.
 "I can't" said the wheelwright, ssunlee |, you get permission of Squire Barnes.
 Now Squire Barnes was an orthodox of th l bluest stripe, and it was with much fes , and trembling that the messenger al
 preached the testy esquire" just as he WI gong to church and made known his @ l. rand.
 sWhat is the wagon loaded with ?" asl . ed the ''squire. rs~
 Specie" said the messenger. stFor
 didn't dare to lie to him." he afterwari d said.
 t "Well," said the squire, ssI guess if |
 has load of specie he can afford to pay h x tavern reckoning, so he might as we'll ste g till Monday" He stayed.
 In November, 1789, Gen. Washingte : went through here while travelling fro Boston to New York. He was travelli1 p with his private carriage. He stepped at
 tavern at Stafford, kept by an ancestor . Dyer H. Clark, and in the morning it W, s noticed that pane of glass bore the aut
 graph Geo. Washington" written in bo
 characters with diamond. The glass VI U in lime taken from the windauv and ear