San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-04-17
THRILLING EXPERIENCE OF life"
JONES, THE DRIVER.
The Hardships Endured on Cape Cod.
Fighting a Binding Storm-Stuck in
Drifts of Snow That Were Sixteen Feet
Deep-Fourteen Inches of Sleet.

III was JnTJy-uNe years ago Wien 1 COLI
menced to drive a COACH" said Life" Jones,
as he.settled himself to tell the story of his
stage life to The Globe correspondent.
"My first stage route was from Yarmouth to
Chatham Lights. The railroad, you know,
then had its terminus at Yarmouth. | was
night line driver meeting the last train out
from Boston, and, of course. | drove in all
kinds of weather.
IL remember one night that | think beats
everything | remember on the road, one
nights experience on the coach box in
northeast snow storm We had been all
showed up along the road and the cuts
where went through were all filed up by
the wind blowing all the afternoon.
STICKING TO THE SHIP.
81 had regular four horse covered coach
with thirty passengers to take That you
may Judge what kind of storm we had, my
leaders would not face the storm, but while
| was taking my passengers aboard came
right along side of my coach as much as to
say, 1t is too tough for anything but my
duty was before me; | never pitied four
horses so much in my life q: did these poor
creatures. | dashed my hat to my head,
leaving only a peek hole through which to
would permit 1t was terrible even to think
Of starting, as the wind was blowing gale,
accompanied by snow and sleet, but our
orders in those days were to go until you
fetched up and nothing short. of that.
"Three hundred yards from the depot the
village expreSsman, Jim Atkins, who was
travelling on foot, as he could not get his
team out, hailed me and yelled out; Go
back, Jones, for Gods sake, go back; you
can't pull through anywhere;' every cut is
full, but my proprietor was ON the depot
platform watching, and was ordered to go,
and go did, but l told the boss guessed
it would be my last go h was the most
terrible storm ever pulled the reins over
four horses in, and l think my proprietor
thought So too, as be walked his room all
night long saying, he had bosSed the stage
route from Fall River to New Bedford for
twenty-five years and had never been guilty
before of sending driver out in such a night
as that and never would again, for he knew
Jones could never pull through such>a terri
BILE night Notwithstanding he was one Of the
best drivers on the line.
I'VE reached South Yarmouth after wad
ing through any amount of snow banks. The
night was'so cold and the sIeet came down
with so much force that fourteen inches Of
Sleet froze on the windward side of my coach
and my beard froze into my buffalo coat so
solid that it had to be sawed OF with a sharp
carving knife. Some of the passengers told
Inc not to go any further, but put up my
team, but was determined to pull through
and started again, and succeeded in crossing
Bass river bridge in safety sand at 8 O'Clock
in the morning reached West Dennis, where
landed two Of my passengers. Here | was
advised to put up and not to try and go on,
but was determined to go on, so On went.
Soon after passing the bridge, just beyond
West Dennis, ran into deep snow drift and
was Obliged to dig out, being assisted by the
passengers, who seemed to relish the excite
ment. At the end of thirty minutes we
started again, and had no more trouble until
we reached South Dennis, where we had TO be
dug out,of another drift
Il remember was greatly amused at the
antics of three old Chatham sea captains who
were with me. When, we got stuck in the
drift near West Dennis, one of the old sea
dogs, who was full of his fun and who worked
with will to dig the snow away and when
any of the other helpers would show any
signs Of giving up, he would get him back at
it again by some witty remark, and to en-
courage me said, For Gods sake, stick by the
ship as long as there Is plank left but the
South Dennis drift was too much for him,
and after working awhile was completely
tagged out; he said to me, Jones; why don't
you abandon the shipr l told him he had
got to keep his courage up, as there were lots
of drifts ahead
THE CAPTAINS DESERTED.
West Harwich was the next village we
passed through. There we got into a very
bad road where the coach rolled and rocked
so like a ship in heavy sea, that the captain
sung out to me to take IN sail 1t was
smoother going after passing tits rough
place, until we reached Harwich, the half
way station, where we usually shifted horses.
There finding that the hostler, not think
ing the coach would be along, had gone home
to bed, had to shift horses myself, and that
was no small job either; so by the time the
coach was ready to start again | was about
played out but hauled out and put her.
for Chatham. We pulled through many
large drifts until finally we came to a full
stop i'll a deep cut full of snow, between
impossible To get out of this. All hands were
called out again to dig our way out.
THE old captains wouldn't come to time
They were all tuckered out and left me. they
managing to reach in safety the hills from
which the snow had been blown down into the
cuts. All the passengers had been landed
and now, the captains abandoning me, | was
left alone. 1t was blowing colder, and colder
and thought | would freeze to death; but
what should | do, with nv horses and with