Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-10-23
THE OLD STAGE COACH.
THRILLING EXPERIENCE OF "LIFE"
JONES, THE DRIVER.

The Hardships Endured on Cape Cod.
Fighting Binding Storm-Stuck in
Drifts Of Snow That Were Sixteen Feet
Deep-Fourteen Inches of Sleet.
SIT was thirty-fve years ago when COM
naenced to drive 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. l was
night line driver, meeting the last train out
from Boston, and, Of course, drove in all
kinds of weather
81 remember one night that I think beats
everything l remember on the road, one
nights experience on the coach box in a
northeast snow storyQ 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 a storm we had my
! leaders would not face the storm, but while
L 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; l never pitied four
horses so much in my life as did these poor
creatures. l dashed my hat to my head
leaving only peek hole through which to
see the leaders once in q while when prudence
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, 20 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 60 did, but / told the boss I guessed
1t would be my Last go. 1t was the most
terrible storm ever pulled the reins over
four horses in, and I think my proprietor
thought SO, too, as he 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 a 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 Yves 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 sleet 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
soud that it had to be sawed Off with sharp
carving knife. Some of the passengers told
me 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, and at O'Clock
In the morning reached West Dennis, where
landed two Of my passengers. Here I was
advised to put up and not to try and go on,
but was determined TO go on, so on l went.
Soon after passing the bridge, just beyond
West Dennis ran into a deep snow drift and
was obliged to dig out, being assisted by the
passengers who seemed to relish the excite
n1ent 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 tho cid 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 be would get him back at
1t again by scme 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
fagged out; he said to me, Jones; why don't
You abandon the shipF l told him he had
got TO keep his courage up, as there were lots |
or drifts ahead
THE CAPTAINS DESERTED.
West Harwich was the next village we !
passed through. There VIZ got into very
bad road, where the coach rolled and rocked /
SO like ship in heavy sea- that the captain |
sung out to me to take in sail It was |
smoother going after passing this rough /
plsce, until we reached Harwich, the half. |
way station, where we usually shifted horses |
There finding that the hostier, 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. 50 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
karye drifts, until finally we came TO a fun |
stop in deep cut, full of snow. between
Broken Back hilf' ana Chatham, II seemed
impossible TO get out Of this All hands were
called out again to dig our way ont
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. I was
left alone 1t WIS blowing colder and colder
and / thought would freeze TO death; but
what should do, with my horses and with
coach stuck N drift and no one to help met
! untackied the horses and succeeded in SET,
ting them out OF the drift and under the lea /
OF a hill, in amoag some scrub pines The
poor horses werc suffering nose than / ever
saw animals suffer before.
Besides being coach driver, was also ex-
press man and lnsA agent. and as there had
not been any mail for a week. had seven
bushels Of mail matter and g. 500 IN gold in
Inat coach didn't know what to do. As