Montgomery County sentinel., 1891-09-04
miscellaneous.
ON THE GRADE.

The telling Of the stories Of stage
coach days on the frontier has only just
begun. For every one yet told there
are thousand better onos hidden In the
mountains hanging in faint echoes about
the camp fires Of the pioneers.
II you live awhile in the cabins along
the Yuba, above Maryville, you will
find miners still cayoting among the
thrice sifted piles of gravel for the after
math of 40; you will find old stage
drivers, with bent and twisted hands,
who know every noted driver of the Pa
cifc coast, you will hear stories Of stag
ing in the fifties and sixties. in the wild
est parts of the Sierras, that never have
reuchod print, but have been carried on
through manifold traditions until they
have reached the completeness and the
dignity of an epic Of the stage-coach
Besides the longer stories one hears
there are dozens of lesser episodes of the
staging days--the episode of Smoky's
runaway, for instance
Smoky was famous stage driver be-
tween Grass Valley and Maryville, by
way of Penn Valley, Rough aud Ready,
Smartsvile and Timbuctoo. About 1861
he was in his glory, the ideal of "a driver,
and able to hold his own with any one
on the route. He received his name
from the remark of little girl, the
daughter of the hotel keeper at Muir
phy's ranch. She once slid off his lap
and ran off, saying that he was too
smoky to stay with" she ''liked men
who did not puff cigars in her face"
After this episode Smoky's real name
fell into disuse he was Smoky" aud
"Old Smoky" from the Sierras to the
Sacramento.
On the day when Smoky had his run
away affair the stage swung into Grass
Valley early in the morning with two
passengers aboard, both inside. They
had breakfast, and then Smoky took
charge. He drove around in front Of
the store to wait for another passenger |;
he put on the brake, as he supposed,
twisted the reins about the brake bar,
and went into the store. The four
horses started off at full speed, and
striking a stone the jar let the brake
loose then the horses few down the
grade like sons of destruction.
Tho passengers sat in silence. little
surprised at the rapid motion, but be-
lieving that the driver was on the box.
One Of them was small, nervous, bright
eyed young man, newly come to Cali
fornia---a young man who was just be-
ginning career Of invention and manu-
featuring achievement that has given
him place among the score or so Of FORE
most Californians. The other man was
q mere nonentity.
The young man with the bright eyes
began to sec that something was wrong
with the stage. II went too fast it
swung too much. He climbed on the
scat and let down the narrow window
nearest the drivers box. He leaned out
and managed to raise himself far enough
so sec that the horses we're running away
He called 10 the driver, but received no
reply.
The young man reflected that the
road ahead was not an easy one for u
runaway stage-Goach TO manage. They
we're now on the down grade, next came
hill, then another descent. then a
second bill, then long. steep and wind
ing piece of down grade. The horses
must be stopped before this descent was
reached or smashup was inevitable.
He decided to do his bcst to check the
horses. II he failed he would jump out
and leave them.
The first thing to do was TO swing on
the drivers box, A heavier man might
have failed, but the young stranger was
alert and muscular; he watched bis
chance, caught the iron bar at tho end
of the seat, drew himself out, poised a
second on tho window sill and leaped
upward just as The stage-coach swung
toward him. He found himself landed
10 consequence, upon the drivers seat
and clinging to the brake bar The lines
were flying wildly over the heads of the
horses or tangled under their feet.
The young man began TO put on the
brakes, not with any haste, but slowl
and carefully. The great curying block'
of oak settled down against the wheels
but the rapidity of the vehicles motion
was now such that there was danger o
heating the tires and causing them q
Hy from the wheels. Again aud agail
be frightened the brakes, and released
them, steadying the massive coach as
swung around the sba-e hryes Of tb
dusky road and ree' - "a