Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-08-08
ON THE GRADE.

hanging In faint echoes Rbou. tho camp.
ires Of the pioneers.
II you live awhile in the cabins along
the Yuba, above Marysvillc, you will
end minor. siill ooyoting among the
thrice siftcd piles Of gravel for the after.
unth ofA9iyou will find oldstage drivers.
with bent and twisted hands, who know
every noted driver Of the Pacific coast;
you will hear stories Of staging In the
ffties aud sixties, Ia the widest part. Of
the sierras. that have mover reached
print, but have been carried on through
manifold traditions until they have
reached the completeness aud the dig.
nifty Of an epic Of the s,agccoach
Besides the longer stories ono hears
there are dozens Of lesser episodes Of the
staging days-the episode ofsmoky' run.
away, for instance.
Smoky was a famous stage driver be-.
tween Grass Valley aud MayNillo. by
way 81 Penn Valley, Rough aud Ready.
smartsyillo and 1imbuctOo. About 1891
be was Ia his glory, tho ideal OF a driver,
and able 20 hold his own with any one on
tho route. no received his name from
the remark OF a liitlo girl, the daughter
of tho hotel keeper ut Murphy's ranch
sho once aid on his lap and rnu OF. say
ing that he was "to0 smoky 90 stay
wihi' she "liked men who did not pun
cigars In her face"
After this episode smoky's real name
fell into disusei he was smoky" aud
"Old smoky" from tho 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 thcu Smoky took
charge. He drove around Ia front Of tho
store 10 wait for another passenger; no
put ON the brake, ~ he supposed. twisted
the rcins about the brake bar. aud went
into the store Tho four horses started
on at full speed. and striking a stone
the jar let the brake loose: then the
horses few down tho grade like sons OF
destruction
The passengers fnt IN silence, "a little
surprised nj tho rapid motion, but be-
hcying that the driver was on tho box.
one Of them wasa small. nervous, bright
Eyed young man, newly como TO Calilor.
.nia--a young man who was just begin.
ming u career OF invention gnd innnutnc-
turing achievement that has given him
place among the score or no Of foremost
Califurnians. Tho other man was q
mere nonentiiy.
Tho young man with tho bright eyes
began to 500 that something was wrong
with the stage. II went too fast: Il
swung too much. IIc climbed ON tho
feat aud lot down tho narrow window
nearest the drivers box. He leaned out
aud managed 10 raise himself FAR enough
to SEQ that tho horses woro running
away. lie called to tho driver. but 10.
criyed no reply.
Tho young man reflected that the road
ahead was not an easy one for a runa.
way stagccoach 10 manage. They were
now ON the down grade, next came hill.
then another descent, then q second hill.
then long, steep and winding piece Of
down grade. The horses must be stop
ped before this descent was reached or a.
,inashup was inevitable He decided TO
do his best 10 check tho horses. II ho
failed ho would jump out aud leave
them.
Tho first thing 10 do was 20 swing on
the drivers box. A heavier man might
have failed. but the young stranger was
alert md muscular; he watched his
chance, caught the iron bar at the end
az tho eauf .Ir.,ss bt,usat0 s.,,N ,.at..I e..
second on the window fill and leapo1
upward just as the stage coach swung
toward him. lie found himself landed,
IN consequence, upon the drivers seat
aud cllnging TO the brakebar The lines
were flying wildly over the heads OF tho
horses or tangled under their feot.
Tho young man began to put on tho
brakes, not with any haste, but slowly
and carefully. The great ourving blocks
Of oak settled down against the wheels,
but the rapidity OF tho vehicles motion
was now such that there was danger OF
heating tho tires and causing them to
ny from the wheels. Again and again
ha ughtcned the brakes, and released
them steadying the massive coach w. Ii
swung around the sharp curves Of the
dusty road and rceled from side 10 side
Ike u drunken giant. IA one moment
tho young man felt tho coach scrnpe
against the eleven Pine roots of the
mountain side, and at the next he felt 1t
eddy along the verge Of the rayino aud
lean over the abyss as II ready to plunge
down into tho tops of the oaks ON Niger
Flat, 600 feet below.
Pretty soon the bottom Of tho grade
was reached, and the young man "put
The brakes down hard" But twas only
alittlo rise aitor all, and the horses were
running at the top Of their speed. Tho
Stage went on, hardly checked by the
doubled obstacles, aud began another
descent Again the same tactics fol-
lowed; the brake was used with the ut
most skin aud patience, but an outsider
would have said there was littlo gain.
The second ascent came at last, and
mere on broken road, full Of deep ruts,
which helped TO check tile stage, the
young man brought everything up
ianding, A two mile mn It had becn,
thd tho horses were still rearing aud
plunging
Inc other passenger peered carefully
out Of the window and asked what was
The matter. lio was ordered 20 open the
a0oG, Jump ont, and take tue leaders by