Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1891-08-14
A Gentleman's Terrible Experience as
an Old Line Stage Driver in
California.
He was Forced to Abandon His Posi-
ton as Driver to Save His
Life.
Is Finally Rescued from the Clutches
ola Lunatic by "a Company OF
Travellers.

dozen, were assembled recently, Wnen
9 the conversation drifted to modern travel
ing conveniences, and one of the number
y observed that while we he'd gained most
marvelously in point of rapidity and
luxury that we had lost the poetry of
, travel as exemplifed by the old-fashioned
coach, with its beled and caparlsoned
horses, its flourish of tasseled whip, and
the merry winding horn. The speaker
was stopped by another of the party whose
face had signifed his uneasiness at the
description.
Don't my dear sr!" said this gentle
man, who was power in the financial
circles Your reminiscence is very pref
ty, but your mention Of the ante bellum
stage coach revived memory which is
Eirty- FIVE years old ! had an experience
in one of your auded vehicles once that
afterwards made me walk nearly a hun
bred miles to keep from entering another,
and to this day, whenever | am unwell or
troubled in any way, | am sure to dream
of the occurrence, and my wife, hearing
me groaning, will awaken me with the
cold perspiration flowing from my body
and say: Dreaming again of your stage
coach fright, aren't youp' And | adtter
|
men.
The company insisting on the story it
was given us follows
"As most of you know, my fathers
death followed close on the heels of his
failure in business, leaving me- his son
and only surviving member of his family,
without penny. | left college, but wholly
untitled for any work | found myself on
the verge of starvation and started west,
turning up finally in Virginia City. | was
pretty desperate by this time and glad
enough to accept an offer made me to
drive the stage to Sacramento. 1t was not
i long drive nor an unpleasant one, though
in parts rather dangerous, or at
least requiring careful driving and steady
horses.
81 had made several trips very SUCCESS
fully when one morning | left Virginia
City with single passenger. This was
man of slight, delicate build, rather I'M
dersized, too, dressed in heavy clothes,
which struck me at once as peculiar, for
the day was a lovely June one. Another
thing impressed me disagreeabIy in my
passenger-his eyes were bright I'M
natural blue, with a something in their
furtive glance that spoke ill for his con.
! science Of his wits, though | did not think
of the latter then. 1t was very unusual
thing for the stage to carry so light Il load,
and found myself lingering a few min.
utes behind time to see if more were not
coming, for had u vague dislike, which
must have been a presentment, against
setting off alone with my queer passenger.
There was nothing for it though but to
go, so | started hoping still to pick up
others on the road. | did not, however,
and gradually lost my depression, though
it was lonely ride without anyone TO
speak to, for unlike most people
VINO patronzed the line the man
showed no disposition to talk to or ques-
ton the driver, so after one or two at
tempts to draw him out left my gentle
man alone.
After awhile, however, he began to
complain aloud, though to himself, at my
| management of the horses, but took no
! notice of his growing, We had by that
I time reached the mountains, and entered
ON narrow strip of road running along
brow of a canyon, mt the bottom of which
CLEANED tiny thread of silver, which
knew to be the river. 1t was a sheer de-
scent OF seven hundred feet, and | usually
| checked the horses at this part of the
journey. had done this, when my pass.
enger stuck his head out of the window
and demanded if meant to keep up that
funeral pace, but did not give me time to
answer, and thrust out his hand with
revolver clasped in it,
"'Get off that seatN he yelled. | will
drive myself
II saw he would not hesitate to sl,oot
me, so | climbed down with aarcity when
he advanced toward me, and threatening
still with the pistol made me get into the
stage.
"'Do you know who | amp he said
"'Well, am the devil and am going to
drive you to he'll.
This speech aud his looks, which were
those of lunatic, and a dangerous one,
too, in his excitement, told me the truth,
and | can tell you, felt the icy sweat
break over me, but | climbed meekly into
| the coach and watched the mailman mount
to my seat. could only hope that he
would still retain wits enough to drive
slowly, but the first thing he did was to
bring the lash down upon the horses with
n viciousness that made them start into Il
| frenaied run, and then the maddest, most
terrible Journey man ever took began.
1.-The stage spun along like Il crazy top,
| lHt hNiNfN khiNlihS NAiSlgf AhS
every now and then to cut from the
shouting drivers whip, while. absolutely
sick with terror, had not strength to leap
into the road, rs | made up my mind to do
time and again. | would undoubtedly
have been killed at the rate Mt which we
were going, and 1t was the bare hope,
which they say never wholly leaves us,
that kept me from spriuging out Part
of the time crouched on the floor, hiding
my face in the cushions but fascinated by
the terrible scene outside, | could not re-
frain from looking out upon it again and
again. On one side rose perpendicular
wall of rock rs bare MS my hand; on the
other aud barely five feet from where |
looked out, was the canon ana certain
death
The stage swayed fearfuliy, and every
time the whip CT into the horses they
would swing it TO the very verge of the
precipice, when could look down the wall
and see the rivers CLEAN, when | would
throw myself against the opposite side of
the V, hice Once the hind wheels liter
ally hing ovtr the edge for the thousandth
part of second. though it seemed an
eternity to me, but were ieiked on to the