Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1892-11-12
AMATEUR COACHING.
u the wealthy Promoter OF 10 Mostly
Sham?

BhnmI
"Why should n man have passion to
become an omnibus driver?" was the
question asked In our hearing apropos
of tho coac hes now running out OF los
ton under management of persons not
obliged TO mount the box for living
We shall not attempt to answer this
apparently simple query. for to do so
would require an analysis Of the depths
Of human nature; but we may be able
to throw out few hints toward n solu-
ton Of the problem. A man might be
hippomaniac OF tho most absolute
kind and yet ha We no desire to become
q stage-coa:hman To drive over the
the same road every day, to be afflicted
with the company of utterly conven-
tional people, of socially ambitious"
people, of gamblers, chat: erers, morose,
mad, frivolous, fulsome or ill-tempered
passengers; in short, to be ut the mercy
Of anybody who has IS VIII erewith to
pay his way.-willing to en- dure all this
requires something more than mere
love o. horseAcsh.
Is the motive to be found In that same
instinct which makes children play lat
horses" or "as soldicrs?" Are fathers
Of families, men with gray hair in their
heads, men who take themselves scri-
ously, persons OF consideration, prom
incnt citizens" headers in society" ~
are they playing gigantic and costly
game of makc-believe when they be-
como amateur coachme We sincere
" hope not, and yet there arc many
signs which point in this direction. In
England certainly, and we believe In
the United States also, vidclicet, in
Boston. the amateur coachnan accepts
a fee Thc guard, moreover, is, we arc
informed, wonderful piece OF make
believe. lie wears, it seems, n kind OF
royal livery, he performs with rare art
upon q wind instrument, and he looks
like, in fact is. n real Englishman.
What does this functionary think of it
all? Does he laugh in his sleeve? Docs
he-in his secluded position Mt the rear
of the coach-laugh openly? Does no
never put his finger to hisnose? When
the coach rolls by some bona fide work.
men, road repairers, farm hands, what
not, who pause from their labors mo-
ment to watch the glittering vision,
does the guard tip them n wink, as
much as to say, "You are earning your
living; am earning my living; but this
man on the box is n sham" When the
guard wakes old and fat he will prob
ably write gu, his recollections for pub
LEGATION in a Sunday newspaper; and
then coachy will be able to see himself
rs that other fellow now sees him.
Perhaps, also, besides tho fun OF
making believe" the amateur coaches
have snoaking pleasure in the public
ity of the pursuit. We happened once
to be in q public place or conveyance
where n coachy and several OF his inside
passengers gathered at the conclusion
of days drive and our editorial ears
though only of normal capacity-were
invaded by the remarks of coachy and
of his friends. Their remarks were to
this effect: What do the papers say
about us? Is there anything in the Re-
porter? Have you looked through the
evening edition. We confess to have
been shocked and surprised by this rev.
citation. If coachy had merely peeked
at the evening papers, on the sly, it
would have been an act OF pardonable
weakness, hut the frank interest taken
by coachy and by his party in what the
vulgar world thought and said about
them was almost pitiable. The IDEAL
coachy is stalwart self-sVficieut PER
son, fortified by strong liquors and bj'
pride He doesn't care tuppence what
impression he produces upon the great
public-ignorant OF horsehesh. How
ever, we would not make too much OF
this incident Perhaps ON this particu.
lar occasion coachy was a little of"
morally. Even great men have their
days Of SlacknesR-.Boston Transcript.