Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1892-10-16
TWO FAMOUS JEHUS.
SIERRA STAGE DRIVERS WHO HAD
MANY IRREGULARITIES.

Among Well Known People.
One Of the hest known of all Sierra whips !,
was Alfred, who for number Of years up ,
to the time Of his death drove a stage daily !
between Wawona and Yosemite valley. !
Alfred was a dark mulatto and likely ,
fellow, and although much petted never ,
got top heavy or spoiled. Probably no ,
man. living or dead, has ever driven SO
many illustrious people. Grant, Garfield,
Hayes, Blaine, Schurz, Sherman, Senator
Morgan, of Alabama. and hundreds Of
other senators and congressman governors
Of many OF the states; Bull Run RUSSELL
George Alfred Townsend. Charlie Nord-
hoff. John Russell Young and scores Of
other eminent journalists; Albert Bier
stadt. Thomas Moran, Tom II I'LL and other
famous artists; Mrs Langtry Lady Frank
lin, the Princess Louise aud many hum
dreds Of other persons OF consequence have
bean taken into the great Yosemite by Al
fred. lie never had accident; always
made time, either way, 10 a minute; knew
every peak and tree and rock and canyon
and clearing and hut and streamlet hy the
wayside. lie was of medium stature,
weighing iGi pounds, hr dressed neatly aud
wore the whitest and handSomest gnunt /
lets Of any driver in the Sierra
He seemed TO he Of a melancholy nature, /
or like man who had experienced some I
disturbance of heart or peace Of mind. lie |
seldom had much to say unless ~Ioken To, |
was temperate or did not drink at all, and
only smoked the best Of cigars. How many
people there are In the United States who
have presented Alfred with fine gloves.
gauntlets and cigars can never be known.
lie would drive the entire distance from
Wawoua To Inspiration Point sometimes
without uttrring word or relaxing fea.
ture. But II he had jolly crowd behind
him he would watch his team carefully,
but listen radiantly to the jokes and stories
and eonundrums and conversation OF those
In his charge.
The last time saw Alfred was "A Yose-
mite commissioner, and vert over the
mountains with him alone. He had on
new pair Of gauntlets sent him by Senator
Morgan, Of Alabama, and used "A fine whip
presented him by Mrs. Langtry He said
To me that he had never permitted but one
man TO take the reins from him in his life,
aud that was President Grant. The gen
sral drove nearly all the way TO lnspra.
ton Point" said Alfred. land lighted 81
least four cigars. llstook ~ everything
along the road, and made all the turns a,
perfectly rs an old driver | had fin,
crowd that day-the general and Mrs
Grant and Ulysses, Jr.. Mr. Young, VIII,
were Miss Jennie Flood, the only daughter
of the wealthy bonanza man; Miss Dora
Miller, the only daughter of Senator Mil
Ter, who Is now the wife OF an officer in TIA,
navy, and Miss Flora Sharon one IL til,
daughters of Senator Sharon, who after
ward married Sir Thomas IIesketb o
England. Miss Sharon was the prettics
girl ever carried into the valley and Mrs
Iangtry the most beautiful and mos
la ant
from all the members Of the Grant party
The general himself gave me silver
mounted cigar case containing eight cigars
and the girls sent me gloves and candy"
Aug. IL, 1873. rode over one Of the sum
Bits OF the Sierra from Quincy, Pluma,
county, To Oreville, Butte county, upoI
the seat with Cherokee Bth THIS drive,
was not an Indian. but regular Buckley,
from the western reserve But, all tn
came, he was called Cherokee Bill. IL
was stout, clumsily put together crea
ture, with stub beard. and drove fou
horse mud wagon. lie was rather NOR
morose looking and slovenly in his dres
than most Sierra drivers, being clad i
overaiis and WOODEN shirt, but wearin
good gloves ami the regulation hat. | wa
the only passenger except nm old clcrg.
man, who occupied the middle seat on II
Inside We left Quincy at in the NOR
ing with not cloud In the sky. At
the entire heavens were overcast. II begf
To sprinkle and distant mutterings
thunder could be heard.
At II o'clock, when within n thousar
feet of the summit. we encountered the fu
violence of the storm | had never Ne,
lightning, thunder aud rain To excel
The rain descended. not in torrents but
shafts the lightnngs flashed almost /
cessantly all around, and the thunders a
summed one awful continuous roar, vii
now and then crash that rcsembled Il
fall of "A hundred or more noble taXOdiun
of the forrest | said to Bill, although
was already completely drenched, II que
Ell crawl ins.tit,n Mo- he replied. W
don't want TO get In with that thing insid
He refused To bury my poor boy a Il
months ago because he hadn't been ba
tized | wish one Of these pines won
strike him dead Hes one OF those q
buffers who believes or pretends that
believes, that lots OF our babies come in
the world TO be damned. and claims tn
IL il wicked to bury fellow being II
hasn't been baptized I'd like To run hi
of into the canyon
We reached the summit al 10 o'cloe
and here sight presented itself such
had never seen before and have ney
witnessed since. The storm had spent
self upon the summit, and had been swe
into the ~tupendous chasms surroundin
with all Of its celestial pyrotechncs al
deafening artillery, and FROM sunny e
walton 1909 feet in the air we could beho
the jubilee OF elements below. | 81
Hooker's fight in and above the clouds
Lookout mountain, at the commenceme
Of the Atlanta campaign, and ! was !
minded Of that memorable episode by {
sight before me, except that, with the c
ception OF the din of small arms, the 70
Of heavens artillery in the Sierra tn
18th day a. August was like that OF l0.d
battles in the clouds.
Bill refined up that could stand RI
get a good view, at which the inside p
senger stuck his head out OF the windC
and asked: What l. the matter drive
What are you stopping here forf" ID
was ferucious and replied, I'm listenii
10 the salute the Almighty Is firing ov
my poor boys grave The preacher sa
no more, and told Bill To drive on, viii
he did. but quietly said to me: DO =
think that preacher would ask for my c.
tifcate OF baptism il he had a chance
bury mef Not muchg'-Chicago TribuI
rive Monster Branches.
There Is tree about forty miles fro
Charleston which Is thirty-one feet In c
cumference near the ground and divid
into five ENORMOUS branches, each of viii
a. a 49, agFV