The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-06-04

street, by a Spy man, and the veteran
talked Interestingly of his career. Mr..
Eames is 60 years old, looks about 10
years younger, and is as active as an
ambitious neWsboy.
Speaking of his experience with the
reins, he said: 1T was a singular hap
pening when I first started driving a
hack. l came to this city to become a
machinist, from my native place
Framingham. That was in 1854, and
was not a rugged youth, so after two
years apprenticeship in local machine
shops, was as thin as a rail and every
body told me I had one foot in the
grave. 1 fooled 'em all, got a job driv-
ing for Jim Woods the old hotel keep
er, and got so strong that people
thought l was another fellow. Hack
driving improved my health more than
any patent medicine advertiser ever
dared to tell about patient in the
newspapers.
There were only Is hacks in the city
when l started in, and the way we used
to rake in the money seems fabulous.
Why. I can recOllect the times when l
used to clear $50 a week. If hackman
told such a yarn about himself these
days, he would be forced to retire. |
drove an omnibus down to Quinsiga-
mond three times q day for a year, and
then tried hotel work as porter at the
Lincoln and Waldo houses. I was glad
enough to get back en- the seat and for
is years l drove for Wells Goodwin.
stopping only to serve a year in the
Fifty-first Massachusetts regiment.
About 20 years ago. 1 started out for
myself. with the hack l have used ever
since. I have carried notables. but if a
man behaved himself and paid his fare,
he got as much attention from me as a
general. I carried either Gen. Sheridan
or Gen. Sherman. I don't know which,
from the depot to the Bay State house
shortly after the war. I remember that
the newspapers mentioned my name,
and I got good advertising out of it.
In rs I had an experience which it
is impossible for me to forget. 1 drove
Frost, the Petersham murderer, from
the court house TO the Summer street
Jail, and the day he was hanged, I was
a witness to the execution. He never
made any fuss when he was riding with
me, and he was so cool I used to pity
him. He played checkers all the morn
ing until called to the gallows. /
watched him, and when he looked from
the gallOWs on me, I guess he recOg-
niZed me, for a kind of a creepy feeling
came over me. I never forgot the hang
ing which was one of the most dismal
failures in the history of executions.
stormy nights when 1 would be
hustling around in the inky darkness,
would think Of that fellow and I tn
you it made me feel kind of queer, but
that did not keep me from my bust
ness. 1 used to drive a man anywhere
in the city for % cents, but when I took
a passenger out of town, which was
frequently. I felt in duty bound t.
charge him pretty well, for me.
Il always managed to steer clear Of
brawls about fares, and in ~ years
never had an accident, and my hack or
horses never injured a human being. /
used to have to change horses three
times a week, but the last few years I
die not have business enough so that
it was necessary. I drove one pair
of horses 10 years, and during the &c
years I have been in business for my
self, I have only had eight horses