Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1903-05-06
EARLY STAGE COACHING.
Il. III. Greedy, of Ellsworth, Tells
Some Interesting Tales.
tBangOr Commercially


was very much interested in the arti-
Gle, 'oid Time Stages In and around Ban
gor Town." which appeared In your issue
OF March z, with the old familiar names
which carried me back many years. Mr..
Norcross states that 10 1S41 Hale Il Robin
con ran daily from Bangor to Calais, Sum
day included, leaving Bangor at 8 a. m.
Think that he is slightly mistaken, as
their contract began four years later, in
lS45, aad at the time OF which Mr.. Nor
cross wrote William Bennett held the
contract from Bangor to Ellsworth, and
Lincoln, familiarly known as Face and
Eyes,, drove for him, and funny old
fellow he was.
Before the expiration OF that contract
Shaw q Billings bought out Mr.. Bennett.
AT the same time John M. Hale and
George W. Buckmore held the contract
from Ellsworth to Mschiss, Mr.. Buck
more having run stage In company with
Reuben Ordway between Ellsworth and
Cherryheld as early as 1887, later selling
that contract to William II. Black and
John Morrell.
Many Bangor people still remember the
genial John and his good dinners and
suppers at the "Tim George" stand in
Holden. Hale & Buckmore dissolved
partnership after one year, Hale continu-
ing the line from Ellsworth to Cherry
field and Buckmore from Cherry field to
Machiss.
little later Buckmore sold the route
from Columbia to Maehias to Fisher &
Lindsay of the latter place, retaining and
himself driving the stage between
Cherry field and Coumb ia. After a short
time Mr.. Buckmore sold that route to q
sea captain by the name OF Mark Means,
having previously taught him to drive
four In hand.
l remember when a boy OF ten years
driving horse and chaise from Els
worth to Columbia for MIR. Buckmore and
riding back to Cherry field on the coach
with him.
At this time the stage between Els
worth and Cherryfield was driven by Am
brose Sturgis, brother of fra Sturgis.
the great lumber manufacturer of Au-
esoNo' aAtCa oHhcu tuC
route between Cherryfield and Machias
and conducted a livery stable In the
former place until the time OF his death.
The history OF staging in eastern Maine
would be incomplete without mention of
John M. Hale, jr., who at the age OF
nineteen, began to drive and manage
some details OF the business for his father,
John M. Hale, sr. He later became q
member of the firm and was connected
with the conveyance of mails until his
death which occurred In 1897 at the age
of seventy-six.
1t may be interesting to note that the
first man to run coach with four horses
from Ellsworth to Cherryfield was Abner
Lee, OF New Jersey, whose brother, Gid
con Lee, was at that time mayor OF New
York city. Mr.. Lee was grandfather OF
Gideon L. Joy, a well-known resident Of
Hancock.
While | do not remember the time of
Mr.. Lees coaching, which was probably
In the early '30s, well recall his coac b
which was afterward stored in loft In his
stable. 1t was what was known as Troy
coach, whose rounding top afforded
neither seats for passeDg gers nor room for
baggage. 1t had a large baggage rack
behind, covered with leather boot that
wssfightly buckled down, and in front,
from the foot board to the bottom OF the
coach, was a receptacle for mail bags.
The coach ran on wooden sxles with
Inch pins to hold the wheels in place.
Mr.. Lee drove to Cherryfield by way of
Sullivan and Gouldsboro, around the
head OF Hog bay, the road being cut
through Blacks woods at later date,
and as brakes had not then come into use
it was necessary to chain the wheels on
the steep hills with which the road
abounds.
II these notes are OF sufficient interest
to your readers, at another time l will
send some personal "reminiscences Of
coaching during the Rebellion when SOL
diers were transported daily, and until
the building of the Mt. Desert branch Of
the Maine Central railroad, when coach
ing In eastern Maine became, practically,
a thing OF the past.