Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1904-01-09
HIS FIRST
ACHIEVEMENT
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coach days on the frontier mas only
just begun. For every one yet told
there are a thousand better ones
hidden in the mountains, hanging
in faint echoes about the campfres
Of the pioneers.
If you live awhile in the cabins
along the Yuba, above Marysville,
you will find miners still coyoting
among the thrice sifted piles of
gravel for the aftermath of 40; you
will find old stage drivers, with bent
and twisted hands, who know every
noted driver of the Pacific coast;
you will hear stories Of staging in
the ffties and sixties in the widest
parts of the Sierras that have never
reached print, but have been car
ried on through manifold traditions
until they have reached the COM
pleteness and the dignity of an epic
Of the stagecoach.
Besides the longer stories one
hears, there are dozens of lesser ep-
isodes of the staging days-the ep-
isolde of Smoky's runaway, for in
stance. ...
Smoky was a famous stage driver
between Grass Valley and Marys-
vile, by way Of Penn Valley, Rough
and Ready, Smartsville and Timbuc-
too. About 1861 he was in his glory,
the ideal of a driver and able to
hold his own with any one on the
route. He received his name from
the remark of a little girl, the
daughter of the hotel keeper at
Murphy's ranch. She once slid off
his lap and ran off, saying that he
was E'too smoky to stay WITH" she
'tliked men who did not puff cigars
in her face"
After this episode smoky's real
name fell into disuse. He was
''Smoky" and S'Old Smoky from
the Sierras to the Sacramento.
On the day when Smoky had his
runaway affair the stage swung into
Grass Valley early in the morning
with two passengers aboard, both
inside. They had breakfast, and
then Smoky took charge. He drove
around in front Of the store to wait
for another passenger. He put on
the brake, as he supposed, twisted
the reins about the brake bar and
went into the store. The four horses
started off at full speed, and, strik-
ing a stone, the jar let the brake
loose. Then the horses flew down
the grade like sons Of destruction.
The passengers sat in silence,
little surprised at the rapid mo-
ton, but believing that the driver
was on the box. One of them was
a small, nervous, bright eyed young
man, newly come to California,
young man who was just beginning
q career of invention and manufac-
turing achievement that has given
him place among the score or so of
foremost Californians. The other
man was a mere nonentity.
The young man with the bright
eyes began to see that something
was wrong with the stage. It went
too fast. It swung too much. He
climbed on the seat and let down
the narrow window nearest the
drivers box. He leaned out and
to raise himself far enough
to see that the horses were run
ming away. He called to the driver,
but received no reply.
The young man reflected that the
road ahead was not an easy one for
q runaway stagecoach to manage.
They were now on the down grade;
next came a hill, then another de-
scent, then a second hill, then
long, steep and winding piece of
down grade. The horses must be
stopped before this descent was
reached or a smashup was inevita-
Bile. He decided to do his best to
check the horses. If he failed he
would jump out and leave them.
The first thing to do was to swing
On the drivers box. A heavier man
might have failed, but the young
stranger was alert and muscular.
He watched his chance, caught the
iron bar at the end of the seat,
drew himself out, poised a second
IN the window sill and leaped up |
ward just as the stagecoach swung
toward him. He found himself |
landed, in consequence, upon the
lriver's seat and clinging to the
brake bar. The lines were flying ,
wildly over the heads of the horses
or tangled under their feet. a
The young man began to put on
the brakes, not with haste, but slow
" and carefully. The great curving |
blocks of oak settled down against
LII ILL., -, of Tho |