Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1907-11-21
STAGE ROAD OF EARLY DAYS.
Daniel Boone 5laxed Trail Across
Missouri That Became Highway.

Missouri That Became Highway.
The halcyon days of the hitherto
the era of steamboat travel and over
land journeys on public highways In
the middle west seem to be return
ing, says the Kansas City Star.
The suggestion of graded public
roadway extending from Kansas City
to st. Louis brings to memory the old
stage road of early days, the busy
thoroughfare where no grass grew be
meath the feet of the sturdy steers
or staunch teams of horses or mules
which hauled thousands Of tons OF
freight and many passengers over It's
picturesque course.
It was said that Daniel Boone, that
prince of pioneers, blazed the trail OF
this old route. When a youth of IS
years he made the journey from Ham
ilton, Ohio, to st. Louis in thirty days
with no companion on the lonely, per
ilous journey save his sure-footed
pony. After a fey days rest in the
village of st. Louis the brave boy re-
sumed his westward journey, trsvel-
ing very near the exact line OF tht
main old stage highway of after years
II was asserted that Daniel Been
was the first white person to reach
the site of Independence, Mo.
We remember the project to build
national turnpike from Washington
City to st. Louis at government OK
pense. 1t was surveyed along the Oh
tire course, but the scheme was aban
doned after the roadbed was graded
and macadamized as far as Indian
apolis because the states not directly
interested or benefited protested
against being taxed for its construc-
ton. To compensate Missouri for its
supposed loss by the abandonment of
the project the government coded to
the state the sixteenth section of
every township for school purposes.
The entrance of stage coach into
the villages along the line was an ex-
citing event. Half mile or more
from town the driver began heralding
the approach with blast after blast
upon buge, a joyful signal Each
time the welcome sound pealed forth
women and children stood in the
dooryards and men rushed to the
hating place. The landlord at the
tavern stood ready to receive the mail
pouch and the travellers. There usu.
ally was only one inn in the towns
where the stages stopped for a change
or horses and TO allow the passengers
to get meals.
A peculiar custom Of Inc old-time
tavernkeeper was that he always
shook hands with every traveller who
alighted from the coach. He was all
smiles, and hospitality beamed fropn
his welcoming countenance. One felt
on receiving the hearty greeting that
he or she had found a friend in a
strange land.
Smiles" Of another nature were In
store for the weary traveller within
the comfortable inn and the masculine
contingent usually halted there at the
ever present bar" The barrooms OF
the old taverns had door, always
open, into the unpretentious recep.
ton room. where the guests OF all
ages and sexes assembled. so It is
needless TO say that no carousing was
permitted in what was then deemed
an essential feature OF the public
hostelry.
Can any old.ume traveller by stage
evGr forget his emotion when he ar
rived on cold winter evening at one
Of these old taverns, where cheer and
comic.t shone from the open door
way. giving glimpse OF the big log
fire blazing on the simple hearth and
the tempting aroma Of boiling coffee.
old ham broiling on the Goals. spare
ribs. country sausage and other deUci
Gus "vittles" greeting his olfactorses
and later the fulfllment Of the pres.
age around the plain, neat tavern IA