The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1908-01-02

be the driver. The President
elect came in his own private con-
veyance. No doubt he was pleas
ed with the new coach. but "by
the eternal" he would not ride to
Washington in a free conveyance,
however inviting and comfortable
it might be- So his own plain
conveyance, not only carried him
to the seat of our Government,
but returned him to his home, at
the Hermitage eight years later.
However old hickory unbent so
far as to allow portion of his party
to christen the virgin stage coach,
which had been won on his election
to the Presidency. These fine
coaches cost from $500 to 5000,
and con tanned seats for nine per-
sons, 5 upon each seat, some times
one or two out side with the driver.
Thomas Shriver, who was engaged
in staging brought his ingenuity
into,use. and invented the elepti-
cal spring, which was decided
improvement on the old method.
L. B. Stockton and las. Reside
were the pioneers in the stage bus
mess. Further on came the we'll
known Alpheus Beall, of Cumber-
land, and some other others not
now remembered. At times there
were opposition coaches, and COM
petition quite spirited and fare low,
but not of long duratiod.
Coach riding was very pleasant
mode of travelling in the summer
seasons over the mountains, but
the very reverse in the winter,
Think of stage load of men and
women in the mountains with two
or three feet Of snow, thermometer
below zero with no warmth nearer
than the next stopping place.
These changing places were for the
purpose of getting fresh horses in
the place of the wearied ones,
usually about ten or twelve miles
apart. The speed about six miles
an hour, but in an emergency ten
could be made. The greatest
amount of travel and traffic on the
roads were for the period between
1912 and 1858. In the latter year
the B. & O. railroad reached the
Ohio river, which fact made the
old road almost a grass plot. In
the travelling season it was no ex-
traordinary thing for 100 persons
to pass over the Cumberland road,
in coaches to the West. Stage
owners grew rich and became in
| fluential.
Many of the great men Of this
country passed over the road in
early times, especially from the
West, among them four Presidents
of the United States. The first
was Jackson, as already stated. The
next. W. H. Harrison, in the
month of February, IS4I. in mid
winter, with deep snow. When
he reached Cumberland he was
nearly exhausted. His pale and
fainty appearance is remembered
by one at least. He lived but one
month after his Inauguration. 1t
was believed that his long winter
ride over the mountains hurried
his lamented death.
The next in line was James K.
Polk in the same wintry month.
He is remembered to have diued at
the noted hotel at Little Meadows
in Garrett county, on a Sunday.
The last of the four Presidents
named.was Z. Taylor in the same
Indictment month in I84o. He
rode from Wheeling to Cumberland
in one of the large nine passenger
coaches with two or three addi-
tional coaches filled with accom-
panying friends. The writer will
give little personal incident in
this connection, which it is hoped
may not be out of taste. He was
then near the close of his legal
studies and was on a visit to his
old home country, in the Allie
ghanies. and was upon the eve OF
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