Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1931-12-25
/ STAGE COACH
; TALES
Breaking Up a Wing Parade
By E. C.. TAYLOR

n GORGE FISHER was one of the
~ best known stage coach drivers
on the old National pike in the
1905 He was noted for his manipu-
lation Of fiery steeds. ~,
There was a, fractions team at Clays-
vile, Pa, that was. the terror Of all
the drivers on that section Of the
road. It had "run Off, once, killing
one passenger and injurlng several,
on Caldwell's hill. seven miles west of
Washington, Pa.
Every driver who had been given
the team had despaired of tanning these.
fiery horses, so Fisher was sent for.
He had been driving out of Washing
ton, Pa. and after taking charge of
the team he soon had 1t under control.
He drove 1t many years without an
accident.
Fisher was driving this team in
1874, during the celebrated political
contest between James X. Polk and
Henry Clay, opposing candidates for
the Presidency. Fisher was an ar
dent supporter Of Polk, and bitter in
his enmity toward the Wings.
One day in 1874 there was large
mass meeting of Wings In Washing
ton, Pa. An extra" coach, specially
chartered, passed over the road going
west, with Fisher at the reins, going
from Claysville to Roney's Point.
There was delay just beyond the
state line Of West Virginia. A dele
cation of Wings, Haunting banners
and with music blaring, were en- route
from West Alexander to Washington
to attend the mass meeting.
On their return home in the eve
ming, while they were parading along
the National pike, with banners fly
ing and bands playing, they were
Overhauled by George Fisher and his
coach.
Fisher drove his teams, one of
which was the famous 'unbroken"
span he had mastered years before,
and his coach into the Wing process
sion at several points. Buggies were
damaged, carriages and light wagons
broken. and several persons were in
jured. -D
Colin Wilson, prominent citizen
of Washington, Pa, was one of the
injured. The town of Washington de
manded that Fisher be held to account
for his action, and the resultant in
vestigation stirred that section of the
country as nothing else had done for
years.
Fisher explained that the bad"
team he was driving became fright
ened when it encountered the banners
and the music. He claimed that the
was unintentional, was just an &C.
cident.
The reputation of his team was well
known, especially in the vicinity of
Washington, Pa, and his explanation
served as a plausible excuse. The
fame of the team saved Fisher from
prosecution and probable severe pun
ishment.
But the Wings of that neighborhood
went to their graves solemnly be-
ifeving that Fisher did 1t on purpose.
Fisher in later years would not dis.
cuss the incident, but he intimated
to his many friends that the team
must have known the paraders were
Wings, and had the same feeling
toward them that he had.
The same team, just before Fisher
took the reins, had made reputation
rs KILLERS" One man had been
killed and several injured in a mad
dash of the horses.
few days before Fisher took
charge of the recalcitrant team, the
horses dashed down the long hill from
the locust tree at Caldwell's tavern,
TO Wickert's bridge
A Mr.. MOses-He never was identi-
fled further-was seriously injured;
the driver was severely hurt and three
passengers were injured.
Mr.. Moses, Kentucky merchant,
suffered badly crushed leg. He died
two days later in the hospital at
Washington, Pa.
The driver of the stage coach was
so seriously injured that he did not
recover until the next spring He
spent the winter recuperating at the
Caldwell tavern.
The other passengers in the coach
were not injured.
t@, 1881. Western Newspaper Union.>