Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1931-12-18
DECEMBER Isl 1871 s. 4 q
! STAGE COACH /;
svs Z &, TALES 7l Il .s Gis||
E.By f.. .oTAYL OR |
3 Race. With Mail

VN1dLLfAM q. BEt'Il. an old stage.
w cdaeh driver Of the National
road days, lived until recently at
Fairfield, Iowa. Nearing eighty years
Of age, he said he felt like jumping
up and cracking his heels j together
whenever he earddor read of the
men and events on the old National
Foadts ana wished he were sbaelsathefe.
again.
He was the son of James Beck,
Of the noted bridge building firm Of
the early decades of the United States,
and started driving stage coach be-
fore he was of age. He was born In
Uniontown, Pa, in 1919 and went
to Iowa to 1--we In 1917, year after
he left the road.
In 1916 he was driving for the "Old
Line" the National Road Stage COM
pany. Both the "Old Line" and the
Good Intent" line carried the United
States mail at that time.
The mail was of two classes, the
clock mail" in leather pouches that
was to be speeded west as fast as
possible. and the canvas mall" In
canvas bags. which was carried on a
slower schedule. The latter was fire.
quently called the second mail" as
1t contained what is now second class
mail matter. aafa y $50 M
In December, 1916, the "Old Line"
carried the flock mail' and the Good
Intent" line the "cnnvas mall" Beck
was driving the mail coach for the
"Old Line" olt of Cumberland, Md,
and Jacob Crouch drove the mall
stage for the rival company.
Great rivalry existed between the
two companies and their drivers over
carrying the mail, and races were
frequent. On this particular day,
Crouch loaded the canvas mai"
aboard his coach Immediately after
the train arrived at Cumberland, and
started Off at full speed toward the
west.
The clock maiP was handed TO
Beck, who had TO take II to the post
,,fIiee, where 1t was overhauled be-
fore he could start on his trip, caus-
ing him considerable delay. While
waiting In front of the Cumberland
post office for the mail to be sorted,
Jack Shuck and other Good Intent"
line drivers chided Beck with the
fact that the "canvas mal' had such
good start that Beck could not get
near 1t.
81 made up my mind" said Beck
later, that If 1t was In the hides OF
my two teams I would catch and pass
him.
II was after nightfall when Beck
got under way, and in crossing wa
terway In the Cumberland mountains,
his stage coach lamps went ont, but
what Beck thought was a calamity
turned out to be an advantage.
AS soon MS be had crossed the Wills
ok bridge, he put his teams to a
full run and never pulled up until
he reached Rock Hin. seven miles
Z out OF Cumberland.
At that point the road was wind
ing, and he espled the lights Of his
rivals cOncl Or l,rh hecause of the
going out OF Beck's coach lamps, could
not sec li,pk approaching, although
on the long stretches Of the road he
had kept careful lookout.
Crouch was very much surprised
when Beck pulled up along side OF
him, and the two raced side by side
into Frostburg, Md, lashing their
teams Mt every jump.
GrOoms at FrOstburg had Beck's
second teams hltched to the coach
by the time Beck had fairly stopped.
A friendly driver ran with the lock
mali to the Frostburg post office,
while another lit the lamps Beck did
not leave his seat.
The reins on the fresh teams were
thrown up to him and he was Off
again In full run. The way man bag
was thrown onto the coach as he
dashed past the post Office.
Crouch, carrying the canvas mail"
had not had to stop. and had gone
on ahead At Sand Spring nt the
foot Of Big Savage, Beck passed
Crouch. Thereafter he held the lead,
trotting his team every inch Of the
road to Plney Grove, the end OF the
mail route.
Beck had covered the % miles In
2 hours and 10 minutes. Fourteen
miles Of the way had been up hill.
but he pulled into Tiney Grove %
minutes ahead OF his rival.
Co 1881 Western Nrwsraper Unionb